# starting a winery



## intensive (Apr 22, 2008)

well as many of you know i had a green thumb which landed me into trouble. but, since i like to garden and like it even more when it turns into cash, so i was thinking about starting a strawberry wine vineyard, and grape vineyard. it seems to be pretty straitforward and easier then the whole growing/drying/curing that i was well educated in prior. 

i was thinking about starting a garden, strawberries at first, then moving to grapes. all organic just like i used to grow, and perfectly ripened in the sun. to be honest im kinda excited about the idea, and confirms my idea about going to business school to learn the ins and outs of what would come next and how i could sell it legally, since i didnt do that last time lol.

do you guys have any input? im positive i can grow and make wine, im just foggy about the licenses and legalities of it.


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## reddoggy (Jan 31, 2008)

There isn't a whole lot of red tape if you keep it small. If you only produce a small amount, maybe enough profit to buy an inexpensive car, you can call it a micro and get away with not having any licensing. Now, I'm kind of a wine snob and I gotta say that due to the Santa Anna Winds, proportional sun exposure, fertile soil, and prefectly sloped hills, and cool damp air the best American Grapes come from the Central Coast of California. The moon actually plays a big role in how the grapes flavor, gravitational pull draws acidity out of the vine. 2003 was a fantastic year for grapes. Remember, grapes are the key ingredient in wine, there are also a number of other fruits that give flavor. The Barrel in which the wine is aged also playes a really big part in the flavor, color, and acidity of the wine. Old barrels that have been slightly chard are good, oak is best. So I questioned whether or not any decent wine came out of Hickory, NC and the wife does recall there being a small winery being there when she was a kid. Was it good, she wouldn't know what a good wine swirls like. But it is do-able, you wouldn't be the first in Hickory to have this idea. The soil is good, the air is humid. My only suggestion would be to not invest a hell of alot of money in it, grapes are very sensative and many variables destroy entire vineyards. Also, hope you gotta lot of friends cause picking is hard(gentile) and time consuming. Have you ever been on a tasting tour? It's an easy way to learn the business and take an in depth look into the fermentation process.


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## smokey_joe (Oct 14, 2005)

Good Lord, who knew there was so much to making wine when inmates are making it in prison toilets?? 

LOL!!


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## reddoggy (Jan 31, 2008)

Oops... Alomost double posted


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## intensive (Apr 22, 2008)

the only prior taste tests ive had were sneaking wine from parents when i was younger lol. I understand that strawberrys are a great way to start since they are less temperamental and can be grown in wide variety of conditions, maby even indoor hydroponically-im prettygood at that and still have a whole line of botanicare organic hydro nutes. itll take a lot of research, but thats how i got good at growing the doja to. for the chemicals and everything i would for 5 5gallon harvests is about a hundred bucks if i can supply the 12.5 lbs of strawberrys for each round. whats the average price for a bottle of dinner wine from a micro grow?

i havent found a cheap place for wood barrels yet, but, thats prolly somthing not to go cheap on


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## intensive (Apr 22, 2008)

AARRGH!! lets not talk about prison until after my court stuff lol, the word makes my nerves tense everytime i see it lol


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## reddoggy (Jan 31, 2008)

smokey_joe said:


> Good Lord, who knew there was so much to making wine when inmates are making it in prison toilets??
> 
> LOL!!


Prison ain't so bad... You can make sangria in the toilet, course it's shank or be shanked - Scruffy the janitor

Nah, nobody does that anymore... I know from personal experience. You take about 8 oranges and juice them over a bag, empty the bag into a bottle, throw in a couple of Jolly Ranchers, put in a very small piece of bred, place it somewhere undetected, and check on it every few hours. You gotta keep letting the gas out of the bottle or it WILL pop, BTW the burp gas makes for good whipits. 3 days later you got yourself a very potent brew. Be prepared to pass out though, there's so much sugar in it that you'll go into "sugar shock".


