How to Bottle Wine

Once your wine is fermented and racked (cleared of sediment) to your satisfaction, it's time to bottle it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Clamps For Wine Bottling
• Siphon Hoses
• New Or Used Wine Bottles
• Corks
• Corking Machines

1. If the bottles are new and unused, rinse them with hot water and dry them. If the bottles are used, soak them in a cleaning solution recommended by a wine-making supply shop. Then rinse them with water and dry. Be sure the bottles are completely dry.
2. Prepare new corks by soaking them in water for 1 to 2 hours, then rinsing them several times with warm water.
3. Prepare used corks by soaking, boiling gently, then rinsing with hot water. Finish with a cold-water rinse.
4. Place the bottles below the wine container.
5. Insert the notched end of the siphon tube into the container of wine. Be sure the tube isn't touching the bottom of the container.
6. Suck on the other end of the tube until the wine begins to flow. Then insert the tube into a bottle.
7. Fill up bottles to 3/4 inch below the bottom of the cork.
8. Use a corking machine to insert the corks into the bottles. Corking machines can be rented from wine-making supply shops.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice filling the bottles with water before you try siphoning the wine.
• Use longer corks, 1 3/4 inch, for wines that will be aged for longer than 1 1/2 years, and use shorter corks, 1 1/4 inch, for wines that will be aged up to 1 1/2 years.
• If a container of wine has to be moved, allow sediment to settle before bottling.