If you have washed your bottle out thoroughly after you finish it, this process is very easy. You want to insure that the inside and outside of the bottle is clean. If there is any mold in it recycle it. Remember wine is a food product it requires a clean bottle. A dirty bottle can spoil the wine.
For the first 10 days leave the wine bottles upright. This allows the cork to reexpand into the neck of the bottle. After these few days, lay them on their side, out of direct sun or heat. Try not to store wine in your kitchen or under the stairs. The heat variations in your kitchen can adversely affect your wine, and the vibrations of the stairs can bruise" your wine.
We offer a variety of generic labels that are included with your wine purchase that match the wine you are bottling. If, however, you have a need for a unique label, we can produce a custom product to match your special occasion. Ask for details the next time you visit our store. There is an additional charge for this option.
Yes, we can. There is an upcharge to the custom label for all pictures.
As Craft Wines contain far less sulphite levels than commercially processed wines, they unfortunately don't have the same shelf life. Commercial wines (those that you find in a liquor store) contain very high levels of sulphites in order to allow them several years on the shelf or wine cellar. Our wines contain a fraction of these sulphites. As a result, our wines have a shorter shelf life. These wines are meant to be enjoyed optimally within 18-36 months.
All wines should be aged for a certain period after bottling. Wine goes into Bottle Shock" initially after bottling. This simply means that the molecules get disturbed and need to form back together. So, for even a fruit wine that requires little to no aging we suggest ideally a week after bottling. For 5 week premium kits you should potentially age whites for a month or two after bottling and for those reds 2 or more months. For many this doesn't happen don't worry if you like it then great if it is a little sharp wait a few more weeks. For the longer term wines 6-8 weeks kits we recommend at least 6 months. If you experiment with these you will notice that these wines really change their taste after letting them age a little. Many people have tried to hasten the process and realize that they wasted a nice bottle of wine. Remember as with everything Patience is a virtue" show your wines some patience and you will be treated to a wonderful surprise.
This is a very simple process. The hardest part is choosing the wine you want. We can guide you through this process with a few simple questions. After that, it is a fast procedure of pitching (empty a package of yeast) into the wine.
Typically we allot 45 minutes to bottle your batch of wine. This time varies if you have 1.5L bottles as it is faster.