Before relocating to Santa Rosa County in 2000 from Houston, Texas Kevin and Elaine Dinwiddie never would have considered themselves winemakers. However, when purchasing their home they acquired a healthy, mature muscadine and scuppernong vine.
“It produces hundreds of pounds of grapes to pick,” said Elaine. She said at first she learned how to make grape jelly to utilize her harvest. “It only takes 10 pounds of grapes to make a batch of jelly. What would I do with the rest?” she said.
Kevin and Elaine set out to learn how to make home made wine from a local store that sold supplies and was willing to teach them the process. Looking into a log, Elaine shared she made her first cask of wine on October 10, 2000.
“The first batch we threw out,” said Elaine. Since, said Kevin, they’ve made 43 different casks, each year with a different label they create from photos taken on trips, artwork, and special events with friends. They’ve mastered scuppernong, muscadine, orange, pear, blueberry and mixed berry wines.
In the beginning the Dinwiddies were home schooling their boys and used the process in schooling, although Elaine said none of the three have yet to pick up the art of winemaking.
“We taught the use of the equipment, like the barometer, and also team work,” she said.
Elaine said they enjoy making wine with their vineyard grapes because of the satisfaction of making a quality product. “You know what goes into the product. You certainly do not do this to save money on a bottle of wine. It’s certainly not cheaper,” she said.
“There’s a trick to finding bottles to utilize,” said Kevin. “We’d ask friends to keep their old bottles for us, ask restaurants if we can have some. Then there is the process of sterilizing everything,” he said.
Kevin said they like to give their wine as gifts since there is no way they will ever drink this much wine.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Locals enjoy winemaking from their backyard grapes