My husband and I live in San Diego, which has become quite a mecca for small craft beer breweries.  I got my hubby one of those “brewing bags” to make beer at home a few years back, and I have to say, through no fault of his own, that beer was just gross.  However, I knew he wanted to make beer, and so I got him a more sophisticated (i.e., useful) kit for his birthday from Leeners.  This time the beer came out great, and soon he became a beer-brewing fiend.  In the meantime, several of our friends also started making homebrew.  It was really fun to try different things and have brew parties.  The problem for me was, I like beer, but it gets so heavy after a while.  I really prefer sipping a lovely glass of wine (or 4) on the patio.  But, I figured to make wine, I had to start with grapes.  We do live near Temecula, so I figured I should be able to find some grapes if I tried.  But then what would I do with them?  Then I read Lynn Alley’s book Lost Arts.  It just so happens that she lives in the area too, and she talked about how she throws a trash can in the car, and just drives around wine country during harvest season to see who would sell her grapes.  OK, I could do that.  But it sounded like work.  More work than winemaking should be.

Then I was digging around Leeners site, and remembered they had a winemaking section.  Lo and behold, they had wine making kits.  Hmmm, that sounds too easy.  They can’t be good.  But, it was easier to order one and try it than drive around Temecula with a trash can ….  So, I got my first wine kit.