Making wine a lesson in creativity you can enjoy with others Washington DC

  When their son Seth began making his own wine a few years ago, Rod and Natalie Gilles made a discovery.   "My wife and I found out it's nice to have a glass of wine with dinner, but it gets too expensive to keep buying it," Rod Gilles of Brimfield said. "I picked up from him and started making it, too."   The hobby has fed Rod and Seth's curiosity, as well as spicing up meals and get-togethers.   Seth Gilles, a 24-year-old laborer who lives in Elmwood, Ill., makes batches of wine at his home. Rod, 47, an elevator constructor who lives in Brimfield, Ill., received equipment as a Christmas gift from his son and now ferments and bottles gallons of wine year-round.   Although they have used several grape varieties, they also have strayed far from tradition in finding sources for wine. Pineapple, cranberry, watermelon, strawberry and beet wines add variety to the dinner table.   They recently made onion-and-potato wine for cooking and marinating meat. Rod's brother Dennis, who enjoyed beet wine, recently requested radish wine.   The result is a one-gallon batch with a pink tint, which, despite the harmless-looking color, Rod refused to try.   "It's real pretty," he said. "But my house smelled like a rotting compost pile when I made it."   Father and son look forward to trying new varieties using carrot, tomato, rhubarb and pumpkin. They make batches ranging from one to six gallons.   "Because we're not experts, it is trial and error," Rod said. "That's the fun of it, not knowing exactly what you're going to end up with."   For instance, watermelon wine tasted as expected but looked quite different.   "As it fermented, the color fell to the bottom," Rod said. "It ended up looking like gasoline."   Seth enjoyed pomegranate wine.   "It's sweet," he said. "It tastes almost like cherry grenadine."   As for kiwi, Seth said, "I wouldn't call it good."   Family Tradition   Both of Seth's grandfathers, Bob Furlong and the late Dick Gilles, have winemaking backgrounds. Both used grapes only. Grandpa Furlong still makes a 30-gallon batch once a year.   "The very first batch I made, I did it the old way like my grandpa said: 2 ½ pounds of sugar to a gallon of juice," Seth said. "I made pineapple wine, and it was super strong.   "After that, I wanted to have more control over it. That's when I started buying books and learning more about it."   Like most beginners, he bought a basic equipment kit and began using wine kits that come with juice concentrate, all the necessary chemicals and detailed instructions.   For a start-up cost of a little more than $100, a beginner can acquire basics such as a fermenting bucket, a six-gallon glass carboy, air locks, siphoning equipment, a recipe book, corks and an initial wine kit.   They followed instructions, read books and visited stores that sell supplies and kits.   After learning the basics, the Gilles family began creating wine from fresh fruit and vegetables. They use crushers, presses and strainer bags to separate the juice and begin the fermenting process.   "What spawned some of that crazy stuff is a recipe book that came with the winemaking kit (Seth) got me for Christmas," Rod said. "It listed all these different things. I've always been one to say, 'Sounds like fun. Let's try it.' We're not trying to start a new trend. It just seemed like something that would be fun to mess with."   Growing Trend   Actually, in growing their own grapes and making their own wine, the father and son appear to be part of a trend, according to Mary Smith.   Jim and Mary Smith own and operate Somethings Brewn', which sells wine and beer supplies in Galesburg, Ill.   "Since the end of last year, people have really gotten into making wine," Mary Smith said. "People are growing grapes all over the place."   With an uptick in interest, the Smiths see more creativity. People design their own labels on their computers and give out personalized gifts for Christmas and other occasions.   "Every year it seems like it's something different," Mary Smith said. "A couple years ago, everyone was making dandelion wine. Choke cherries are another unusual one. We had someone bring in some carrot wine. Sage was unusual.   "Someone brought in a rice-raisin wine. It was excellent, but it had to age out because it was high alcohol. I think it was 7 years old. It was very smooth."   Jim Harrington opened a Harrington Press Winemaking and Homebrew Supplies store in Peoria, Ill., about two years ago. Previously, he had only an online business.   With more people interested in making their own beers and wines, Harrington said his store and online business continue to experience steady growth.   "Illinois is becoming more and more oriented to winemaking," Harrington said. "Winemaking is a big deal now.   "People go to wineries and try it, and then they want to see if they can do it themselves. The kits are almost fool-proof anymore. You can make six gallons of wine, with all the equipment and a kit, for about $130. After that, you've got $2 to $3.50 per bottle. That's pretty reasonable."   