Carniolan Queens are usually black and all of their offspring are darker making the whole colony look dark.
Home winemaking is simple, easy and fun! Here are a few steps to get you started. How to make dry or sweet fruity red wine. How to make dry or sweet white wine.
The main difference in making red wine and white wine is that red grapes are fermented on the skins and when making white wine the grapes are pressed first and only the juice is fermented. This article shows how to make 5 gallons of sweet or dry red wine....
Click here for sweet red wines...
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Things to keep in mind:
When making white wine, only the fresh pressed juice is fermented. This article shows how to make 5 gallons of sweet or dry red wine....
Click here for sweet white wines...
![]() |
![]() |
We will use the same instructions we used for the dry white wine above with some slight variations. I like to have a soft-slightly sweet finish in most of my white wines.
Things to keep in Mind...
Baco noir (pronounced BA-koh NWAHR; Baco noir is also called Baco 1) is a hybrid red wine grape variety produced from a cross of Vitis vinfera var. (Folle Blanche, a French wine grape) and an unknown variety of Vitis riparia (an indigenous North American grape species). Baco noir was first created by French wine hybridizer Maurice Baco (hence the name of the grape).
At one time Baco noir was commonly grown in France, but by European Union regulation, the commercial use of hybrid grape varieties is restricted. In 1951 the variety was brought to the cooler viticulture regions of the United States, such as New York, Michigan, Mississippi,
Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. In New York there are an estimated 240 hectares of Baco noir currently grown. In 1955 the variety was brought to Canada, where the "George" clonal variety is commonly used. Within Canada, Baco Noir is far more commonly grown in Ontario than in British Columbia.
Baco Noir was the victim of a vine-pull program in Canada in the early 1980s, which means that there are few older plots of this varietal left in Canada. Despite this Baco Noir (single varietal or in blends) remains a commonly produced wine in many Canadian wineries; notable current examples of finely made Canadian Baco Noir include Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery's and Lakeview Cellars' "Baco Noir Reserve". Baco noir produces a medium body, deeply tinted, acidic red wine which is fruit forward and often carries aromas of black fruits and caramel. Ageing potential is 5-8 years on average for good examples of this wine.
White Wine Making - Over a few Years - We made more wine this season that we usually do....
Our winemaking depends on how big our crop was and what we have left.
The above picture shows about 5 gallons of St. Pepin, 10 gallons of Seyval Blanc and about 10+ gallons of Cayuga. About a week later we made another 10 gallons of Niagara.
All of the grapes were pressed soon after harvest, the specific gravity was checked and the wine was sweetened with honey to ferment out to 10 to 11% alcohol. Cambden tablets (sulphite), about 1-2 per gallon, were crushed and added to the juice.
A yeast starter was prepared with a gallon of fresh juice, boiled (to kill any wild yeasts), cooled and a package of Cotes de Blanc yeast added. This started fermenting real soon and the day after pressing and sulphiting the juice it was added in roughly equal amounts to all of the 5 gallon carboys.
In a few weeks the fermentation will be finished and the containers will be combined and topped up to remove and air spaces on top which will cause oxidation and vinegar.
In about 3-4 months we will rack the wine, sweeten it slightly, and more sulphite and some potassium sorbate to retard fermentation.
3-4 months later, if it is still stable and not started to ferment again we will probably bottle it.
January 2007
Last fall we crushed and press several batches of white wine - Seyval, Cayuga, Niagara & St. Pepin. We recently moved them from our barn (to keep them from freezing) to our basement where we bottle honey and make candles.
We were surprised when after a few days they all started fermenting again. I had thought that all the fermentations were complete because they were very clear and stable, but the warmer temperatures of our basement caused a little more activity.
My intention is to sweeten them and add sulphite and potassium sorbate - but I will have to wait a bit.
This is probably very good, as I do not want them to start fermenting again after bottling.
March - April 2007
Last January I wrote that I moved all of this white wine to my worktable in our honey/candle workroom. At this time we were supposed to rack, sweeten and bottle the wine.
As things typically go around our place, this has not been done yet.
However we have been doing lots of wine sampling.
In the process of racking the wine last fall, we consolidated the carboys somewhat so that they would be full and air not get in and cause oxidation. In the process we end up with a few 1 gallon carboys. These have been great for tasting and winter consumption.
