By Paris Wolfe
When Joe Hoover retired from General Motors about a decade ago, he told his wife he wanted to make wine.
“Can’t we just go buy wine?” she asked.
Of course, that wasn’t the point. Hoover, 66, of Grafton, wanted to learn more about wine and develop an interesting hobby. So, he joined a wine club at Matus Winery in Wakeman. There he and other home winemakers gathered to share ideas, suggestions, food and wine.
Today Hoover makes grape and fruit wine. “I prefer a dry red wine, but I like to make wine that I think people would like,” he says. That varies, depending on who he’s targeting with the vintage.
Eventually, Hoover started to grow his own grapes and built his own wine press. His first grapes were Ohio natives: Concord, Niagara and Pink Catawba. Over time, he’s expanded to 100 vines, comprising about a dozen varieties, including hybrid red grape Marquette and cold-hardy white grape Le Crescent.
“I’m surprised you don’t see more of these grapes,” he says. “Moore’s Diamond, for example, has a fruity pineapple character that would appeal to those who like Niagara.” That’s the beauty, perhaps, of making your own wine. You not only learn about wine but about grape varieties and the characteristics they manifest in wine.
A typical year’s production – and it takes about a year for white wine; longer for red – is usually between six and eight cases, says Hoover. Last year, he made Marquette, a Marquette blend, Moore’s Diamond and a white blend. “I decide based on the grapes that I have,” he explains.
His wife is no longer the skeptic. Today, she helps by tasting blends and offering an opinion on which ratios work best.
For those considering the hobby, Hoover says, “You can make wine with a minimal amount of equipment.” The basic list includes:
- Carboy – glass or plastic vessel used to ferment beverages
- Airlock – a device that creates an air-proof seal between the carboy and outside air. Air can get out, but not get in.
- Racking Tubes – to siphon wine from one container to another, leaving sediment behind.
- A few chemicals
Hobbyist Turns Expert
What started as a home winemaking hobby in the mid-2010s for Dave Sabo of Hudson expanded when he joined The North Coast Wine Club. Today, Sabo has an enology (winemaking) degree from Kent State University. The club operates a licensed winery on Thursdays and sells members’ wines.
“It started as four or five guys working in a barn,” he says. “Then we had an opportunity to rent warehouse space in Solon. Three years ago, we got our license and became a winery.”
For $250, aspiring winemakers can get out of the basement and join the club. As members, they participate in winemaking and take home a case of the vintage they worked on.
It all starts with harvest season. That’s when the club sources grapes from Geneva, Ohio, as well as California, Washington, Oregon, New York and sometimes out of the country. They make 23 varieties of wine; everything from Pinot Noir and Merlot to Amarone.
“We have semi-professional and professional equipment from a stemmer/crusher and pumps to tanks,” he says. The results have taken gold and silver medals in some prestigious competitions.
Of course, you don’t need a degree to be a good winemaker. Joe Hoover’s advice to winemaking wannabes and newbies? Learn and listen.
“Be patient. Talk to winemakers. Visit wineries and take tours,” he suggests. “I still love going to wineries and talking to winemakers. I particularly like searching out wineries that make wine with the grapes I have and tasting what they do with them.”
Supplies & More
For those looking to source the juice for winemaking, Debonne Vineyards in Madison sells up to 19 varieties of juices for home winemaking, based on availability. Estate-grown varieties include Riesling, Concord, Niagara, Catawba, Chambourcin, Vincent, Chardonel, Vidal Blanc and Rosette, among others.
These juices are dispensed into the customer’s own containers. The winery also imports packaged six- gallon buckets from the West Coast, specifically for home winemakers. In the past, these have included Old Vine Red Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Moscato.
In addition to the juices, Debonne carries home winemaking supplies year-round. Home winemakers can purchase yeasts, carboys, bottles, corks and other tools, supplies and chemicals when they purchase juices in the Juice House (open during harvest) or at the main bar year-round.
Watch the winery’s website debonne.com in the fall to find out more about winemaking classes.
Paris Wolfe has no aspirations to be a home winemaker. She prefers that others make the wine she drinks.