Harrington and his wife Josie make about 100 gallons of wine per year, and they attend the River Valley Winemakers Club's monthly meetings at Kickapoo Winery to compare notes.   The Process   The basic process for making wine is to ferment the fruit, rack the wine and eventually bottle it. Racking involves moving it to and from glass containers, or carboys, and giving sediment time to settle at the bottom.   Wine can be aged in carboys or placed in bottles to age.   Using a variety of chemicals and a hydrometer allows for careful monitoring of factors such as alcohol percentage.   Mary Smith urges people to keep wine even if it seems too strong initially.   "The carrot wine, when we first had it at our club that meets, it was nasty," she said. "Then they brought it a couple years later and it was excellent. They just let it age and the harshness was gone."   Jim McAvoy is manager of the Friar Tuck Beverage store in Peoria. He sees everyone from customers making rhubarb and dandelion wines to those making sophisticated grape wines.   "It depends on how scientific you want to get," McAvoy said. "That's where chemistry comes in. Do you want to control the alcohol level? Control the residual sugar? Control the acids?"   After selling equipment and kits, McAvoy can attest, "I've tasted samples from home winemakers, and I can say there's some outstanding product being made out there."   Ryan Ori can be reached at rori@pjstar.com.     WINE-MAKING TIPS   Here are a few tips for getting started, culled from the book "The Home Winemaker's Companion," by Gene Spaziani and Ed Halloran:   - Buy a kit: Make an initial investment on a kit containing all the basic equipment. From there, any additional purchases will depend on how ambitious you become.   - Experiment: Try a variety of fruits and, yes, even vegetables. Learn from experience.   - Look locally: Many raw materials for making wine can be found in your garden or at farmers' markets, local winemaking and brew shops, wholesalers, vineyards and retailers. Wine grapes can be purchased from some wineries or even grown at home. Quality ingredients increase the likelihood of a good end result.   - Network: Get to know other winemakers so you can compare notes and purchase ingredients in bulk.   - Be patient: Allow enough time for the wine to develop and age before tasting it.   - Keep it clean: All equipment must be cleaned regularly to prevent bacteria and other problems.   - Personalize labels: Computer programs allow you to create labels at home. When giving a gift, label the bottle expressly for the recipient.     HAVE FRUIT? TURN IT INTO WINE   The book "The Home Winemaker's Companion" includes some unique recipes. If you own the basic equipment, here are a few to try at home. Each makes 5 gallons of wine.   BANANA WINE   This dessert wine can be served with ice cream, peach Melba or strawberry a la Ritz.   15 pounds overripe bananas Water enough to make 5 gallons 1 1/4 teaspoons grape tannin 12 1/2 pounds sugar 5 teaspoons acid blend 1 1/4 pounds raisins 1 1/4 teaspoons yeast nutrient 1 yeast package (5 grams) Wyeast Mead (sweet) yeast   Sanitize all equipment. Peel and dice the bananas. Put the bananas in a pot with 1 gallon of water and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the boiled bananas (cheesecloth is best) into the fermentation container, then add the tannin, sugar, acid blend and raisins, and enough water to make 5 gallons. Stir the contents of the fermentation container and let cool. When the juice is cooled to about 70 degrees, add the yeast nutrient and the yeast. Cover the container and let ferment for 5 to 7 days.   When the specific gravity reaches 1.000 or lower, rack the wine into a 5-gallon carboy. Top up with enough water to fill to the rubber bung and air lock. Rack again when the wine is clear and adjust sweetness.   Bottle the wine and let it sit for six months, then taste it. It will be ready for consumption between six months and a year.   PINK WINE FROM FRESH TOMATOES   Tomato wine can be enjoyed within 3 months of bottling and should be consumed young. Complements foods such as summer salads, cold soups and tomato-filled quiches.   17 pounds red tomatoes 2 1/2 pounds raisins 4 gallons lukewarm water 7 1/2 pounds sugar 1 1/4 teaspoons grape tannin 7 teaspoons acid blend 5 teaspoons yeast nutrient 1 package Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast 5 Campden tablets or 1/2 teaspoon potassium metabisulfite powder   Sanitize all equipment. Wash tomatoes. Cut into small pieces and discard bruised portions. Place tomato pieces into a cheesecloth or nylon straining bag. Mash and squeeze the bag over a 7-gallon open-top fermentation container. When all juice has been extracted, tie top of bag - with tomato pulp inside - and place in fermentation container.   Put the raisins, water, sugar, grape tannin, acid blend and yeast nutrient into the fermentation container. Let the ingredients rest for 24 hours, then sprinkle yeast into fermentation container and stir. Cover container loosely with a sheet of plastic.   