From this point on, the Qualified Staff of The Grapevine go through the various procedures that allow the initial mixture to transform into Wine. Nothing is required from you; however, you are more than welcome to participate if you want to learn more about the process. The process is designed to take 28 days; however, as a rule we do not rush any step so that if the Wine is not ready to move on to the next step we wait. On Day 28, or more accurately when the process is complete, we phone you to set up an appointment to come in and bottle. We like to filter the wine at least a day before you come in. The filtering process agitates the wine and we like it to settle back down before bottling. The bottling process the first time will take 45 to 55 minutes for one person. We find after you have done it once it goes considerably faster and it's even faster with a helper. Our staff are also on hand to assist as necessary.

BOTTLING DAY:
Please arrive with your bottles cleaned and de-labelled. This means washing them out so that the insides are clean. The labels can be removed by soaking them in hot water. Most labels will fall off after a while; however, some will require scraping using a knife. A green scrub pad will remove any label residue. The labels you will be adding come off quite easily. Our prices include shrink wrap and labels; however, quite often customers will say they don't need them. We include them because we feel the finished product is a reflection of us as well as you and it should look professional and not like a basement brew, especially if you have company over or give it away. Still if you don't want them, then that is your choice.

Bottles can be either cork or screw top wine bottles. We do not recommend liquor or other bottles, especially plastic. Liquor bottles do not have the strength at the neck to cork and plastic can't be corked. We cork all bottles so that they seal air tight. Screw top bottles that have been used a couple of times may leak air which can get into your wine, changing the taste and often spoiling it. We will not guarantee your wine if it is not corked. We sell a full selection of new or recycled bottles if you prefer. They can also be saved or collected from neighbours as long as they have been cleaned. When you arrive, everything is ready for you to begin. You start by sterilizing and rinsing, then bottling.