CARLOS TOBLER

Carlos Tobler, preferred to be called CE, is our out of town member from Hudson, Wisconsin. Carlos has been making wine for the last 9 years. He entered wines to the American Wine Society and the  WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition. He received five medals, silver and bronze, for his Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and a wine with Mourvedre, Shiraz and Grenache grapes.

Here is his story:

1.  How did you get started in winemaking.

I would like to go back to when I was about 9 or 10 years old. We used to spend some Sundays at the home of my Italian grandfather, Spinetti. His father came from Serravale Pistoiese, 48 kilometers from Florencia, Italia. (Tuscany). He used to plant and grow his grape vines on a 8 feet tall rustic pergola. The grape was Muscat. That was the first time for me to learn about how to make wine, from destemming, to crushing, fermenting and racking, bottling, etc.

Today one talks about "organic" wines. I learned about that, many, many years ago. 

After that, 6 years to be precise, my father bought a farm from my other side, Italian Grandmother. The farm belonged to her mother and had 4 hectares of Tanat grapes. With the farm, we "inherited", about 3 fermenters, five, 20 gallons, French oak barrels and my interest to continue learning the Art of making wine. I learned from both, my Grandpa and my dad, that wine cannot be rushed. 

I would like to share with all of you my grandmother’s sweet white wine recipe. Very simple. After the grape is crushed and the skins removed, leave the juice, with sugar (no yeast). Put the juice in a demijohn or similar, cover the top with a cheesecloth, put under the sunny summer days, and wait. After stops fermentation, rack it and finish it. Add sugar if you like sweeter. If you want to stop fermentation, do so.

After I retired from 3M, I decided to keep the pace and continue enjoying life. I have started to do landscape oil painting and making wine and beer. Couldn't leave my German side out. One of my other favorite daily hobby is cooking.

 2.  Do you grow grapes/fruit and if so what kind?

Because of my small little house, I don't have room to grow grapes. I am doing only a little experiment with Marquette and  Frontenac Blanc. 

3.  What do you find to be the hardest part of growing grapes/fruit?

  I will tell when my experiment is over.

4.  What do you find to be the most rewarding in growing grapes/fruit?  

 Let me tell you a story, going back to the farm. When we arrived, we learned that the previous people leasing the place never took care of the vines. They were covered by weeds. Pitty! They told us that with luck, we could get "some" grapes.

The rewarding part is that we did not lose hope. My father said, the vines are alive, mistreated, but alive. I learned that with hard work and a lot of care those magnificent vines came back. Strong and wonderful as ever. The mothers were about 4 to 5 inches in diameter.

5.  What is your favorite wine to make?

I would say that red wines are the favorites. Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Also the Amarone. Why? Because reds are grapes that need time, care and patience. I like to do Malolactic fermentation on reds.

6. What do you find the most challenging in winemaking?

 Trying to learn more and more everyday, to get the better wine. I am far away from that. I can see improvement, but still a lot to see and do to get one more step into the challenging world of making wine.

7.  What do you find the most rewarding in your winemaking?

  All the work, designing the labels, looking at the final product, waiting for a year at least for the reds, and enjoy them.

8.  Have you taken any classes?

 Yes, I took Oenology classes first through VESTA, Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance. After that I took a 6 month course through the University of Adelaide, Australia. Specific wine courses by regions and wine types by Jennifer Simonetti - Bryan.   

9.  What is your favorite wine to drink.

  I like Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. There is one that I try here and there, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC. Port and Jerez.

10.  When did you join MWS 

   If I remember correctly, 5 years ago?

TERRY STROMBERG

How did you get started in winemaking?

In 2004 we purchased a undeveloped property in rural Warren county.  The property was mostly wooded, but did have a clearing on a ridge top that looked to be a good site for a house and garden (I had no plans of growing grapes at the time).  In 2008 we moved to the property.  By this time we had a garden established with blackberries, strawberries and raspberries.  In 2010 we started to establish an orchard with apple, pear, peach, plum trees and blueberry plants.  In 2010 I made my first wine (strawberry).  I liked the wine so I continued to make more fruit wines.  In 2011 I planted my first grapes, from 25 hardwood cuttings of Chambourcin.  I set up a trellis with room for 24 plants.  In 2013 I made my first wine from home grown grapes.

Do you grow grapes/fruit and if so what kind?

