Bottling Wine

Bottling the 98 Zinfandel

In the summer of 2000, it was time to bottle the wine. The steps were as follows:

First
Get in the proper frame of mind with some appreciation of nature:

This reminds me of a baseball game with men on base.

Second

Get the bottles clean! Wash in a mild sodium metabisulfate solution. Don't sniff the bottle, it hurts!

The bottles must be very sterile if the wine is to age and not spoil.

Hang 'em up on the "Christmas tree" to dry.

Third Get the wine out of the barrel and into carbuoys by siphon, as my pop is doing in the left hand picture. I was on the scene to of course sample it. In the picture of me, empty carbuoys are on the left (my right), full ones on the right- this info just to make sure you know what a carbuoy is.

Watch out for Black Widows in the basement!

Fourth Gettin' down to the business of bottling.
	As you can see in the photo, the carbuoy is set up on a table to be higher than the bottling contraption. The wine flows down the clear tube by siphon into the tray, which can fill three bottles at once. As each carbuoy empties, we lift a new one up in its place. To start the siphon, you must suck on the hose. Since all equipment must be sterile, mouth germs are a problem. You solve that problem by a healthy, mouthwashing shot of tequila. Gargle and swallow.
A top down view of the bottling contraption. The metal tubes going into the bottles work by siphon as well, and automatically cut off the flow by means of a rubber stopper when a bottle is pulled off.

Fifth Ain't that a corker...
After the a bottle is filled, it must be immediately corked to keep air and bacteria exposure at a minimum. Old Bessie, the hand-cranked corker, does the trick.

Sixth The finished product. As mentioned, I named my share "Pito Vino." Dad named his "Mar Vino" (get it?). Anyway, it turned out great and we all got buzzed. The End.