Pat & I would decide that some Niagara (or lately Cayuga) would taste quit nice. I go downstairs with my trusty 32 oz mug and siphon off a quart of wine. Adding about a 1/4 cup of sugar to the mug and mixing it in and its ready to go.
TASTES VERY NICE!!
The bad part of doing this is it lets air into the carboys. When we have done this before sometimes the wine starts to oxidize before we get around to racking it and it becomes spoiled.
I guess the moral of this story is that winemaking can be very flexible and fun and all we want to do is make a delightful and interesting beverage - Home Winemaking is not for the Elite or Pompous.
By the way - 1 glass of white wine is 3 points on the Weight Watchers Program.
More white winemaking notes - We just finished bottling the rest of our niagara. We gave a lot of it to our neighbor for plowing snow when our tractor had some problems.
The St. Peppin has been sweetened and is now ready to bottle, it is very nice. Now all we have left of our 2006 vintage is the Seyval and Cayuga.
More white winemaking notes - The St. Peppin has been bottled and partially consumed as we write this. When nice and cold it reminds us of a Piesporter German style wine.
I sweetened the 6.5 gallons of Cayuga with 4lbs of sugar and added some potassium sorbate and cambden tablets. The specific gravity was about 1.022 which was just a little sweeter than I liked. (The niagara was sweetened to 1.010)
We did a little taste testing by mixing part of the very sweet cayuga with part of the dry seyval blanc. The result was very nice.
We decided to rack the 6.5 gal of cayuga into a 5 gallon carboy with the remaining going into another 5 gal carboy. Then we will add some unsweetened seyval to it to fill up the second one (also adjusting sorbate & sulfur). Then the remaining carboy of seyval (we started with 10 gal) will also be sweetened slightly.
So we will end up with:
This is what makes winemaking REALLY FUN!
For further information view our downloadable "Winemaking Booklet".
This is a booklet that we hand out at our farm to help winemakers get started.
On this page we have links to various wineries that make and sell wine using some of the varieties sold at our farm. It is always nice to pick some grapes, make some wine and when it is aging, buy a commercially made sample of the wine. IF THEY CAN MAKE NICE TABLE WINE -- SO CAN YOU!! This page is only a small sample of the wineries using Eastern Grapes. If you know of any other winery that carries these styles of wine and should be included here, please let us know.
Red or white blends can be easily purchased in Michigan from local wine shops and grocery stores or may be purchased on line from:
Michigan laws keep changing regarding shipping wine in from other states - consult theses outstate wineriesabout shipping or visit them to purchase this style of wine.
We do not sell wine or vines. Please go to our resource page for a listing of nurseries.
What do I bring when I come to the Farm? For Grapes? For Honey? For Candles? Take a Digital Tour of the Farm...
(Click on the image arrows or the image icons to go forward)
(Refresh browser to return to beginning)
Latest Newsletters...
View Up to Date Ripening Info...
The main difference in making red wine and white wine is that red grapes are fermented on the skins and when making white wine the grapes are pressed first and only the juice is fermented. This article shows how to make 5 gallons of sweet or dry red wine....
Click here for sweet red wines...
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Things to keep in mind:
This is a handy chart used by winemakers to find the correct amount of sugar to add to their wines. Just measure the specific gravity of the must and add sugar to the level of alcohol you wish.