At this time I am growing a large assortment of grapes and other fruits.  I have about 80 grape plants comprised of Chambourcin, Cayuga, Vignoles, Traminette, Vidal, Chardonel, and others.  Other fruits include:  blueberries, elderberries, sour cherries, apples, pears, peaches, and plums.

What do you find to be the hardest part of growing grapes/fruit?

Trying to grow a high quality crop while minimizing the use of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.  Japanese beetles are the hardest pest for me to control without using insecticides.

What do you find to be the most rewarding in growing grapes/fruit?

The sense of accomplishment of starting from nothing, growing a plant, growing a fruit crop, making wine from that fruit, and ending up with a wine that others and I enjoy drinking.

What is your favorite wine to make?

Almost any wine made from fruit I have grown.

What do you find the most challenging in winemaking?

Being able to taste a fruit at harvest time and have a sense of how the finished wine will turn out.  Another challenge is when the wine is not what it should be, knowing how to modify the winemaking process or change the fruit growing management to produce the desired result. 

What do you find the most rewarding in your winemaking?

Being able to produce a quality wine from grapes I have grown on our property.

Have you taken any classes?

I haven’t taken any winemaking classes.  I think my winemaking learning has been a result of a combination of the following:  reading books, wine club meetings (presentations, wine competitions, sharing wine and getting feedback), and online resources (articles, forums, videos).  For me the key is a combination of the above, not a single source.

What is your favorite wine to drink.

If I have to pick one, I would say Cabernet Sauvignon.

When did you join MWS

I think early 2014.

How has being a member of MWS helped you in your winemaking

I was trying to learn winemaking before joining the club but progress was slow.  The MWS internal competitions have really helped me gauge where I was as a winemaker and highlighted the areas I needed to look at to improve.

PHIL LUNGO

I got started making wine with my Grandmother more than 50 years ago and , then, latter with my father-in-law, Giovanni Tucci.  We ordered from produce row, 100 cases of zinfandel grapes and blended it with 5 cases of muscatel grapes.  We crushed all the grapes together, no destemming, no k-meta, all natural.                                               

Today, I grow my own grapes, Norton, Chambourcin, Vidal and Servaland have about 70 vines- plenty for my personal use..  I also grow many fruits and berries and enjoy making a variety of fruit wines, especially blackberry.  It is a real challenge to grow and harvest a crop of grapes or fruit.  Between the animals , the Japanese beatles, and the myriad of fungal diseases , I marvel that anyone can grow and harvest beautiful. clean fruit.

I joined MWS 18 years ago and really appreciate the help and camaraderie of the club members. I have tried to use more science in my winemaking, but find myself depending more on my senses- smell and taste- than science. all in all, winemaking is a great hobby, though it will drive you crazy.

DAVID WERT - BROKEN FENCES VINEYARD

We moved to St. Louis from Sacramento California.  Although we were only about 1-1/2 hours from Napa Valley, we only made it there a couple of times in 4 years.  We had very small children and really didn’t know anyone to watch them for the day of wine tasting.

When we moved to St. Louis, we started going to wineries and doing wine tasting.  When my oldest daughter went off to college, we sold the horses that we had and my wife thought, “Hey, we could grow our own grapes and make our own wine.”  So I blame the fact that we have vines and make wine on her.

Our first foray into wine making started when we saw an ad for picking grapes in Warrenton.  So we went to buy the supplies for wine making, and the shop owner convinced us to buy a kit to start out.  Well, we still went to see the grapes for sale, and ended up getting a 5-gallon bucket of Traminette.  So we ended up making both.  We just jumped right in.

About six months later, my wife was talking to Steve Schmitt (a past president of MWS) at her school, and he found out we had made some wine.  He invited us to come to the wine club he was in, the Missouri Winemaking Society.  So I have been coming ever since.  I never expected to get this involved.  And now my wife, who started it all, pretty much leaves it all to me.

We have thirty vines, 10 Chardonel, 10 Vignoles, and 10 Catawba.  They are about 7 years old.  I am in the process of converting the Catawba over to Norton via grafting.  We will have to see how that goes.  I have never tried grafting before.  We also have an apple tree, and we have made some wine from that.  But we have an issue with squirrels eating them – like all of them.  We did have issues in the past of some critter eating our grapes, but we now have a fence, a screen over the whole vineyard, and we installed electric wire around the whole thing.  We haven’t had any issues since we have the electric.

