Brandon biz adds winemaking service

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/12/2015 (3589 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bring me another bottle please …

Well, I’m afraid that if you don’t have your made-at-home wine nearly ready to bottle, you’re too late to share the fruits of your labour with family and friends over the holiday season. You’ll have to add it to the to-do list for Valentine’s Day or Easter.

The good news is, if you want to get a batch started, it’s easier now than ever before. And that’s because Wine Sense, at 1300 18th St., is now offering on-site winemaking. I know, I know … this is exciting news for many people!

Also known as U-Vint, U-Brew and Wine-On-Premise, on-site winemaking has been allowed in all provinces, except Manitoba and Alberta, for almost 20 years. That all changed last December when wine supply stores were informed they could now offer the service in Manitoba.

Craig Swanston, co-owner of Wine Sense, said as soon as they got the news, they started making plans to convert their stores. Wine Sense is a Manitoba-owned company that will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2016. They have six locations; the store in Brandon opened in 2001.

In Ontario and British Columbia, the vast majority of wine is made at stores, with very little being made at home. According to Swanston, in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, one in three bottles of wine that is consumed is produced by the consumer.

“Winemaking is still very popular. Lots of people knew about in-store winemaking in other provinces. As soon as we were able to do it, so many people started coming into the stores and saying, ‘Great, I can finally make my own wine,’” Swanston said.

If you’re wondering how it works, it’s actually quite simple. You choose your wine (and pay for it), the Wine Sense staff preps the kit in their in-store winery facility and you pitch (add) the yeast.

Then, you go home and relax while the staff ferments, degases, stabilizes and filters your wine. When it is ready, you come back and bottle your wine using the winery bottle washers, bottle fillers and corkers. How awesome is that?

“Customers don’t have to worry about the heavy lifting or any of the cleanup. It’s a great service for those with space or time limitations, for people who have trouble lifting the kits and carboys or for those who don’t want to commit to buy the equipment,” Swanston said.

He said the main reason that people get into winemaking is because of the cost savings. To make a kit of wine at home, you’re paying $1.25 to $5 per bottle. Even with using the U-Vint services, bottles are just $3 to $7 (depending on the kit that you choose). The kits vary, but on average require four to eight weeks before the wine is ready to bottle.

“The biggest determining factor of the quality of wine that you make is based on the quality of the kit you buy. We’ve been in business for 25 years, but the wine kits are infinitely better than what they were when we first got into business. The consumer really wins in the end because the products continually improve,” Swanston said.

The Wine Sense store is Brandon was renovated to accommodate the new winemaking service. They also carry beermaking kits and a wide variety of accessories.

For more information, visit mywinesense.com or stop by the store on 18th Street.

As you prepare for and celebrate this festive season, remember to live for the moment and cherish the memories in the making. Cheers to a healthy, merry and fun-filled Christmas!