The Winemaker

"Winemaker."

Just the sound of it has a sort of glamor to it.  And yes, some parts of it are nice.  Such as being the first to sample the early wine of a new vintage.  To experience the mouth-feel and taste the promise a new vintage brings.  There is hopefulness of all the right things coming together.  The end of a whole year's work.

Wine making is like art, dance, music, building, welding, and everything else we do.  Not because it’s easy, but because it's hard, and we want to feel that satisfaction of that difficult accomplishment.  To always strive for better and to share that with other people. The perfect vintage is out there. That perfect blend of sun and pH, titratable acid, phenols, esters, sugar, tannin, and yeast that will make the winemaker continue in the craft.  Always adjusting what mother nature has handed them and make it into something wonderful.

Meet The Winemaker

"There is a not-so-glamorous side to being a winemaker; but, there is no good without the bad. I have been a surgeon for 30 years, and sterile technique is something important both in the winery and in the operating room.  I have a very keen understanding of just how important that is, and it is also the foundation of good wine making.  So, cleaning and sterilizing everything that touches the wine, or juice, is critical for producing good wine.  But, it is a hard and tedious job. It is the part behind the scenes that no one sees, and is at the heart of making good wines. I once went to a seminar on winemaking where the winemaker spent the whole hour on her favorite cleaning supplies and where to get them.

I have been making wine for 10 years now.  I am a member of the Kansas wine association and the Minnesota grape growers association (MGGA).   Every year I attend symposiums to keep up on current techniques.  I have read hundreds of journals and books over the years, and it might surprise you to know many wine makers are self-taught.   Something I have learned is that making wine is about two things - #1) Chemistry, (pH, SO2 additions, titratable acid, and Microbiology etc.  This is the easy part for me.  #2)  Smell, mouth feel, taste, are the results of all that farming, and chemistry.  This is very specific to the winemaker’s pallet.  It is the soul of wine making.  Everyone tastes differently and there is no right answer.  You simply adjust along the way to get to a balanced wine and hope others like it as well.

Making wine is like so many things in life we all strive for: “Better”.

And in the end, we want to share that goal of perfection.

There really is nothing to compare.

Thank you for stopping by and I look forward to meeting all of you at the winery."

Jim Lairmore