At any local liquor store, there are so many wines to try from all over the world. During the summer, some enjoy picking up a bottle of Light Rose from France, others maybe a Sauvignon Blanc from California. For those looking to try their hand at wine-making, we’ve got good news for you. Customers can create their very own wine right in Wallington, New Jersey. Make Wine With Us, located at 21 Curie Avenue in Wallington, is a great place to gather a few friends to make vino to enjoy for many years to come. Keep reading for more information on this juicy opportunity to create your own wine from a spring or fall vintage of grapes.
Journey to Make Wine With Us
After successful locations in Jersey City and Woodland Park, owner John Gizzi Jr., his father, and his uncle moved operations to Wallington, New Jersey in 2008. “Growing up, my father and uncle would make wine, and my cousins and I would always get dragged down to help with the process,” Make Wine With Us owner John Gizzi Jr. said.
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Make Wine With Us has seen so many different types of crowds come in. Whether it be families or just a good group of friends, anyone can come and enjoy the winemaking process.
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“We had someone come in with a scrap of paper that they found when they were cleaning their grandparent’s house out. They wanted to make this old wine recipe that their family had been creating for the last 50 years. Of course, we put it all together,” John said. “I also have a family now who are all spread out across the country. Bottling this wine has given them all an excuse to get together this summer instead of only seeing each other around the holidays.”
What to Expect With This Experience
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Planning is a must for this activity because the grapes arrive twice a year, so the experience begins around when those shipments arrive. Southern hemisphere grapes from Chili and South Africa arrive in the spring, and then grapes from various parts of California in the fall. While customers can sign up any time of year, they will have to wait for the process to begin three to five days after the grapes arrive at the facility.
The whole process takes anywhere from nine months to two years, depending on how long the winemakers want their batch to age. This means that what you make in October can be ready to bottle by June or July. Speaking of batches, each group chooses the size of their barrel with the minimum being a quarter of a barrel. This will yield about five cases of wine or 60 bottles.
For more information about pricing and availability, head to the Contact Us page on the website. The team is very responsive and will get back to you quickly. The Bergen County Girl recommends signing up sooner rather than later to secure a spot.
How the Winemaking Process Works
Those interested in creating their own wine can visit Make Wine With Us to taste past batches made by other customers. This helps determine the type of grape and wine, red or white.
The length of the process is based on how long the wine ages in its barrel. There are a few key moments that customers will come to the facility for. The first is grape crushing to release the juice and just mush everything together.
About a week later, guests return for the grape pressing. This step is when the juice is separated from the other solid parts of the grapes in preparation to go into the barrel and turn from juice to wine. You’ll have to come back a few months later to rack the barrel, which is when the sediment is cleaned from the barrel to keep the batch of wine clean and pure.
The final step is to bottle the wine after the desired aging process is complete. It is a great event to do with a larger family or a few groups of friends. While it may not be the best date night idea since it’s over a longer period, it could be a fun couples activity for a small group. What’s also exciting is that customers can come in and sample their wine multiple times to taste it throughout the process.
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Other Events + Opportunities
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If this sounds like an interesting opportunity, make sure to get on the Make Wine With Us mailing list because it also has other fun events throughout the year. Occasionally, Make Wine With Us will host comedy shows and other events at the facility. Guests can also rent out this unique space for fun gatherings. The outdoor, covered patio or indoor area riddled with barrels and other winemaking tools makes for an interesting event space.