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## reddoggy (Jan 31, 2008)

intensive said:


> the only prior taste tests ive had were sneaking wine from parents when i was younger lol. I understand that strawberrys are a great way to start since they are less temperamental and can be grown in wide variety of conditions, maby even indoor hydroponically-im prettygood at that and still have a whole line of botanicare organic hydro nutes. itll take a lot of research, but thats how i got good at growing the doja to. for the chemicals and everything i would for 5 5gallon harvests is about a hundred bucks if i can supply the 12.5 lbs of strawberrys for each round. whats the average price for a bottle of dinner wine from a micro grow?
> 
> i havent found a cheap place for wood barrels yet, but, thats prolly somthing not to go cheap on


Strawberry is a great place to start... You can make a great dessert wine out of it, include raspberry and ferment for 6 months and you got yourself a heavy hitter. Unfortunately you cannot get a good grape hydroponically  Also, sounds like you do have a green thunb, even KB is easy to grow because MJ is a very hardy and versitile plant. Yeah, the barrels can be expensive... But you do live in the former furniture production capital of the US, so there is plenty of wood items at discount prices. You may just wanna go check out some thrift shops and/or antique shops. The lowest I've ever seen a whole barrel was $20. Take that sucker home and torch it. Burn the wood till it starts to carmelize, you'll get some great flavor that way. Make sure you get one with a bung hole plug that actually fits and is flush with the barrel cause you'll want to roll it every few weeks. I've been tasting many many times and they're always willing to share the secrets with you. The vinyards usually have a few chemists on hand that do the mixing and document the formulas. They ferment several barrels, each with a different composition, and present it to a panel of experts with very sensative pallets. Ultimately, it's the panel that decides which one is going to have their label glued to it that year. If you ever get a chance to take a vacation in Cali visit Napa Valley, Santa Barbera County, or San Louis Obisbo County, all are very good producers and have some breath taking vineyards out there... Lotsa strawberry fields out there too! We live in AZ and get out there once a year.


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## intensive (Apr 22, 2008)

as soon as i turn 21 i will lol, on that note, please no naysayers


yea, ill have to look around for a couple barrells, whats a good way to char?


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## reddoggy (Jan 31, 2008)

Either a small fire with mesquit or hickory... Or, the easy way, a kitchen torch


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## reddoggy (Jan 31, 2008)

I won't say nay... I've produced various flavors of booze


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## smokey_joe (Oct 14, 2005)

reddoggy said:


> Prison ain't so bad... You can make sangria in the toilet, course it's shank or be shanked - Scruffy the janitor
> 
> Nah, nobody does that anymore... I know from personal experience. You take about 8 oranges and juice them over a bag, empty the bag into a bottle, throw in a couple of Jolly Ranchers, put in a very small piece of bred, place it somewhere undetected, and check on it every few hours. You gotta keep letting the gas out of the bottle or it WILL pop, BTW the burp gas makes for good whipits. 3 days later you got yourself a very potent brew. Be prepared to pass out though, there's so much sugar in it that you'll go into "sugar shock".


Learn something new everyday!!


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## buzhunter (Sep 3, 2007)

I don't know how you guys drink that crap. Gives me a headache. Sounds like you know a lot about it though. There are a whole bunch of wineries near me but we never go.


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## reddoggy (Jan 31, 2008)

buzhunter said:


> I don't know how you guys drink that crap. Gives me a headache. Sounds like you know a lot about it though. There are a whole bunch of wineries near me but we never go.


I used to get headaches from red wine. I drank white for the longest time. I guess my pallet got adjusted and the headaches went away and I could taste everything, where it was from, year, blend, and barrel. *Sigh*, I can't drink for 2 more years.


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## intensive (Apr 22, 2008)

ankle bracelet?


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## reddoggy (Jan 31, 2008)

intensive said:


> ankle bracelet?


