This introductory class at Tower Hill Botanic Garden on October 6 from 1:30 – 3:30 will cover the basics of making various styles of wine in your own home. Learn how to make red and white wines, dessert wines, seasonal wines such as Nouveau and spring wines, hard cider, and fruit wines. The class will cover the biology behind the fermentation process; and how to crush, process, and turn grapes, grape juice, apples or apple cider, and other fruits into quality wines. An emphasis will be placed on using small and inexpensive wine making equipment to minimize expenses and fuss. In addition, it will detail how to rack and bottle wines for home consumption. Further, the class will delve into how to blend and barrel age wines, and how to correct problem wines so that they can still be enjoyed. As the class progresses, there will be wines to sample so that the students can learn about various styles of wine and the different flavor profiles of different grape varieties. With the the growing popularity of hard ciders, a portion of the class will cover hard cider production and fruit wines. This presentation will be very lively and interactive. Participation and questions about a student’s own winemaking experiences is welcome. Afterwards, there will be a book signing of Grapes of the Hudson Valley which has two chapters on how to make wine, in addition to how to establish a vineyard. Must be 21 and over to participate.
Instructor J. Stephen Casscles is an accomplished author, grape grower, winemaker, horticultural historian, and lawyer. Stephen has been a winemaker at the Hudson-Chatham Winery, in the Hudson Valley for the past 10 years, but has been making wines from grapes, apples, and other fruits for the past 40 years. In addition, he has a 12 acre fruit farm, Cedar Cliff, in Athens, NY. At Cedar Cliff, he grows over 75 different grape varieties which he evaluates for their prowess in the field and potential to make quality wines. For the past 15 years, Mr. Casscles has been concentrating on growing and evaluating 19th century Heirloom grape varieties that were developed in the Hudson Valley and on Cape Ann and Boston’s North Shore. Further, he writes wine and grape growing articles for regional and national horticultural and wine industry journals. His research and interest has recently expanded to include the study of grape culture and wine making activities in Korea. $30 for THBG members, $40 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.
