Archives for January 2015

Should You Try Making Wine at Home?

If you watch cable networks like TVLand or Nick at Nite, you may remember the episode of I Love Lucy where she’s stomping grapes in a big wooden vat. If that’s your vision of home winemaking, then clubs like the Missouri Valley Wine Society may come as a revelation to you. This organization promotes home winemaking and offers forums on their website which provide tips, recipes, sources for grapes and recommendations for choosing the latest wine-making equipment. They even host competitions for home vintners. This year is the 7th Annual Missouri Valley Label Competition and BYB is sponsor for the first place winner. Last year they had 370 entries and this year they expect even more! Who knew wine making was so popular in a state other than California? And guess what? No stomping grapes with your bare feet is necessary. If you’re thinking of becoming a home wine maker then clubs like MVWS may be for you.

Photo courtesy of Missouri Valley Wine Society

If Making Beer is Called Brewing Then What is Making Wine Called?

Beer is brewed and whisky is distilled, but what do you call it when you make wine? Technically speaking the word is vinify and the process is vinification. But normal people don’t talk that way, so we just call it making wine. Kind of disappointing isn’t it? I was hoping to throw around vinify since it rolls off the tongue easy. It sounds more sophisticated than the word “distill” which conjures up images of shady unshaven men, backwoods stills and gangsters.

Wine Making Starter Kits

To the uninitiated the best way to learn home wine-making might be to purchase a starter kit. These kits, which are available from local brew supply stores, include all the special equipment you’ll need to start making wine in gallon configurations. You’ll receive detailed instructions that are easy to follow. There are a variety of kits on the market running from $35.99 to around $100. Wine kits may include the following items:

Instructions
A glass primary fermenter with stopper
Airlock
Fermometer
A secondary fermenter
Hydrometer
Siphon and tubing
Stirring spoon
Corker and corks
Bottle filler & tubing
Cleaning cloth, oxygen wash cleanser & sanitizer

Image courtesy of Mountain Homebrew & Winemaking Supply

Why Join a Wine Making club?

The benefits to becoming a member of a wine club like Missouri Valley Wine Society or any other wine making club is the knowledge you’ll have at the click of your mouse. You’ll have access to information on how to get started making your own wine, and for troubleshooting when you’re in the midst of fermenting. When you join a wine making club you’ll have a log in to their website with entry to forums where other home wine makers give wine making tips, share their supply sources, and provide recipes for special blends. Then there’s also the camaraderie and friendships that come out of a shared interest. And who knows? They may also hold a competition like the one we’re sponsoring.

How to Find a Wine Making Club Near You

You can always do a search on the internet to find a club near you, but there’s a web page found here that lists wine making clubs in every state in the USA. Join one right away to find the answers to all of your wine making questions.

Are You a Member of a Home Wine Making Club?

If you’re part of a wine making club and you’ve ordered wine labels from BYB, we’d like to hear about your activities and contests. Email us: [email protected] and send us some photos of your wine making, labeling and bottling your homemade wine. We’ll share them on our Facebook or Instagram feeds.

What Colors Harmonize with Marsala?

According to Pantone, “Whether in a flat or textured material, or with a matte or gloss finish, this highly varietal shade combines dramatically with neutrals, including warmer taupes and grays. Because of its burnished undertones, sultry Marsala is highly compatible with amber, umber and golden yellows, greens in both turquoise and teal, and blues in the more vibrant range.”

Colors that go with Marsala from Pantone

You can easily have Marsala as your wedding color when you create your own wedding labels with our online designer. Whether you want to make wedding wine labels, mini wine labels, circle monogram stickers or favor stickers, adding Marsala is easy to do.

How to Change Color on Your Wedding Labels

When changing the text on an existing wedding template make sure you bypass the text fields on the product landing page and click “Customize It” to enter the design online studio as in the example below.

Select-Customize-It-to-change-the-text-color

To change your text color to Marsala, follow these steps as illustrated:

Select the text by clicking on it. You know it’s selected when the box appears around it.

Next click on the color box on the Text Options tool bar.

Then either pick a point on the color box or to select Marsala type in ae5352 in the box where arrow number three is pointing.

To finish click OK to commit to the color scheme. Your text will change color when you click OK.

When working with templates that allow for background color changes. The process is even easier. Click on the Background tool on the left of the screen and select Color. A color box will appear like the one for changing font color. Follow steps 3 and 4 to change the background color.

Need Help with Color?

When it’s your turn to create wedding favors and you need help with color, be sure to contact us. We’ll go over the options and explain the design process. We’ll also help you with the common question of why the colors you see on your screen and print colors don’t always match 100 percent. Our graphics team and press will do their best to get the color you want on your labels and stickers. Live Chat with us weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm Pacific time. Email us any time at [email protected].

Should You Try This at Home?