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  For me, being a wine enthusiast means not only tasting and drinking different varieties of wines from various Ohio wineries, it also means making wine, which I do on an annual basis to give out as holiday gifts. Making wine is a way of following in my father’s footsteps. He has made wine for years at home from grapes picked right off of my grandfather’s vines. He often hands out his homemade goods on special occasions, such as birthdays and Christmas. This sparked in me the curiosity to try it for myself. Instead of buying tons of equipment to make my wine at home like my father, I have found a couple of great wineries in Ohio that allow you to use their equipment and ingredients to make your own batch in the presence of skilled professionals.   It's Your Winery in Medina   In the past, I had gone to Camelot Cellars in Columbus and It's Your Winery in Medina for my winemaking needs. You can also make your own wine at Your Wine Cellar in Strongsville. All locations offer patrons this extra special opportunity in their on-site wine labs. The entire experience from start to finish is controlled by YOU: picking the type of wine you want to make, mixing in the juice and yeast, bottling, corking, and labeling.   It is important to note that making your own wine will take a great deal of knowledge, skill, work, time and patience. You will not be able to walk out with your completed wine right away, as it is a lengthy process that takes about 10-12 weeks. So, if you're like me and you are strapped for time, you also have the option to adopt wine. This is wine that has already fermented, but needs bottled, corked, capped, and labeled! If you go this route, you may limit yourself on the varieties you can get, but it's still a fun and unique experience (if you're in a REAL hurry, you can head to Signature Wines in Columbus to design personalized labels to add to already-bottled wines).   Making wine at camelot Cellars

As mentioned, the handcrafting process allows you the chance to make your very own wine using the equipment on site. You come in and taste various wines to see which you want to make, then you are guided through the process - adding the chosen grape/fruit juice(s), correct amount of yeast, oak, etc. Then, you come back weeks later to complete the process, which consists of bottling, corking, capping, and labeling (you can design your own labels too).

Whether you make the wine from the start, or adopt the wine that's already made, it's a fun activity to do with friends and family! You will need to taste test various wines to see which you want for your own batch (which of course is the best part)! And, you can help each other in the "assembly line" process to each take on one of the tasks.

Michael Evans is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in Public Affairs Journalism and worked for The Ohio Department of Transportation as a Legislative Liaison. Michael additionally created OHventures, an Ohio tourism blog that focuses on outdoor adventure and active lifestyle. He has many hobbies, including writing, hiking, biking, rock climbing, canoeing, running, lifting weights, traveling and photography. 

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