Home Winemaking

Juice For Home Wine Makers

Once again it is time to clean out the barrels and carboys and prepare for another grape juice season. The 2025 growing season was as normal as we expect for the first time in a while. Cool gradual spring then hot and dry conditions for the last two months have put us in a comfortable place. Precipitation here has been reasonable fortunately so at this point we are looking at getting some good quality.

The Minnesota hybrids; Marquette, Frontenac Gris, and Prairie Star produced abundantly this year. Unfortunately, we couldn’t net all of them, so birds ended up with over half the Frontenac Gris. We will offer a limited amount of Marquette and Prairie Star juice for home wine makers. It will be priced at $10/gallon and should be ready for pick up around Sept. 12th when the Niagara and Delaware are in. We’ll sell the hybrids first come, first served till they run out.

With cooperative weather and no equipment breakdowns, the fresh concord juice for drinking should be at the bottler by the third week of September. The rest of the concord juice will be available for wine makers soon thereafter. All other varieties seem to be following along their normal pattern. We have held the juice prices to last year’s level, but couldn’t do the same for other supplies.

2025 Juice Schedule

Listed below is a tentative schedule for calling in orders. The dates listed indicate the earliest juice will be in stock. Appointments are required – anyone who arrives without an appointment is not guaranteed service. Please call 440-933-6666 between the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Monday through Saturday to schedule. Minimum order is five gallons for any given wine juice variety, which will not be split into smaller vessels.

Juice Variety	Begin Calling	Price / Gallon
Delaware	9/10	$8.75
Niagara	9/10	$8.50
Freedonia	9/24	$8.50
Concord	9/24	$8.00
Vidal Blanc	10/14	$12.00
Catawba	10/5	$8.50

DISCOUNTS: 20 or more gallons of juice discounted 10¢ per gallon.

Orders for 50 or more gallons of juice discounted 20¢ per gallon.

Wine yeast ~ provided free.

Appointments A Must!

Juice sold for home winemaking has sulfite added at the crush and is chilled and settled for a nearly clean finish. In most instances, pectic enzymes are used to enhance the clarification. Sugar and acid levels are not adjusted. However, we will be glad to tell you what the sugar and acid levels are in the juice that you purchase. We do not sell plastic jugs, barrels or any home wine- making supplies, but we do supply the wine yeast at the time of your juice purchase.

Winemaking Supplies

Sold at the winery

Wine Yeast	Price
5 gram packets	$1.00

Bottles (per case price)	New	Used
750 ml. screw finish	$14.00	$3.00
750 ml. cork finish	$15.00	$3.00
3 liter	$14.00	$3.00

Caps/Corks	Each	Per 100
28 mm caps	$.25	$25.00
38 mm caps	$.20	$20.00
28 mm corks	$.25	$25.00

Seals/Capsules	Each	Per 100
28 mm seals	$.15	$15.00

Additional Wine Making Supplies Sold At:

Firelands Winery - 917 Bardshar Road, Sandusky, OH 44870 Ph: 419-625-5474

Presque Isle Wine Cellars - 9440 W. Main Road, North East PA 16428 Ph: 814-725-1314 www.piwine.com

Matus Winery - 15624 Gore Orphanage Road, Wakeman, OH 44889 Ph: 440-774-9463 www.matuswinery.us

Any of the above referenced sources for grapes and juice may also have limited supplies of their normal offerings. It would be best to call before proceeding to any of their facilities to check availability.