Obsessed with wine? Maybe you should make some.
Because as it turns out, that’s actually a thing normal people do. They realize they’ve got nothing to put in that ol’ drainage basin that’s just sitting on their property, so they decide to grow a bunch of grapes in it. And then they use those grapes to make a few cases of wine to enter into competitions and drink with their family and friends—or, at least, that’s what Fred Carbone’s story is.
Carbone, president of the Central Coast Home Vintners Association (CCHVA), cranks out about 40 gallons of wine each year from his own backyard. Fred’s Red (as well as Fred’s White and Fred’s Rosé) has reeled in medals from the Santa Barbara County and Mid-State fairs. But it’s never up for sale, because that’s not the home winemakers’ way. Any of the 80-something CCHVA members will tell you that.
The mini-vineyard behind Carbone’s Santa Maria home is lush and green, ready to grow some syrah grapes. But this year’s been the anomaly since drought struck California. Carbone said in pre-drought years, he’d harvest around 1,000 pounds of grapes annually.
Last year, he harvested 45 pounds.
But this year’s harvest is looking promising, he said. Carbone’s been making wine for about 10 years total, though he started much smaller and said there was definitely a learning curve to the process. He began in 2006 with a grape-growing class at Allan Hancock College, after which he planted his grapevines and started the three-year wait for a first harvest. Meanwhile, he bought 100 pounds of grapes and churned out his first 5 gallons of homemade wine.
That same year, Carbone discovered the CCHVA. The association aims to educate people on how to make good wine by hosting beginners’ winemaking classes, mentorship programs, and wine competitions. It also includes a grape-buying co-op, which sources local, high-quality grapes.
“It’s really easy to turn grapes into wine,” Carbone said. “It’s just not really easy to make good wine. That’s a process that takes time.”
Getting good grapes is the first step toward good wine, Carbone said. The second is to keep everything clean and sanitary during the creation process, and the third and final step is to have patience.
“Just let the grapes make themselves,” he said. “Don’t open it up, taste it, get oxygen in it. You’ve just got to let it do its thing. And the longer it ages, the better. One of the biggest problems with home winemakers is if we make too small a quantity, you end up drinking it all up before the time it gets really good.”
The ideal age varies depending on the wine, but for Carbone’s syrah, he said you could be waiting about six years. As for starting, however, there’s no time like the present.
So if you’ve been wondering what to do with your drainage basin (or whatever), look no further: CCHVA is co-hosting a beginners’ winemaking workshop on July 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Mussel Community Center. Be there or be … someone who doesn’t know squat about making wine.
Brenna Swanston can’t even make grilled cheese. How’s she supposed to make wine? Send her your most basic food preparation tips at bswanston@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 19-26, 2016.