For those who remember our April 7 article titled “A new way to unwined” about all the fun you can have at Vintner’s Cellar, 133 Loudon Road, here’s the update you’ve been waiting for. For those of you who don’t remember the article because you don’t have every issue of The Insider committed to memory, shame on you.
In April, Katie and I made a batch of cabernet sauvignon to prove that making your own wine is so easy that even klutzes like us could do it. The only catch was that after pouring a bunch of ingredients into a big bucket, we had to wait eight to 10 weeks for our glorified grape juice to ferment before bottling our tasty creation. After the waiting period was up, owners Larry Crossley and Virginia Fressola gave us the word that we could journey back to Vintner’s and complete the process.
Apparently, Larry and Virginia added cabernet franc and merlot to the cabernet sauvignon we made in order to make a meritage (“meritage” is just a fancy word for a blend of those three wines). They will eventually sell the meritage at Vintner’s, but don’t you worry, if you make your own wine you can take all 24 to 28 bottles home with you for $175 to $295. We were okay with Vintner’s selling off our wine because we’re happy when you’re happy, Concord, and we hope our wine makes you even happier.
When we arrived, a carboy (a large glass jug) of the wine was waiting for us to pour it into bottles. Virginia kindly guided us through the process and demonstrated how to use the uh, wine-transferor machine thingy (let’s just pretend that’s the technical name for it), which vacuums the air out of the bottle and replaces it with wine. It’s a simple process: Take an empty bottle, put the bottle under the little air-vacuum, watch as the air magically turns into wine until the little bubbles at the top of the bottle dissipate, then remove from machine. Repeat 24 to 28 times.
This part was actually kind of fun. It takes little effort to fill the wine since the machine does most of the work, so Katie and I were able to just hang out and chat with Virginia while waiting for each bottle to fill. Virginia’s really easy to talk to, which Larry confirmed by telling us that he often overhears customers spilling their guts to her. Perhaps it’s her laid-back, no-judgment demeanor or maybe just the sight of wine gives people liquid courage. Who knows, but rest assured – your secrets are safe with her . . . we hope.
After filling the bottles with wine, things get really technical. The bottle’s neck should have three quarters of air in it, with the cork taking up half of the neck. The air helps dispel any extra gas in the bottle. This means that you need to level your wine with a very special instrument called a straw. We used one of the Papa Gino’s variety, but any kind will do.
When we were finished with that step, Virginia showed us how to cork the bottles using – yup, you guessed it – the wine-corker thingy. This device was also very simple: You place the bottle under a lever, you put the cork into the right spot, pull down the lever and viola – your bottle has been corked. This was relaxing, but definitely a bit of a workout. I imagine if you did this day-in and day-out, you could compete with Michelle Obama in an “America’s best arms” contest. Even if you lost, at least you’d have plenty of wine to go home to.
With our wine bottled and corked, the only things left to do were a few finishing touches. First, we chose a shrink wrapping to go around the cork and then placed it into a contraption that sealed it. Next, we stuck on labels. On the back of every bottle, there must be a label with the Tax and Trade Bureau’s regulations printed on it. After sticking this boring but necessary label on, we were able to slap on our much cooler custom-made ones.
Prior to your visit, Virginia, who’s not only a good listener but a talented graphic designer, would have asked what you wanted for your label. If you want a photo printed on it, all you have to do is send Virginia the picture you desire and she’ll make it happen. For Katie and me, she designed labels with photos of us and our fiancés. We were pleased with this because we’re immensely vain and feel that anything looks better if it has our exquisite faces across it.
Fortunately (or unfortunately if you like us so much to the point it’s kind of eerie) the bottles of the meritage sold at Vintner’s will not have photos of us on them. It would only confuse your dinner guests.
If this process sounds like fun to you, now’s the time to go if you want to hand out custom-made bottles during the holidays. The wine we just bottled has to age for six to eight months for it to taste its best, and you want the best for your loved ones and family members, right? Think of it this way, if you make your wine now, that’s 24 to 28 presents already taken care of before summer even hits. So, while everyone else is out on a snowy day trying to find last-minute gifts, you can be reclining in a cozy chair at home while sipping a nice glass of meritage and reading the latest edition of The Insider.
Call Vintner’s Cellar to make your appointment at 224-9463 and then feel free to recline away.
