From Lnscommunityradio
A great, inexpensive alternative to buying pricey wine is to bottle your own. Make-your-own-wine establishments are popping up everywhere and, in fact, do most of the work for you.
Low prices
Prices range from approximately $3.50 to $5 per 750 ml bottle. There is usually a 30-bottle minimum, so the cost will range from just over $100 to $150.
Little effort
Don’t be discouraged by all the work that’s involved. In fact, you only need to attend twice: once, to order and pay, and the second time, six to eight weeks later, to bottle the batch. The staff will do the rest, which includes adding yeast, allowing time for fermentation, stabilizing to stop fermentation, clarification and filtration.
Extra cost
If you don’t bring your own bottles, the charge is about 50 cents each for used bottles and 85 cents for new ones. Ask friends to save their bottles. The initial price includes corks, shrink caps and labels.
Choices
There is a large variety of both red and white grape concentrate from which to choose. Australian Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc are bestsellers and Italian Amarone has become quite popular as it turns out well and sells for around $30 a bottle at the liquor store.
Share with friends
If you don’t want to spend that much or don’t want so many bottles, share a batch with a friend. Better yet, share more than one batch with a friend, have fun while bottling and bring home a variety.
