Bottling Wine for Caprice Vineyards!

Yours Truly, Whit & Jo Parker, Jeanne Davidian

Jim & Jeanne Davidian, owners of Caprice Vineyards and Rolling Hills Alpacas gathered a group of willing, rather untrained folks, to help them bottle some Gewurtztraminer at Dave & Pam Palmers Jacksonville Vineyards. The Palmers also own the fabulous Fiasco Wine and Tasting Room in Ruch.

Being the ever-interested Publishers that we are, Whit and I volunteered! I had never experienced a bottling before, and it’s a trip.

A gigantic drum of wine is hoisted into the air – this is all about gravity – from which a large, plastic tube funnels out of it into the machine you see here. Wine travels through the tube and into this machine, which conveniently pours the wine into the bottles. This is a labor-intensive project! Dave Pfrimmer of Windermere, was the expert in our volunteer group at this, having done this once before. Terry & Paula Erdmann (the ever-amazing town volunteers & Jacksonville Review Columnists) were also chipping in. Of course, the Davidians and Palmers are old hands at this bottling task….and were very patient with us newbies.

Bottles up! Whitman, Terry & Paula Erdmann and Jeanne

Once the bottle is filled, it gets “corked.” Again – a large machine does this (once a wine bottle is placed by hand on it) and it niftily inserts the cork into the bottle and sucks out any air – how cool!  Then, lovely foil “lids” are placed by hand on the top of the corked bottle, and yet another machine is used (by hand) to attach the foil. Are you getting that you have to be very “handy” to do this!

We had a lot of fun – and the wine is delicious! Be sure to stop by Caprice Vineyards at 970 Old Stage Road (one mile north of the Jacksonville Post Office) and try some – and buy some! They are open from Thursday to Monday, 11 -5, phone is 541.499.0449. Rest assured that this wine was lovingly bottled by a lively group of friends! Also visit the Palmers “Fiasco” Tasting Room in Ruch!