Make Homemade Wine, Follow the Cycle

​By keepwinesimple.com
The cycle of activities is year-round when you make homemade wine. From planning to bottling, the wine calendar continues from month to month.
The planning states consist of thinking about the space that you will use to make your wine, the type of grapes that you will use, the home wine making equipment, supplies, etc. It seems that there are a million decisions to be made, but many of them will only have to be made the first year.
Mark Your Calendar
Start Your Engines, Make Homemade Wine!

​June to August
Planning Stage
1. Decide whether you will use home wine making kits or buy grapes.
2. Buy or prepare and wash the tools and fermenter.
3. Buy yeast and other supplies.
4. If you are buying grapes, arrange to rent a grape crusher and press.
August to October
The Crush
1. Bring in the grapes.
2. Begin the crush.
3. Test for sugar content and acidity. Adjust if necessary.
4. Start fermentation process.
5. Punch down the must at least a couple of times a day for about one week.
6. Press the wine.
October to February
In the Cellar
1. Finish second fermentation.
2. Rack the wine.
3. Wait for sediment to settle to the bottom.
4. Rack wine again.
5. If you plan to oak the wine, do so at this time.

​March to April
Tasting, Testing, Blending
1. Taste the wine and test it.
2. Buy bottles and corks.
3. Rent a bottle corker.
4. Make or buy labels.
May to August
Bottling
1. Rack wine again if desired.
2. Bottle wine.
3. Label bottles.
4. Age bottled wine in a cool dark place.