My wonderful Grandpa Shoot was a winemaker. I'd love to say I learned the craft from him, but I partook in his grape wine & never asked many questions. Before I knew it he was gone, along with his wine making knowledge. My Grandmother gave me his equipment & it sat unused for many years. It was something I was always going to try.
When my Son became an adult he started making wine & he is actually the one who taught me how. I furnished the ingredients & supplies, he furnished the know how. Together we made some damn good wine. We'd make it 5 gal. at a time & when it was time to sample we'd grab a jelly jar each, sit on the concrete floor of the basement & get plum silly. Those were great times.
Over the years most of Grandpa's bottles vanished. I have maybe 1/2 doz. left. They are olive green & my favorites. One of them still has his hand written label on it & it sits high up on a shelf, never used.
Now it's just me & I make small batches. Just today as I was bottling up 2 gal. of Black Cherry Wine I was thinking about Grandpa & it came to me that he always made small batches, just like I do now. I don't think I'd ever remembered it before. As I was adding my handwritten labels to his bottles & sampling a glass I toasted to he & my Son. Both very loved by me & both great brewers.
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