I really enjoy the wine making process, especially when I get to do it with my own grapes.  It is really a lot of work to have a vineyard and to keep up with spraying and all the other chores.  If I had to do it all over again, I am not sure I would have planted the vineyard.  There are a lot of places around St. Louis where you can pick great fruit.  You definitely don’t save money starting from scratch with a small backyard vineyard.  There are just too many little expenses.  But if you see it as a hobby that you are going to spend money on and enjoy the process and enjoy what you make, it can be extremely rewarding.

I have made a number of white wines, but I find it much easier to make reds.  They just seem much more forgiving.  I have had a hard time making what I consider a really good white wine.  I have also made a lot of different fruit wines, including apple, orange, strawberry, peach, and blueberry (one of my favorites). 

I have learned a lot about make wines from the MWS meetings.  We have so many great winemakers, and they are so willing to share their knowledge.  I think they are helping to make my wines better and better.

MIKE AND MARY KALISH

Mike and Mary Kalish have been members of Missouri Winemaking Society since August of 2016.  I asked Mary to be our featured member and here is what she and Mike have to say!

We started basically from the ground up.  First by planting 725 vines of Norton and learning all we could about growing a successful crop.  After 14 years of selling our grapes to local wineries and with retirement on the horizon, we decided to learn the next step, by actually attempting to make some of our own wine.  Not only to have our own label, but for the education and the information that I can share with customers I service on the job.

The hardest of part of growing grapes is not only the maintenance (pruning in cold weather...ugh! - not my thing haha), but also Mother Nature.  The late season freezes, hail storms, humidity, birds and beetles...  We have to be part farmer, part mechanic, part weatherman The best thing about growing grapes is a bountiful harvest, which for us includes a "Harvest Party" for all those who helped bring in the crop, and that first taste of Nouveau Wine!

The only wine we have attempted to make so far is the Norton since that is what we grow and like to drink.  We also love a smooth, buttery Chardonnay.  We have never made wine from a kit but are considering buying a Chardonnay kit next. Since we have learned so much from this group,  we thought we might give it a shot.

Our biggest challenge in winemaking is lack of experience and knowledge of the subject.  This is why we sought out the Missouri Winemaking Society.  We have books on the subject but find conversations with other winemakers most beneficial.  The most rewarding in this process is the friends we have made and the encouragement they provide.  We have not taken any formal winemaking classes.  We read a lot, research a lot online and reach out to other winemakers for their professional guidance and opinions.

We joined Missouri Winemaking Society in August of 2016.  The very best meeting to attend as our first, since they were tasting and evaluating all the gold metal winners from the Missouri Wine Competition.  We thought "Wow! What a great time to find this group!"  We were very impressed by the content and presentation of that meeting.  We are detailed researchers by nature before we jump into anything we do, (buying a car, planning a vacation...) and 2016 was the year we decided to learn everything we could before trying our hand at winemaking.  Finding this group of accomplished home winemakers has been our best result from our search of knowledge in the winemaking process and procedures.

The meetings at Missouri Winemaking Society are both fun and informative. The wines the winemakers share from their own cellars are impressive.  Everyone is so open and willing to share their knowledge and experience, which is vast!  We have learned so much since we joined and truly enjoy every meeting.  Some couples go to the movies, we go to "Wine Club" for our date nights!

  GREG STRICKER

Greg Stricker has been a member with Missouri Winemaking Society since 1988 and has been a past officer. 

1.  How did you get started in winemaking?

I bought a house in 1980 with old growth grape vines on it, from an elderly gentleman.  I was contacted by a guy who had been buying the grapes and asked if could buy them.  I said, "you can have them for free, just give me some wine".  So he did, and it was terrible.  I said, out loud, "I can do better than this."  And so it began in 1985

2.  What do you find to be the hardest part of growing grapes?

Spraying.  Although I don't grow grapes any more, I always found spraying to be the most hassle.

3.  What do you find to be the most rewarding in growing grapes/fruit? 

I grow black raspberries and cherries for wine.  Picking and freezing a ton of fruit is very rewarding.

4.   What is your favorite wine to make?

That would be my black raspberry, although I haven't made a world class vintage in some time.

5.  What do you find to be the most challenging in winemaking? 

Motivation to do the work running the various chemistry readings.  Sometimes it seems like work (I'm retired).

