INTERESTED IN WINEMAKING?
JOIN SONOMA HOME WINEMAKERS!
• Meet people with similar interests, attend meetings and special events, taste great wine and socialize.
• Help others make wine and learn from experienced grape growers and winemakers.
• Borrow, buy, or rent equipment. Get leads on grapes for sale and free.
• Access how-to presentations and mentors to learn winemaking best practices.
News You Can Use
Next Meeting
Thursday April 11, 2024 at 6:30pm
Sonoma Community Center Room 110,
276 East Napa Road, Sonoma
At this meeting we will welcome Allison Bettis, viticulturist at Silver Oak Cellars & Twomey Cellars. We are looking forward to learn about her methods of vineyard management.
Thank Y0u Robert Rex!
On March 14 2024 we were very lucky to have Robert Rex presenting at our monthly meeting. Robert Rex, founder and winemaker at Deerfield Ranch Winer delivered both very informative and heartwarming lessons on “How to make your wine better from handling the fruit through fermentation and aging.”
Time to de-sucker...
De-suckering is the removal of non-fruit-bearing shoots resulting in fewer grape clusters with higher flavor concentrations. It also opens the canopy preventing mold and mildew. The first de-suckering is done when the shoots are between 2 and 4 inches. Some growers recommend second and third de-suckering one month apart. Read more on louis-roederer site.
About Us
The Sonoma Home Winemakers (SHW) is a group of home winemakers whose charter is to promote the fine art of growing grapes and making great wine and to share information among its members. We are centered in Sonoma California and we make wine from grapes gown primarily in Sonoma County. We meet once a month to share ideas and information, evaluate and taste each others wines, and host a speaker from the wine community. If you would like to learn more about us come to a members meeting as a guest. If you'd like to join our organization the dues are only $40 a year. And if you’re a member of the wine community with knowledge to share with our group, please let us know. We are always happy to meet new people.
We grow our grapes in our private vineyards, backyards, acquire grapes from local sources, or just help out fellow members with their winemaking. Our varietals range from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel and Pinot Noir to the distinctive Tanat, Sangiovese, Syrah, Primativo, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, and Mourvedre. Additionally, SHW manages and farms the Tex Juen vineyard located on Leveroni Road in Sonoma. This vineyard was established on land leased from the City of Sonoma for the education of SHW members and is fully maintained by the organization. Members are welcomed and encouraged to participate in experiencing hands-on viticulture and are rewarded with a share of the wine that is made from that vineyard.
Sonoma Home Winemakers is an active member of the Sonoma community. We have been a co-sponsor, along with the Sonoma Plaza Kiwanis and Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, of past Sonoma Valley Uncorked events which benefited the efforts of those two organizations in serving the needs of valley youth and other programs. This and other community engagements offer SHW members the opportunity to share their wines with the broader community and to share their knowledge and skills of home winemaking.
Officers
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President: Bob Brindley
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Vice-President: Paul Pastorino
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Treasurer: Brian Middleton
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Secretary: Rebecca Kreeger
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Membership Chair: Faye Mellos
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Website: Gregory Levinson
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Members at Large: Doug Ghiselin and Peter Stanford.
Welcome to the SHW!
Hello from the Sonoma Valley Home Winemakers! I’m glad you found our website, and if you’re interested in home winemaking I hope you’ll join us at one of our monthly meetings. The goal of our group is to help hobby winemakers make wine and hopefully new friends along the way. Each month we get together and bring a speaker to teach us about the different aspects of making wine: from pruning the vineyard, to harvesting the grapes, to making the beautiful wine that you can share with friends and family.
I joined the club a few years ago and I’ve found it to be immensely helpful. There’s only so much you can learn in books and online. Being able to ask professional winemakers as well as other hobby winemakers how they make their wine has improved my winemaking skills. Plus you get to taste some fantastic wine!
If you’re interested in home winemaking or you’re already on your way, I encourage you to come by our next monthly meeting (no experience or vineyard necessary). Everyone is welcome!
Cheers,
Brad Day, Former Co-President
Sonoma Home Winemakers