Wine School

Wine Club

Westfall Winery offers a unique opportunity to learn the art and science of winemaking with our easy hands on, fun filled course. During a period of approximately ten months to one year, you make and bottle your own wine using our equipment and expertise. No experience is required! Just click on the following buttons or scroll down to learn more about:

 WINE MAKING STEPS

  HOW TO SIGN UP

  PRICE LIST AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

CHILEAN WINE SEASON

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WINE MAKING STEPS

Order your grapes

In late August/early September, let us know what type of wine you would like to make. If you need help deciding, please visit our tasting room between 12-5pm on the weekends to taste wine. You do not need to make an appointment, just tell the tasting room attendant you are interested in the wine school. You can make any of the white or red wines on the list, singly or in any combination/blend.

Crushing the grapes

 For the sake of the wine, we encourage you to be very flexible about this step! Since the grapes travel a long journey from California and we do not have refrigeration, we like to crush the grapes as soon as they arrive, which is difficult to pinpoint and sometime difficult to get your group together on such a short notice. Since this step only takes about 15 minutes, sometimes it is easier to let us do this step for you. If you would like to participate in this step, again….let the grapes dictate the date!

 Pressing the Grapes

This is when the fun begins! After your grapes have been crushed and the yeast has converted the grapes to wine, it is time to press the grapes; this occurs typically one to two weeks after the grapes have arrived at Westfall. You simply load the grapes into the press and then pump the wine into a tank or barrel. Try to have at least two people for this step, but the more the merrier! This step is fun and sometimes messy, so dress appropriately. We invite you to picnic, relax, taste wine, and enjoy this day at beautiful Westfall Farm.

 Bottling the Wine

 White wines could be ready to bottle as early as May, red wines typically will not be ready to bottle until late July or August. This step is a lot of fun and you also get the rewards of sipping your finished product! Try to have at least three people for this step. Again, after you complete the bottling, we invite you to picnic, relax, taste wine, and enjoy this day at beautiful Westfall Farm.

 How to sign up for the 2008 Wine Making Season

If you are interested in making wine with us this fall, please contact us as soon as possible via telephone (973-293-3428) or email (orders@westfallwinery.com),  to state your interest and if you have further questions. At that time I will put you on the Wine School Email List. You will be contacted via email (or telephone, if you prefer) in late August when it is time to sign on.    

 

 

PriceList & Payment Schedule

The prices listed below includes

 EVERYTHING YOU NEED to make wine. 

 We do not provide labels. Many of our winemakers choose to make their own labels.

  One Barrel (240 bottles) Lodi California grapes $2100 plus tax

One Barrel (240 bottles) Sierra Foothills California and other premium grapes $2500 plus tax

Remember, you may go in on your barrel with as many friends or family members as you like!

  Costs include the following:

*    Your grape order  

* Use of professional winemaking equipment

*Technical oversight

*Storage container (oak barrel or stainless

*All 750 ml bottles for bottling your wine

  *Storage

    *Materials and additives (corks, capsules, yeast, etc.)

*Use of bottling equipment

 

Payment Schedule

We accept all forms of payment including MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express. Upon placing your grape order, you will be invoiced and a deposit of at least ½1/2 the total amount will be due.

The balance is due on the date of your press appointment. We ask that you appoint a “Captain” for your group. This Captain will be the contact person and will be responsible for collecting payments from the group and providing the payment to us.

THE 2008 CHILEAN WINE MAKING SEASON IS HERE

Westfall Winery is offering the opportunity for winemakers to make their own wine using Chilean Grapes.  

Now is the time to sign up for Chilean Grape winemaking. Wine making will begin in mid May.

Winemakers can choose from the following grapes:

Merlot

Sirah

Cabernet Sauvignon

Malbec

Carmenere

You can choose to make wine from one of these grapes or any combination, all for the following prices:

1 barrel (20 cases) $2250

 1/2 barrel (10 cases) $1300

You may bring in as many partners as you would like for the barrel and 1/2 barrel.

Prices include everything but sales tax and labels.

 

  If you are interested in making wine with Chilean Grapes in the spring or California grapes in the fall, contact us .

 

Choose from the following club options

all priced the same

Reds Only

Reds & Whites

Reds, Whites & Sweet Wines  

 
Sweet Wines Only

 

How To Join