One of my go-to sources for recipes as a starting point for many of my homemade country wines is the little purple book that came with my winemaking equipment starter kit: Raymond Massaccesi’s “Winemaker’s Recipe Handbook”. Typically, when I try a new recipe, I follow it exactly as it is written; the next time around, all bets are off! One of the first recipes I tried was for Orange Wine…oranges are delicious as flavoring for secondary ferments, so I guessed that the wine would also be a winner. And it was. It turned out almost cordial-like: a beautiful amber color reminiscent of sherry, with a pleasing warmth and complex flavor. It didn’t scream “orange”, but the mystery of it made it even more enjoyable. Continue reading “Wine Chronicles: Cara Cara Orange Wine”
Category: Winemaking
Beginning Winemaking: Part I
Are you interested in making your own small batches of wine? Perhaps a fruity country wine or a delicate tea wine? You can do it, and I think you’ll find it easy, economical, and very rewarding. Read on…
While you could actually start making wine with very little specialized equipment, I would personally recommend purchasing the following equipment or, easier yet, a basic winemaking kit (you can find them on Amazon.com for under $50) that should come with the following:
Craft Country Wine: Valencia Orange
It’s been several months since we started the orange wine. Why orange, you ask? Because there was a bag of delicious, juicy Valencia oranges in the refrigerator that were on the verge of being past their prime – often, what’s available is a key factor in the decision about which wine to make. Continue reading “Craft Country Wine: Valencia Orange”
Goodbye, 2016…Hello, 2017!
It’s that time again – this year is coming to its end. We like to look back at the year because you can forget how much you learned and during that period. We also like to recognize our accomplishments, as well as identify needed improvements. We characterize 2016 as our year of learning on the farm.
Chickens
2016 started on a sour note, with about half of our small flock of layers lost to predators. We implemented deterrents and learned about the importance of having a vigilant rooster (or two) to keep watch over the flock. We hatched 4 groups of chicks and learned about integrating new chickens into an existing flock. We processed roosters, treated injuries, and let a (surprise) broody hen hatch some eggs.
Ducks
We started with a small group of Muscovies going into 2016, due to some predator losses. We were thrilled when the ducks began laying, and wanted to expand our flock. Continue reading “Goodbye, 2016…Hello, 2017!”
Making Country Wine At Home – Part 1
Making wine at home sounds pretty cool, right? There are a number of approaches, depending on the type of wine you want to make, but non-grape (“country”) wine is simple and suitable for beginners. So let’s get to winemaking!
The winemaking kit we ordered several (like 6) months ago has been sitting patiently in its box, gathering dust. We went with a pre-assembled kit to ensure that we would have all the basic equipment needed to make wine. What’s worse than getting into a project and discovering that you don’t have the right tools? Continue reading “Making Country Wine At Home – Part 1”