It's More Than Just Stomping Grapes
Washington State is known for its wines, and there are many different wineries to visit. But if you're a wine lover who is looking for something just a little different, Castle Bridge Winery may be just the place for you. Located in Kent, just south of Seattle, Castle Bridge Winery offers something unique - the chance to make your own wine. It's a three-step process that takes a total of eight weeks, but the result is thirty bottles of homemade white or red that were bottled and corked by you, bearing your own custom label. What gift could be better than that?While the helpful staff at Castle Bridge Winery will assist you throughout the wine-making process, it's good to know what to expect and how wine is made. Here's a brief look at the steps involved:
Step 1: Pitching the Yeast
This is what makes wine...well, wine! In this step, you're adding yeast to the grape juice to allow it to ferment. The yeast converts the sugars in the juice to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation process can take several weeks, but good wine takes time.
Step 2: Racking and Degassing
These steps are done together at Castle Bridge.
Racking the wine is the process by which the sediment is removed. The wine is then siphoned off into a clean container. Afterwards, you must degas the wine by stirring it vigorously to get out all the carbon dioxide. Once the bubbles have stopped surfacing, the wine is ready to drink.
Step 3: Bottling, Corking & Labeling
Once the wine is ready, you'll need to bottle it, of course. Castle Bridge has a dispenser that will pour your wine into bottles. You top the bottle with a cork and then place the bottle into a machine which forces the corks inside. Then you can vacuum seal foil over the top, so it looks professionally done.
The winery will print out your custom labels, and you can name the wine whatever you like. You place the labels on by hand, so you need to take care that the labels go on straight and neat.
Voila! Your wine is done, and ready for gift giving.
|
|