The break in the weather last week gave me a chance to rack the wine.  The process took a couple of hours and I was able to transfer the wine to it's new barrel which will be it's resting place until late summer.  The wine will then be bottled just before the new wine season begins.   

  The wines that you purchase at a store are usually aged in the barrel for a couple of years and then for a several months more in the bottle before the wine even reaches the store.  In my case, the wine isn't complex enough that it needs to be aged for such a long time.  Nine months in the barrel and straight to the bottle will be sufficient. 

  I've had several inquiries about when a wine tasting will occur, unfortunately I do not have permission from the town nor from the ABCC to give samples out at the store.  I guess you're just going to have to take my word for it when I say that the end product definitely hits the spot!

     Now that I've learned the traditional Madeiran way of making wine, I've decided to enroll in the Wine Studies program at Boston University.  A full explanation of what the program offers can be explained from the following excerpt taken directly from BU's site;  "The Center's purpose is to foster education programs at Boston University that explore all aspects of wine, including viticulture; enology; wine history, economics, distribution and marketing; the pairing of wine with food; and the psychological, physiological, and cultural phenomena of wine consumption."  (http://www.bu.edu/foodandwine/wine_programs/index.html)  I encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about wine to enroll in this program.

  FYI anyone who is interested in making their own wine next fall and needs supplies i.e.. wine press, grape crusher or wine barrels I have access to those items and will be selling them at The Jug Shop per special order.  And if anyone needs help/guidance making their wine I am also available to lend a hand.

I hope you enjoyed my wine making experience!

David De Ponte                                                                                                             The Jug Shop