Business Feature: www.shopincaledon.com

Enjoying the brew-on-premise
wine-making experience at The Naked Vine

Text by Vera Robinson & Candice Plibersek

People from all walks of life are taking advantage of the brew-on-premise wine-making experience. The staff at The Naked Vine walk you through the simple and interesting process.

"One of the first questions customers are asked is their wine of preference - red or white and what they typically pay for a bottle at the store", explains Candice, one of the store's owners. "Some customers do come to our store with a certain variety in mind and we will find a suitable match from our suppliers".

Customers start by mixing a batch of ingredients that draw out the impurities in the juice, such as stems and grape pieces. It’s emptied into a carboy for a typical 23-litre batch. Depending on the type and flavour selected, oak is added to the mix. A small packet of yeast is added and the customer stirs it by hand. The bottle is then capped off with an air lock that allows for the regulated, gradual release of carbon dioxide.

The bottle is kept for 10 days when it’s racked to remove remaining sediment and add oxygen to help the process along. After a second 10-day stint, it’s ready for a specific gravity reading to make sure the sugar content is zero and alcohol is evident.

Ingredients are then added to stop the fermentation process and clarify the wine. Following that, the wine is squeezed through a series of filters to further remove any remaining impurities. Fermentation takes four to eight weeks and then our customers enjoy the final stage - bottling and dressing up the finished product.

Customers fill the 750-ml. bottles, cork them and put on the shrink caps and the adhesive labels. Bottles and labels can be customized and The Naked Vine also offers personalized etching or sandblasting of bottles than contain any message or corporate logo so the wine can be given away as gifts, etc. Our customers consider this part to be a fun, social occasion. 

Each 23-litre kit produces a total of 30 bottles of wine. Products range in price from $110 to $220, which translates to roughly $3.50 to $7 per bottle. In these economic times, many customers are motivated by saving money but not compromising in quality. "Most of our kits rival any store-bought varieties and feedback from our customers indicates our wines are fruitier and many wine afficionados are pleasantly surprised with the quality and taste of our products", comments Vera confidently.

Naked Vine staff not only help customers brew their wine, but they teach them about the fermentation process, aging, proper storage and pairing wines with certain foods. 

"We also offer occasional wine-tasting events to present new and exciting blends and these are always well attended events," says Vera.

The Naked Vine
12612 Highway 50 South, Unit 4, Bolton (in the McDonald's plaza)
(905) 951-7253
website