What does it cost to make a batch of wine at your facility?

• The cost ranges from $140 to $210 depending on the kit type.  There are 4, 5, 6 and 8 week kits.  The price of the wine ranges from ~$4 – $7 a bottle. 

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What is included in your wine price?

• The cost of the wine kit, our service fee for producing the wine, the corks, and all taxes are included in the price. We do not include bottles, labels or shrinktops as those are optional items that you can decide to purchase at the bottling stage.  

 

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What if I don’t have my own bottles?

• We have wine bottles here for sale. We charge ~$1.50 / 750 ml bottle.

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What is the bottling process?

•  Your bottles are sanitized first. You then fill your bottles with wine and cork the bottles with either the automatic or manual corker. Labels and shrinks are available if you want. The whole process takes approximately half an hour.

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Can I put my wine in different size bottles?

• You can use many different sizes of wine bottles...the most common is 750ml and 1.5L however people use 2L, 375ml, 3L jugs, specialty bottles and bags. 

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What if my wine bottles are screw top, not cork?

• Our corking machine can handle screw topped bottles.  There is a slight risk of breakage as the bottles are not designed to support corks.

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Could I use screw caps instead of corking?

• You can, but it's not always recommended.  You will not be able to form as good a seal as it had when it was new and there is the possibility of air or bacteria getting into the bottle.

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Can I bag my wine?

• You can bag some or all of your wine.  We have 3L, 4L and 5L wine bags available for purchase.

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Do I have to wash my bottles before I bring them in?

• Yes, we have an industrial washing machine here that will sterilize wine bottles with very hot water. However, it does not scrub or remove anything physically in a bottle. We recommend giving your bottles a quick once over before coming into bottle.

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I just bottled my wine, what should I do with the bottles once I get the wine home?

• Leave bottles standing upright for two to five days.  This allows the cork to expand and properly seal.  After that, lay bottles on their sides.  This keeps the cork moist so it won’t dry out.  You can just tip the boxes over also.  Don’t stack more than two boxes high. See the question about storing the wine for long term storage advice.

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How long should I age my wine? When can I drink the wine?

• Although the wine is very drinkable at bottling time, it will continue to change as it matures.  This is a very personal preference so it is hard to give a definite answer. Try the wine as soon as you want and at regular intervals.  You can allow your wine time to age and with time, your wine will soften and mellow and the flavours will improve. Fruit wine kits are ready to consume immediately after bottling.  The bottling process agitates the wine causing what is called bottle shock.  Even two weeks after bottling, the wine will taste better. 

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How should I store my wine?

• Ideally, wine should be stored in a dark, humid, cool place (12-15°C, or 50-60°F) with little temperature fluctuations and no movement. Bottles are best stored on their side to keep the cork moist.

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Do you do custom labels?

• We have a custom label program so we can design a label for you/with you.

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How should I clean my bottles?

• Clean your wine bottles as soon as they are empty, rinse well, place upside down in your sink to dry, then store upside down in the box. For stubbornly dirty bottles soak in hot water and use a bottle brush.

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Is there sulphite in the wine?

• Wine kits have less than the majority of commercial wines. Sulphites are an important part of ensuring that wine stays in good condition. Customers have the option to add less sulphites, or even none at all, but it could lead to a dramatically shorter lifespan for your wine.  Without added sulfites, the kit will oxidize and spoil very rapidly. 

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How long will my wine last? 

• Wine will generally last for several years.  Storage is very important and can affect the life span of the wine.

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I am not sure about the taste of my wine?

• Your wine may just need to be stored and aged a bit longer. Is it just one bottle or all the bottles? Single bottles may mean there was contamination in that bottle. Occasionally, production issues or off-quality kits can cause the wine to taste off. Let us know.