Stir the must and press the bag of pulp daily to assist extraction of ingredients. Take specific gravity reading daily.   Allow the must to ferment for 3 to 5 days, or until specific gravity reaches 1.040, then press the fruit pulp into the fermentation container.   Place 2 ½ crushed Campden tablets or 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite powder into a sanitized 5-gallon glass carboy and siphon the new wine into it. Top off with water, if necessary, and seal with an air lock.   Let the wine settle for about three weeks (or until the specific gravity reaches 1.000 or lower), then rack.   Let the wine sit another month until clear, then bottle. Wait three months before tasting.   RHUBARB WINE   Most old-time winemakers make this drink in the "strong" style with high alcohol, but it can be very pleasant with lower alcohol. Rhubarb wine is closer in taste and aroma to a sherry or brandy than to a still wine. Drink it on the rocks or as a spritzer. Serve with tapas or spicy finger foods.   15 pounds fresh rhubarb 11 pounds sugar 1 pound raisins 5 teaspoons yeast nutrient 10 drops pectic enzyme liquid 1 1/4 teaspoons grape tannin 1 pound light honey 5 Campden tablets or 1/2 teaspoon potassium metabisulfate powder Water enough to make 5 gallons 1 package Wyeast Mead (sweet) yeast   Sanitize all equipment. Wash the rhubarb stalks and dice into tiny pieces. Put the rhubarb into the primary fermentor. Pour the sugar over the rhubarb, cover the container, and let stand for one day.   Add the raisins, yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme, grape tannin, honey, the 5 Campden tablets (crushed) or 1/2 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfate powder, and enough water to make 5 gallons, then sprinkle the yeast into the container.   Let the ingredients ferment for 2 days. Strain out the juice from the pulp, removing as much juice as possible. Let the liquid sit for 3 or 4 days, then siphon the wine into a sanitized 5-gallon glass carboy. Attach the fermentation lock.   Rack again in a month and top off with water.   Rack again in three months. When the wine is clear, bottle it.   Taste in six months.     BRING OUT THE WINE’S NOTES WITH FOOD   Since a winetasting party is better served by a selection of hors d'oeuvres rather than a full-course meal, you may feel inspired to try the following recipes from famous chefs Bobby Flay and Alexandra Ewald:   GRILLED MUSHROOMS WITH HAZELNUT GREMOLATA   The earthy elements in this appetizer would benefit from a rustic red wine. A Ribera del Duero and a Rioja from Spain both typically display red fruit flavors with an underlying earthiness and balanced oak. A red wine from the Rhone Valley in France or a Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Oregon will also bring out the earthy flavors of the mushrooms and hazelnuts.   1/2 cup olive oil 4 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed 8 small shiitake mushrooms, cleaned 8 oyster mushrooms Hazelnut Gremolata (recipe follows) Salt and freshly ground pepper   Brush mushrooms on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill until just cooked through. Remove from grill and slice portobello mushrooms into 1/2 inch thick slices. Arrange portobello slices in the middle of the platter with shiitake and oyster mushroom placed around outside of the platter. Drizzle with Hazelnut Gremolata.   HAZELNUT GREMOLATA   1 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely chopped 1/2 cup olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper   Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper.  Makes 8 appetizer portions.   (Recipe by Chef Bobby Flay adapted by StarChefs.com.)   CEVICHE WITH WONTON CHIPS   This dish screams for a light-bodied white wine with good acidity. A Sauvignon Blanc is the natural choice. Look to Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, New Zealand, South Africa and California for good examples of this varietal. You could also try a bright and lively Albarino from Spain, a complex and racy Riesling from Germany, or a clean and crisp Pinot Grigio from Italy.   1 pound fresh mahi mahi 5 fresh limes, juiced 2 scallions, sliced 2 heads of garlic, chopped Habanera hot sauce to taste Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped Micro-greens (optional)   In a large bowl, marinate fish in lime juice until pickled, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Add scallions, garlic, hot sauce, salt, pepper and olive oil; toss together until combined. Serve on bed of micro-greens with wonton chips.   WONTON CHIPS   1 package spring roll wrappers Canola oil Salt and pepper to taste Ground coriander to taste   Cut spring roll wrappers into triangles. Heat canola oil, deep fry triangles. Remove chips to paper towel to drain excess oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and ground coriander. Makes 4 servings.   (Recipe by Chef Alexandra Ewald adapted by StarChefs .com.)   author: Ryan Ori

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