Bacchus Winemaking, the very first wine school in the country, began as a hobby and quickly grew into a remarkable winemaking business. It began more than two decades ago in a basement, driven by an enjoyment of and curiosity about the complexities of wine. Two decades have seen the growth to what is now a state-of-the-art winemaking room. Winemaking at Bacchus has always focused on producing quality wines using only the best California and South American grapes. It is about passing the noble art of winemaking onto students, who in turn will ensure this tradition continues for generations to come.
The owners of Bacchus consist of an all-star team of winemakers’, business professionals and enthusiasts, including Bacchus Winemaking’s very own award-winning winemaker, Shaun Hatton, who has been with the company since 1997. Although the owners have vastly different backgrounds, they share one common link, a passion for wine.
Bacchus Winemaking offers the unique experience by allowing you to create your own world-class wine. Using the finest modern equipment, you will learn all of the techniques, from crushing and destemming of grapes, to wine pressing, fermentation, sediment removal and bottling. You can choose from over 40 different varietal blends. The grapes from these wine regions produce different styles of wines to suit your tastes and even explore new horizons.
The winemaking sessions are broken into four one-hour sessions – crushing of the grapes; pressing of the grapes; placing the wine into the barrel and racking of the wine. The final session is the bottling of the wine. Depending on the wine that you make, bottling will take place seven to 20 months later.
From start to finish, participants join with friends, family and colleagues in hands-on winemaking. Bacchus offers two seasons to create your wine. The California season begins in September and continues through November. Bacchus Winemaking uses only the finest, premium grapes from California’s AVA’s (American Vinicultural Areas), such as Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Amador County, Sierra Foothills and the Lodi/Woodbridge region. South American winemaking, with grapes from Argentina or Chile, begins in the spring.
If you are an established winemaking enthusiast, Bacchus is your ideal source to supply all of your home winemaking needs; fresh grapes, fresh juice, frozen must, bulk wine from the California wine regions as well as Chilean and Argentinian in the spring. In addition to grapes and juice, anything you need in equipment and supplies can also be purchased.
For anyone who is interested in wine and crafting of the grape, an exceptional experience awaits you at Bacchus Winemaking. Give them a call and enjoy this fascinating gourmet hobby. You will not only be learning from master winemakers, but have the opportunity to become one yourself. Bacchus also offers an array of other exciting experiences, including private parties, tours of the winemaking process, corporate and business functions and venue rentals for private events. Bacchus Winemaking is located at 1540 Route 37 West in Toms River, New Jersey. Hours are by appointment only. Call 732-505-6930 or visit their website at www.bacchusnj.com.