Conversion Chart For Use With Hydrometers
|
|||||||
Brix or Balling
|
Specific Gravity
|
Potential Alcohol
|
Sugar To Add In oz/gal To Get X% Alcohol
|
||||
9%
|
10%
|
11%
|
12%
|
13%
|
|||
6.0 | 1.0236 | 3.3% | 10.9 | 13.1 | 15.3 | 17.5 | 19.7 |
7.0 | 1.0277 |
3.9% |
10.2 | 12.4 | 14.6 | 16.8 | 19.0 |
8.0 | 1.0317 | 4.4% | 9.5 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 16.1 | 18.3 |
9.0 | 1.0359 | 5.0% | 8.8 | 11.0 | 13.2 | 15.4 | 17.6 |
10.0 | 1.0400 | 5.5% | 8.1 | 10.3 | 12.5 | 14.7 | 16.9 |
11.0 | 1.0441 | 6.1% | 7.4 | 9.6 | 11.8 | 14.0 | 16.2 |
12.0 | 1.0483 | 6.7% | 6.7 | 8.9 | 11.1 | 13.3 | 15.5 |
12.5 | 1.0504 | 6.9% | 6.0 | 8.1 | 10.4 | 12.6 | 14.8 |
13.0 | 1.0525 | 7.2% | 5.3 | 7.4 | 9.7 | 11.9 | 14.1 |
13.5 | 1.0546 | 7.4% | 4.6 | 6.9 | 9.0 | 11.2 | 13.4 |
14.0 | 1.0567 | 7.7% | 3.9 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 12.7 |
14.5 | 1.0589 | 8.0% | 3.2 | 5.4 | 7.6 | 9.8 | 12.0 |
15.0 | 1.0610 | 8.3% | 2.5 | 4.7 | 6.9 | 9.1 | 11.2 |
15.5 | 1.0631 | 8.5% | 1.7 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 10.4 |
16.0 | 1.0653 | 8.8% | 1.0 | 3.2 | 5.4 | 7.6 | 9.7 |
16.5 | 1.0674 | 9.1% | 2.5 | 4.6 | 6.8 | 9.0 | |
17.0 | 1.0697 | 9.4% | 1.7 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 8.3 | |
17.5 | 1.0719 | 9.6% | 1.0 | 3.2 | 5.4 | 7.6 | |
18.0 | 1.0740 | 9.9% | 2.5 | 4.7 | 6.9 | ||
18.5 | 1.0762 | 10.2% | 1.8 | 4.0 | 6.2 | ||
19.0 | 1.0784 | 10.5% | 1.1 | 3.3 | 5.4 | ||
19.5 | 1.0806 | 10.7% | .7 | 2.8 | 5.0 | ||
20.0 | 1.0828 | 10.9% | .2 | 2.4 | 4.6 | ||
20.5 | 1.0851 | 11.3% | 1.6 | 3.8 | |||
21.0 | 1.0873 | 11.6% | .8 | 3.0 | |||
21.5 | 1.0895 | 11.9% | .1 | 2.3 | |||
22.0 | 1.0918 | 12.1% | 1.6 | ||||
22.5 | 1.0941 | 12.4% | .9 | ||||
23.0 | 1.0964 | 12.7% | .3 | ||||
23.5 | 1.0986 | 13.0% | |||||
24.0 | 1.1009 | 13.3% | |||||
24.5 | 1.1032 | 13.5% |
This is a handy chart used by winemakers to find the correct amount of sugar to add to their wines. Just measure the specific gravity of the must and add sugar to the level of alcohol you wish.
Conversion Chart For Use With Hydrometers
|
|||||||
Brix or Balling
|
Specific Gravity
|
Potential Alcohol
|
Sugar To Add In oz/gal To Get X% Alcohol
|
||||
9%
|
10%
|
11%
|
12%
|
13%
|
|||
6.0 | 1.0236 | 3.3% | 10.9 | 13.1 | 15.3 | 17.5 | 19.7 |
7.0 | 1.0277 |
3.9% |
10.2 | 12.4 | 14.6 | 16.8 | 19.0 |
8.0 | 1.0317 | 4.4% | 9.5 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 16.1 | 18.3 |
9.0 | 1.0359 | 5.0% | 8.8 | 11.0 | 13.2 | 15.4 | 17.6 |
10.0 | 1.0400 | 5.5% | 8.1 | 10.3 | 12.5 | 14.7 | 16.9 |
11.0 | 1.0441 | 6.1% | 7.4 | 9.6 | 11.8 | 14.0 | 16.2 |
12.0 | 1.0483 | 6.7% | 6.7 | 8.9 | 11.1 | 13.3 | 15.5 |
12.5 | 1.0504 | 6.9% | 6.0 | 8.1 | 10.4 | 12.6 | 14.8 |
13.0 | 1.0525 | 7.2% | 5.3 | 7.4 | 9.7 | 11.9 | 14.1 |
13.5 | 1.0546 | 7.4% | 4.6 | 6.9 | 9.0 | 11.2 | 13.4 |
14.0 | 1.0567 | 7.7% | 3.9 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 12.7 |
14.5 | 1.0589 | 8.0% | 3.2 | 5.4 | 7.6 | 9.8 | 12.0 |
15.0 | 1.0610 | 8.3% | 2.5 | 4.7 | 6.9 | 9.1 | 11.2 |
15.5 | 1.0631 | 8.5% | 1.7 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 10.4 |
16.0 | 1.0653 | 8.8% | 1.0 | 3.2 | 5.4 | 7.6 | 9.7 |
16.5 | 1.0674 | 9.1% | 2.5 | 4.6 | 6.8 | 9.0 | |
17.0 | 1.0697 | 9.4% | 1.7 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 8.3 | |
17.5 | 1.0719 | 9.6% | 1.0 | 3.2 | 5.4 | 7.6 | |
