How do I get started?
Knowing what types of wine you enjoy is always a good starting point. Our knowledgeable staff can help you with your selection, based on your tastes. You select your wine of choice and add the yeast to begin the wine making process. Depending on which wine you choose, it stays with us for 4 – 6 weeks, and when it is ready for bottling, we will call you for an appointment. When you return with your bottles,(or if you don’t have any, you can purchase the bottles from us) you proceed to sterilize them and once they are sterilized, you bottle your wine using our bottling and corking machines. You can put labels and shrink tops for a professional looking bottle! This process takes up about thirty minutes of your time. The whole process for making wine on premise is simple and fun and our staff will be there to direct and guide you.
When do I have to pay for my wine?
Alcohol and Gaming Regulations state that you need to pay at the time the batch is started. The ownership of the goods have to be paid for and transferred to you at the time your goods are started.
What’s the difference in making wine from a kit versus making wine from fresh grapes?
Concentrate and Semi-concentrate kits have had a portion of the water removed to reduce shipping costs. This water is added back in before fermentation to bring the juice back into balance. We use filtered water at the store to ensure that no flavours are added by putting the water back in. Wine Kits have also been pasteurized so that they have a longer shelf life. This is advantageous as all bacteria are killed off. This means that only the wine making yeast is present during fermentation.
What is the single biggest reason wine doesn’t turn out right?
One of the most important parts of wine making is cleanliness and sterilization. It is essential that anything that touches the wine be sterilized before use. Many wines do not turn out properly because they are contaminated with bacteria. At Beer & Wine Factory we take extra care to be sure everything is clean and sterilized. This is a point to remember if you are taking our kits home for home brewing.
How many bottles of wine will I get?
A regular batch would make approximately 30 bottles of 750 ml. Bring in your bottles or purchase the bottles from us if you do not have any.