You are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

0
1

[–] SteelKidney 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Ten years later I now work as a distiller, bringing with me the knowledge I gained from making beer.

This is kind of where I'd like to go, only with wine making. But then I took a trip to Napa Valley and found out just how much there is to learn. It's a daunting task, but one I think is worth exploring.

0
0

[–] bobroland ago 

And the problem is that you really can't learn in a classroom. It's years and years of actual practice. I must have made 10,000 gallons of beer before I could say I really had it down. Key is to do the "boring" testing, and keep insane records.

I never developed the taste buds for wine making. There's a number of places where you can order the grape juice the wineries use. Good chance to compare your results to theirs!

0
1

[–] SteelKidney 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I never developed the taste buds for wine making.

And that's my major problem. I have chronic sinus issues combined with seasonal allergies. It's not that I have no palate- I can definitely tell the difference between, for instance, a Cab that comes from a 2011 vintage in Napa (one of their best years in recent times) and a lower quality wine. But the subtler nuances that are affected by the sense of smell are always going to be difficult for me. Some days, I'm pretty sure I'd be immune to a skunk.

That said, Indiana (where I live) has great wine grape soil, combined with a perfect climate for killing grapes. Which results in a lot of small wineries that offer a narrow selection of locally-grown wines. Whites do fairly well here. Reds with locally grown grapes tend to come out harsher tasting. But a smaller developing winery might be open to taking on what is essentially an apprentice.