Nope. I got a year in prison, 10k in fines and 50k in lost wages, license suspension for 3 years, have to install an ignition interlock devise in my car in 2010, 3 years probation, an obscene amount of classes, random drug testing (only when my PO suspects I'm doing drugs), and I have a guy pop up at my house at random times to check my fridge and make me blow into a BAC device... Not to mention I lost my right to vote and own guns It's all my fault, I have no one to blame but me. I still have some weapons tucked away and in a few years I can hire a lawyer to reinstate my rights. I'm not allowed to hang out with certain people and if I rub my PO the wrong way I'll be sent back to prison for two more years. If I drink and drive I'll be going back for 5 years and if I assault anyone evr again I will be doing 5 years after I serve 2 years for violating probation. Let me tell you, the economy sucks and only people with no records are getting hired, I've had interview after interview and have not had a job in a few months. It sucks, I have a hustle BUT I have to stay away from the illegal hustle cause I really don't want to spend more time in hell. I have so many connections and I live in the ghetto, I could stand on my own corner and sling dope and walk in the door with 10k a night... There are so many things wrong with that that it's just not an option. I hate tweekers! Don't worry about your manufacturing charge, drug court is easy. You may get a few months in county lock up but thats a cake walk. Expect to get fines, produce evidence that you cannot afford the full amount and it will get reduced. Don't go for the first plea agreement just because you're scared, ppl do that way to often, ask for a continuance and the attorney will work with the DA to get you a better deal. Do not speak! The only thing you should ever say in court is appologies to the public and you look forward to starting a new life. You'll be okay man. If by chance you do get prison time, lets say you get a few years on a plea agreement, while you're locked up it's been a year and they offer you parole for two years DON'T do it. Anyone will do anything to get outta there but trust me dude, you WILL screw up on porole and that plea agreement goes out the window and you will end up serving the maximum sentence which could be 10 years. Don't worry about getting you a$$ kicked in there either. Just don't assosiate with any other race, and don't say the word bi*** or punk, you could get stabbed in the gut by your most trusted homie in there. People are going to ask you to hold stuff for them, don't do it, ppl are going to offer you loans for food and drugs, don't do it. Everybody always goes in thinking they're just gonna serve their own time in there, it's not possible, just stay one step ahead. And don't think you're gonaa be okay slinging herbs in there, people get killed over that crap. Say you front somebody, he doesn't pay you back, if you don't do anything about it your own ppl will think you're a punk and it's gonna get ugly. Just preparing you for the worst, I don't think the worst is gonna happen to you. This is your first offense right?


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## intensive (Apr 22, 2008)

yea, i appreciate the support its good to talk to people that actually know the system, i talked to my lawyer and he told me the court date isnt ont he trial calender, which means it meant for plea agreement or somthing, i dunno if im really goin to get jail time, turns out the guy who ratted me out ratted 5 other big timer's out, pure stupidity on his part i guess-but also means that cops might come and see if i was the one who killed him, when it happens but ill keep my nose clean. one guy got almost the same charge but also got conspiracy and coke poss., he said he was told that he wuold most likely just get like 5 years probation, if he gets that, i should get less or the same.


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## intensive (Apr 22, 2008)

man that sucks, but theycome and check your fridge? thats low lol


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## reddoggy (Jan 31, 2008)

You are definately a suspect! Now I know this goes against being a Christian... But that guy deserved to die. I know it sounds aweful, but I grew up hood and I believe snitches deserve to get it in the worst way. My friend and I have a mutual friend that kept going to jail over really serious stuff and kept getting off scott free! We finally figured out that it's because he is a snitch. Needless to say, neither of us will assosiate with him anymore not only because we think he's a punk but also because we fear for our own lives. Man, I didn't know that kinda crap went on in Hickory! My mother in law wanted me to find out who you are to see if she knows your family... Small town overexcitement! I the homicide dep. come knocking at my door once, whew! It was scarey, but after hours of interigation it dawned on me that they didn't have anything on me and no real reason to hold me so I made a couple of threats and I walked. My my my. Life sure does change in the blink of an eye. I don't do anything anymore, that crap is all behind me now, it's much better that way.


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