18.0 | 1.0740 | 9.9% | 2.5 | 4.7 | 6.9 | ||
18.5 | 1.0762 | 10.2% | 1.8 | 4.0 | 6.2 | ||
19.0 | 1.0784 | 10.5% | 1.1 | 3.3 | 5.4 | ||
19.5 | 1.0806 | 10.7% | .7 | 2.8 | 5.0 | ||
20.0 | 1.0828 | 10.9% | .2 | 2.4 | 4.6 | ||
20.5 | 1.0851 | 11.3% | 1.6 | 3.8 | |||
21.0 | 1.0873 | 11.6% | .8 | 3.0 | |||
21.5 | 1.0895 | 11.9% | .1 | 2.3 | |||
22.0 | 1.0918 | 12.1% | 1.6 | ||||
22.5 | 1.0941 | 12.4% | .9 | ||||
23.0 | 1.0964 | 12.7% | .3 | ||||
23.5 | 1.0986 | 13.0% | |||||
24.0 | 1.1009 | 13.3% | |||||
24.5 | 1.1032 | 13.5% |
Many years we are so busy, and the grapes are sold so quickly we tend to take whatever is left for our own wine. Once a few years ago, I decided that I wanted some Baco-Foch red wine so I had some picked before our customers picked them first. This is the story of that wine....
![]() |
![]() |
We started with about 4 bushels of 50% Baco and 50% Marechal Foch black grapes. These are crushed, de-stemmed and 15 cambden tablets were crushed and added to the must. "Must" is the winemakers term for the mass of crushed grapes.
![]() |
![]() |
The grapes are put into a large fermentor. Almost anything will work except metal, although stainless steel is great. Many people use new plastic containers or barrels with the end off.
The sugar is now adjusted. The brix was 18 (specific gravity of 1.074) which would ferment out to about 9.5% alcohol and I wanted to correct it to make a 11% wine. Going to the sugar conversion chart it showed that I needed 3.9 oz per gallon of sugar to add. I estimated about 10 gallons of final wine = 10 x 3.9 = 39 oz or about 2.5 lbs. In this case I went over to our bulk honey tank, put 2.5 lbs of honey in a pail, added a gallon of the juice, mixed it together so the honey is dissolved and then added it to the must.
Then I checked the sugar level again with my hydrometer to make sure that it went up to the 1.090 or 20 brix that I was aiming for.
So, now we have the crushed and de-stemmed grapes with the sugar adjusted and sulphite (cambden tablets) added to kill wild yeast and to help keep the wine from turning into vinegar. At this point many people also check the acidity and sometimes adjust it. I did not do that at this point - it can be done later if necessary. The must is covered with cloth or a top to keep the fruit flies off.
I usually recomend waiting 24 hrs for the cambden tablet to weaken the wild yeast and then adding cultured wine yeast either directly or using a yeast starter.
As things happen around our place, I was so busy that I forgot the wine for a few days and did not add the yeast the next day. 2 days later when the light bulb went on I ran back and added 3 packages of Pasteur Red wine yeast (mixed in a cup of water to re-hydrate the yeast slightly) and mixed it in. The must may have started to ferment already - I wasn't sure.
Anyway, a few days later the must, either fermenting with wild yeast or my cultured wine yeast (or a little of both) was happily fermenting away. The cap, the mass of grapes on the top was pushed back into the juice every day. This keeps these grapes covered with juice and allows the color and flavors to be extracted properly.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
After about a week of fermenting on the skins and pushing the cap down it is ready to press.
