Wine-Making at Castle Bridge Winery in Kent, Washington

Washington State is known for its wines, and there are many different wineries to visit. But if you're a wine lover who is looking for something just a little different, Castle Bridge Winery may be just the place for you. Located in Kent, just south of Seattle, Castle Bridge Winery offers something unique - the chance to make your own wine. It's a three-step process that takes a total of eight weeks, but the result is thirty bottles of homemade white or red that were bottled and corked by you, bearing your own custom label. What gift could be better than that?

While the helpful staff at Castle Bridge Winery will assist you throughout the wine-making process, it's good to know what to expect and how wine is made. Here's a brief look at the steps involved:

Step 1: Pitching the Yeast

This is what makes wine...well, wine! In this step, you're adding yeast to the grape juice to allow it to ferment. The yeast converts the sugars in the juice to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation process can take several weeks, but good wine takes time.

Step 2: Racking and Degassing

These steps are done together at Castle Bridge.

Racking the wine is the process by which the sediment is removed. The wine is then siphoned off into a clean container. Afterwards, you must degas the wine by stirring it vigorously to get out all the carbon dioxide. Once the bubbles have stopped surfacing, the wine is ready to drink.

Step 3: Bottling, Corking & Labeling

Once the wine is ready, you'll need to bottle it, of course. Castle Bridge has a dispenser that will pour your wine into bottles. You top the bottle with a cork and then place the bottle into a machine which forces the corks inside. Then you can vacuum seal foil over the top, so it looks professionally done.

The winery will print out your custom labels, and you can name the wine whatever you like. You place the labels on by hand, so you need to take care that the labels go on straight and neat.

Voila! Your wine is done, and ready for gift giving.

Castle Bridge Winery doesn't only cater to people with the desire to make their own wines. If you're too impatient to wait, they make their own wines on the premises, and have a wide selection of whites and reds to suit any palate. They offer generous free tastings almost daily, so you can try before you buy.

The winery sometimes hosts special events that allow you to use one of their already-made wines and bottle that with your own custom label. You skip the entire wine-making process, but get to bottle, cork and label it yourself. This is ideal for the person who still wants a customized gift, but needs it in less than eight weeks.

If you can, catch one of Castle Bridge's music or comedy nights. You can also rent out their space for parties and fundraisers, which include wine tastings and even snacks and a chocolate fountain, if you so desire. If you're just stopping by for a quick gift, they have a lot of wine-related items too.

Next time you're in south King County, stop in for some tastings. Ask about the wine-making process. The owners of Castle Bridge Winery love what they do and love to talk about it. It's truly one of the best-kept secrets in the area that is well worth discovering.

Castle Bridge Winery

7645 South 180^th St.

Kent, WA 98032

Phone: (425)251-0983

cbwinery@earthlink.net