Winemaking Like Life, Shouldn’t Be Rushed
•July 10, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
It all began when John Durbin and his wife Sue bought their farm in Lovington some years ago. There were Concord grapes on the property and John, not one to let anything go to waste, decided the grapes needed to be made into wine.
“Sue gave me the book, “The Art of Making Wine” by Stanley F. Anderson and said this is all you need to learn the process,” Durbin began. “The book tells you how to do it, includes recipes and information on how to get out of trouble if the process has gone awry.”
Since then, John has mentored several other aspiring winemakers – Ryan Whitten, Kurt Van Deursen and Bob Waelde. On a recent balmy summer evening we all gathered at Durbin’s house where they shared their vinification experiences as well as samples of their very fine wines.
As to the process, wine is usually made from grapes, but you can use anything that has liquid such as fruits and plants. Home brewing is completely legal, but individuals are limited to 100 gallons per year. It is, however, illegal to sell any home brew. You must either consume it or give it away.
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