The grapes are removed with a pail and poured into our old press. We use fiberglass bags in it to help keep the pulp from going through the slats of the press.
|
![]() |
We used a wine thief and some fancy glasses (1/2 pint jelly jars that I use for honey) to same the wine. The carboy on the right was racked into both of the lower 5 gallon carboys. This ensures that everything is mixed ok.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
Both the Calcium Carbonate and the oak chips were added only to the carboy on the right. Later on we will taste the wine and most likely blend them together.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Wine bottles are soaked and washed in a sink.
People ask us where we get our bottles - We always tell them to go to a wine store and buy them (full) and drink the free wine that comes with the bottle that you purchased. After a few years of drinking wine you will have plenty of bottles.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
The finished product. This wine ended up being a nice light red wine of about 11% alcohol.
Bully Hill Vineyards makes a very nice red wine called "Bulldog Baco" - Maybe thats what we will call this wine.
Most of the time we do not have to take the steps to reduce acidity like we did with this wine. The grapes in 2003 had a hard time ripening and the acidity in Baco Noir tends to run high by itself.
Even though we added oak 2 times I still did not notice the oak flavor in this wine. ??Maybe the oak chips were old?? This is what makes winemaking fun - you can experiment and then consume the final product.
For further information view our downloadable "Winemaking Booklet".
This is a booklet that we hand out at our farm to help winemakers get started.
Frequently people ask if Michigan produces a wine similar to one of their favorite California or European wine varieties. Usually the answer is yes. Cayuga White and St. Peppin are very popular for soft semi-dry wines. These wines with their prominent fruit flavor and flower bouquet are quite reminiscent of the German style of wine making. Because Germany and Michigan have similar cool climate conditions, these grape varieties have a tendency to evolve to the desired sugar and alcohol levels that provide soft, fruity and extremely palatable wines for all wine consumers.
These same varieties are also fashioned into "Late Harvest" sweet wines by Michigan vintners who have learned to utilize the Botrytis mold, caused by the Lake Michigan micro-climates, to their advantage.
Michigan wines will also please consumers who like French-style wines. Seyval and Vignoles l are produced in both the oak version of burgundy and the stainless steel finish of softer European wines.
The versatility of Michigan's grapes, particularly the hybrid versions of Seyval and Vignoles, have allowed a wide assortment of wine styles to develop from dry to sweet, other familiar "old world" tasting wines also occur from one Michigan winery to another.
Currently, consumer appeal and production emphasize the highly successful Michigan white wines. However, red wine is becoming a factor to reckon with. Marechal Foch, Baco Noir, and DeChaunac has been the backbone for most of the state's red table wine production. These wines bear many of the same desirable complexities and rich color of the more well-known Cabernet Sauvignons of California and Bordeaux. As more acreage is planted, these wines will achieve more national recognition.
Many beginning winemakers ask where they should go to purchase wine barrels. I always tell them to avoid using them unless they are making large lots of wine (50 gallons or more). A 50 gallon barrel has the proper ratio of air exchange through the wood to the wine, anything smaller may add too much oak flavor and cause rapid oxidation of the wine and cause it to spoil. Remember, if nature has it's way, grape juice will turn to wine and then to vinegar. 5 gallon glass carboys are the perfect size containers. They are easier to use and unless you are an expert in barrel use, they are much more reliable. Smaller carboys also allow you to make many different batches of wine for consumer variety. We grow over 20 varieties of grapes, and they are frequently blended into many unique wines.
Another question frequently asked is about wine yeast, sulfur and sugar. Many of our customers have a heritage of never adding anything to their wines. What makes wine making interesting is the many different techniques used, although I believe some methods should be left in the last century.
California grown grapes tend to be high in sugar, and low in acid sometimes making a high alcohol and "flat" tasting wine. French hybrid grapes grown in the east tend to be lower in sugar, but higher in acidity, adding more fruit characteristics to the wine. Home winemakers can easily correct lower sugar "musts" by slight additions of sugar or honey.
Fermenting grape juice using its natural wild yeast will usually work, but you are always taking a chance. (Did you ever hear of a baker baking bread with wild yeast's?) I always recommend adding sulfur (cambden tablets) at crushing time and adding a cultured wine yeast the next day. The sulfur will lower the level of wild yeast in the must, allowing the cultured yeast to take over. We have wine yeast and cambden tablets available at our fruit stand. Good luck with this years crush!
White Wine
Red Wine
Carniolan Queens are usually black and all of their offspring are darker making the whole colony look dark.
3 queens in small 1 inch wide wooden boxes - ready to install