6.  What do find the most rewarding in your winemaking?

To be honest, I like sharing the wine and getting feedback.  Also, I like the smell of primary fermentation!

7.  Have you taken any classes?

Yes, quite a number over the years.

8.  What is your favorite wine to drink?

I like a nice Vignoles or Traminette, and of course, a good, full-bodied Norton.

9.  When did you join Missouri Winemaking Society?

I joined the club in 1988, which makes me an old-timer. I guess!

10.  How has being a member of Missouri Winemaking Society helped you in your winemaking?

I have learned so much from the other members, and have enjoyed participating in events with other MWS members.  Great people!

 ETHAN BUTLER

Meet one of our newest members, Ethan Butler from Skidmore, Missouri. 

1.  How did you get started in winemaking?

When I was in the Air Force stationed at Zaragoza, Spain a guy and I took our two Spanish employees out for lunch.  We were working a holiday weekend and everyone was bummed for having to work but we were making the best of the situation.  One of the Spanish guys was happy that we cared about them enough to take them out for a meal.  Afterwards he invited us over to his country home.  We went to what looked it would be an old wood shed where I came from.  Inside we went down a flight of stairs and in the middle of the room was a wine barrel, probably around 300 to 500 gallons.  He picked up some glasses from a shelf and wiped them on his shirt and we filled them from a valve.  The wine was a typical table wine and it was good but a little on the dry side.  That experience stuck with me and even before I had any thought of making wine, I always thought how neat it would be to have that setup myself. He sent us home with a bottle each.  You guessed it, rinsed a couple of bottles out with water, filled them and stuck some used corks in them.  If only I had a few of those bottles again.  To make another long story short, years after that, I was recovering from back surgery and not able to lift more than a jug of milk for 3 months and not much more for a year.  My wife, Kwan and I were going to University Extension seminars for something to do as we were trying to grow a garden and fruit trees.  One of the seminars was “Growing Backyard Grapes”.  A one or two hour crash course on growing grapes not only for personal use but enlightening people to marketing opportunities to sell to the wineries or to hobby wine makers.  I told my wife, “I can do that.” I already had the tractor and 25 acres of grass land that we had been wanting to do something with other than let people take our hay. 

I did consult a few other wineries on the type of grapes to plant.  I told one that I wanted to be different and not do like everyone else was doing.  I was told “No, don’t reinvent the wheel.”  I didn’t realize what “different” I wanted but I didn’t want to do the same thing as all the wineries that we had been visiting.

My wife’s picture of backyard grapes was two or three vines, mine started out with 550 the first year, and the same the second year.  We Joined and attended annual meetings for the Missouri Wine and Grape Growers Association.  I soon learned I wasn’t going to make very much money selling grapes. 

My brother made a little wine of which I had never tasted so I started asking him about making wine.  I am the type of person that would rather have someone show me than tell me or read it out of a book.  I didn’t understand what he was telling me.  I started buying books, several books.  Bought some equipment and had the opportunity to pick some apples from friends as I didn’t have grapes or fruit yet.  So that fall, I ground and pressed apples and pears (on shares) with an antique grinder and press that had been given to me. My half of juice was around 50 gallons.

I still didn’t understand the whole concept and wanted to make a pure product so added little to no sugar.  I got apple and pear cider that people and I liked.  I also made a cranberry wine from concentrate that most everyone loved.  I learned a lot with that 50 gallons divided up into carboys; primarily to add sugar for a higher alcohol content.  I continued with whatever I could get to ferment. The meads have been real popular. My wife and I as well as others were surprised I could make a drinkable product!

With my back issues I am not fit to work for someone else but am able to work on the farm and take breaks as needed. This endeavor as well as others I’ve tried, have the goal of making supplemental income. Eventually we decided to operate a commercial winery and that is where we are at the moment.  In the last two months we have gotten our federal permit and our state manufacture’s license. So, now I can make larger batches.

2.  What do you find to be the hardest part of growing grapes?

Pests and diseases.  I can see a bug eating leaves and tell ok, bug, spray bug spray.  The harder part is diseases, is it mildew or some other funky thing and what do I spray and where do I get the spray?  We are not an organic farm and vineyard but would like to be as organic as possible.  If we have a beetle or mildew, I don’t have any problem spraying.  The problem I have is a spray schedule that we spray something every two weeks just to spray!  I’ve spoken with a few others and I’m not the only person that feels this way.  For the most part I’ve found other vineyards helpful until I ask the question, what do you spray?  Everyone refers me to the University spray schedule.

