For a while now, I keep reading how good the California harvest is for 2009. It has been suggested that 2009 may be one of those years that will be talked about and read about for years. That’s good news for wine enthusiasts.

The bad news is that due to the economy high priced wines have not been selling as well and some wineries are unwilling to produce more high-end wines that will require more storage. Further, some producers of high-end wines may cut back on production. For instance Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards in Temecula Valley is considering not purchasing grapes from offsite growers in 2009.

I hope before the growers have allowed the grapes to rot on the vine, that they will think outside-of-the-box and come up with a way to use their grapes. Wineries would do well to look at Texas wineries. In the fifth largest wine producing state, some wineries began to cut back on production last year and this summer were already wishing they had not cut back.

Also, do wine grapes have to be used only for wine? Are there any chefs out there that might have an answer?

Cheers, Kathy

What are your choices when you have a partial bottle of wine left from dinner or a gathering?

It does seem a waste to throw it down the drain. Not only wine is being wasted as it gurgles away through the pipes but your money as well as the talent and hard work of the winemaking team is wasted.

You do have alternatives to tossing the wine out. Wine can be used in cooking. To preserve the wine for cooking pour it into ice cube trays to freeze. The next time you are cooking perhaps spaghetti sauce toss a couple of the wine cubes into the sauce for additional flavor.

If you plan to drink the wine in a day or two, use a bottle stopper and store it in the refrigerator until needed.

Some winemakers suggest using a wine pump. The purpose of the wine pump is to remove air from the bottle creating a vacuum. According to the recent Messina Hof newsletter, most wine pumps are able to preserve the wine for up to two weeks.

What do you do with your leftover wine?

Cheers! Kathy

For wine enthusiasts interested in experiencing winemaking consider participating at a winery that oversees and offers expert advice while you make your own barrel of wine.

These opportunities are ideal for anyone who wants to learn about winemaking and without the equipment necessary. Learning from professionals who produce wine for a living appears to be ideal.

Vint Hill Craft Winery in Vint Hill, Virginia offers this opportunity for the first time this year. Their concept takes participants from helping them choose the wine they want to make to labeling and producing a wine that is available for sale.

Tin Lizzie Wineworks in Clarksville, Maryland is an educational winery whose focus is on creating an educational experience for anyone interested in making a barrel of wine. If a barrel of wine is too much, participants can choose to produce as little as a quarter of a barrel.

Crushpad in California also offers hands on winemaking experiences.

For those do-it-yourself winemakers, Winemaker Magazine is a delightful magazine. Currently they have an article about making a red or white wine at home. You can view the article, “Your First Wine from Fresh Grapes,” on the Winemaker Magazine website.

If do-it-yourselfers are wondering where to purchase winegrapes, there are wineries that understand this desire to create your own wine and offer juice or wine grapes. Another great source if you live on the East Coast is S & S Winegrapes & Equipment Company where they ship in more than 300 tons of grapes each fall. S & S Winegrapes is located in Baltimore.

For those who do not want to deal with crushing grapes, fresh winegrape juice is available at Fulkerson Winery in New York.

Have fun exploring the world of wine!

Cheers! Kathy