Business offers in-depth winemaking DIY info

A lot of people have a lot of love for wine – you might even call it a big crush.

Folks who want to combine that love with a spirit of DIY can engage in a “Big Crush” of another kind during upcoming winemaking classes at a Modesto business.

The Big Crush at Barley & Wine on Oakdale Road in Modesto offers hands-on classes to help people get started – or help those who’ve already started learn a little more about the process, according to business owner Steve Leandres. The sessions will offer information on crushing, pressing and bottling to help attendees learn how to make their own wine at home.

The classes have been three years in the making, he said in an email interview.

“When we first started the business in 2010, we had a nice customer base of winemakers, but always felt we needed a way to reach the masses and have the hobby appeal to all who had interest.”

Barley & Wine is the only home brew and winemaking supply shop between Sacramento and Fresno, according to Leandres. He also offers classes in home beer-making as well as winemaking from kits. Those kits include juice, but in the new classes, patrons will start at the beginning by crushing their own grapes, then learn the process through the end, spanning a course of about a year.

“They will crush the grapes the first session and take home what is referred to as must (unfermented wine on grape skins). They will complete the fermentation at home and come back when it’s time to press, then again when it’s time to bottle,” he said.

Customers will receive weekly emails going over details of the process and what they should be seeing during the progress at home.

Leandres said he’s purchased cabernet grapes from Turlock grower Joe Bettencourt for the classes. “Without having a local source of grapes, it would be very difficult for us to do this,” Leandres said.

The Big Crush classes – five dates beginning Sept. 4-6 and Sept. 12-13 – are set up in three levels and priced from $99.99 to $199.99 per group up to three, which includes 100 pounds of grapes per group. For more on the classes, go to http://barleyandwine.wordpress.com.

Because of the grape harvest, the September dates are the only ones planned, but Leandres hopes to offer the classes each year.

“This will become an annual event, but the fruit makes the event only available for a limited time,” he said. “We will offer other wine classes, but none will be this inclusive and hands on.”

This story was originally published August 29, 2015 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Business offers in-depth winemaking DIY info."