Home Winemaking for Dummies - (For Dummies) by Tim Patterson (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

It's estimated that one million North Americans make their own wine. Relatively inexpensive to make (a homemade bottle costs from $2 to $4), a bottle with your own label (and grapes) is a fantasy even someone with modest aspirations can fulfill. Author Tim Patterson, an award-winning home winemaker, shows how it's possible for anyone to create a great wine. In Home Winemaking For Dummies, he discusses the art of winemaking from grape to bottle, including how to get the best grapes (and figure out how many you need); determine what equipment is required; select the right yeast and figure out if any other additives are needed; and store, age, and test wine. With detailed tips on creating many varieties -- from bold reds and demure whites to enchanting rosés and delightful sparkling wines -- this guide is your ultimate winemaking resource.

From the Back Cover

Learn to:

• Master every step of the winemaking process
• Select the perfect grapes for your wines
• Craft a delicious range of red and white varietals
• Create sparkling, rosé, and dessert wines

Enjoy making (and drinking) your own first-class wines

Making high-quality wines is fun and easy. This must-have guide gives you easy-to-follow instructions in everything from selecting the right grapes and the proper equipment, to the crush and fermentation, to aging and bottling your wine. Award-winning home winemaker Tim Patterson provides tips on how to make every style of wine -- red, white, dry, sweet, and bubbly. Soon, your family and friends will be toasting your delectable creations!

• Equip yourself -- get the tools you need and design a functional winery, no matter how small your space
• Choose great grapes -- explore your options, from fresh to frozen, and figure out the quantity you need
• Make reds that impress -- learn proven techniques for red wines, including bold Bordeaux and ravishing Rhône wines
• Create delicious whites -- make Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs like the professionals, thanks to expert advice
• Explore other styles of wine -- think pink with refreshing rosé wines and indulge your sweet tooth with delicious dessert wines
• Age your wine to perfection -- weigh the merits of storing your wine in glass or barrels, and calculate the ideal aging time

"Tim Patterson is one of the best contemporary writers on wine in the United States. Reading Home Winemaking For Dummies is the absolute best way to tackle the very satisfying process of making your own wine."
-- Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible

Open the book and find:

• Winemaking hints and secrets from professional vintners
• Affordable grape varieties that make tasty wine
• How to test and tweak your juice before fermentation
• The yeast strain that's right for your wine
• Mistakes to avoid and trouble-shooting tips
• Minor wines with major appeal
• Whether to use American or French oak -- or any oak at all

About the Author

Tim Patterson writes about wine and makes some of his own in Berkeley, California. He contributes the monthly "Inquiring Winemaker" column for the industry trade magazine Wines & Vines, digging into winemaking theories and techniques, and he covered home winemaking for several years in the pages of WineMaker. He has won dozens of Gold medals, Double Golds, and Best of Shows from amateur winemaking competitions in California.