3.  What do you find to be the most rewarding in growing grapes/fruit?

The whole process of planting a tree, vine, seedling or seed, nurturing it for as many as several years and eventually picking fruit.  Taking that fruit through the fermentation and ageing stages and having a product that others think is good and good enough that they say they are willing to buy.

4.  What is your favorite wine to make?

Apple wine. I’ve made several batches as that is what I’ve had available.  I’ve made one batch of grape and I think it is ok.  I have only taken little samples but need to sit-down with a glass of it.  We are looking at a possible considerable grape crop this year and am hopeful and looking forward to it.

5. What do you find the most challenging in winemaking?

Time and facilities.  I have time issues with everything, nothing new and will always have them.  I’ve been making wine in my basement and have temperature and humidity issues.  Short of expensive equipment I haven’t found an easy fix. Hopefully the winery will have better atmospheric conditions!

6.  What do you find the most rewarding in your winemaking?

Others and I enjoying the wines I’ve made.

7.  Have you taken any classes?

No, but would if they were offered in my vicinity or were offered on weekends within a few hundred miles.

8.  What is your favorite wine to drink?

Wine that I’ve made.  I don’t have a background of drinking or drinking wine.  My brother even says that I was the last one to ever accept or drink a beer.  I’ve always liked wine but didn’t know how to tell the types apart or what kind of wine that I liked.  It was like playing Russian Roulette if I would like the wine I bought.  I’ve learned that a sweet wine is what I like but I have been working hard to enjoy wine on the dryer side.  I still am particular to what I would call semi sweet.  I am no expert.  My mead according to the hydrometer is dry but to me it still tastes semi sweet to sweet.  I don’t worry about it as I see others have the same issues.  In my area the majority of people want sweet and I mean sweet!

9.   When did you join MWS and how has the group helped you?

April 2017?  Might be a little early to say but it looks hopeful.  The offer for a reduced price on the Winemaking magazine is good even though I didn’t get around to utilizing it.  As I am at least four hours away from a meeting, I don’t really see me attending a meeting but have put the Annual Picnic and Christmas Party on my calendar.  I will do my best to attend the Saturday events.  There have been some postings on Facebook and would like to see more.  I recognize I am new and no one knows me yet but I’m looking forward to interaction with others.  It was also good to see the opportunity to order grapes.  Even in the MWGG Association they talked about having a list of for sale grapes and fruit but never saw it circulated.  I have had others ask me for grapes and it would be nice to have a source I could refer them to.

One important thing that I am looking forward to in MWS is the opportunity to taste other wines, get feedback on mine and share ideas.

LISA AND JOHN NORDMANN

Lisa and John Nordmann, joined Missouri Winemaking Society in 2014.  They started their journey in 2012 with their son,Timothy.  Timothy had just purchased 500 pounds of Chardonel grapes from a local vineyard.  We will say it was by far a very bad wine.   We decided that the grapes were at fault.  So we went back to the same vineyard andpurchased 700 pounds of Vignoles.  Again, the wine was not great.  Our theory of bad grapes was not adding up.  So that is when John and I decided to join Missouri Winemaking Society. 

One of the meetings we attended was about fault wines.  So we brought our bottle of Chardonel.  Right away the members said the fault was caused by not chilling the grapes prior to pressing.  We then delved into every book, online research and a free file on white wine making from More Wine.  In 2015 we purchased 200 pounds of Chardonel from Shady Grove Vineyard, 200 pounds of Cayuga from 4M Farms and Vineyard and 200 pounds of Chambourcin from Jacob Schneider.  We also made Chardonnay and Reisling from Winexpert Kits and several fruit wines.  Our goal was not to make an award wining wine.  All we wanted was to make a drinkable wine.  Mission accomplished. 

Today I have become the main winemaker where as John is the taster and moral support guy.  We have had insurmountable support from every member in the Missouri Winemaking Society.  Everyone is so willing to help out and give us so much information.  With their support and helpfulness, in 2016 I was brave enough to purchase 1200 pounds of grapes - Cayuga, Seyval Blanc, Chardonel and Chambourcin.  I will say that our 2016 may be good enough to enter into a wine competition. But more importantly we are enjoying our wine, one bottle at a time.