The quickest way to find the right wine making kit: 1-gallon starter kits for learning the process, 6-gallon equipment and ingredient kits for making 30 bottles at a time, and equipment-only setups for home growers pressing their own cold-hardy grapes. Pete’s picks with real product images.
Best Wine Making Kits for Beginners (2026): A Home Grower’s Picks Read Post »
Orange wine is white wine fermented on its skins for days or weeks – the opposite of normal white winemaking. Learn how it’s made, what it tastes like, and which cold-hardy varieties like La Crescent and Itasca make outstanding orange wine at home.
What Is Orange Wine? How It’s Made and Why Cold-Climate Grapes Excel Read Post »
Baco Noir is a cold-hardy French-American hybrid red grape that survives winters down to -20°F (-29°C), making it one of the best dark red wine grapes for Zone 4-6 backyard vineyards. This guide covers its parentage, hardiness, growing tips, disease resistance, and what the wine tastes like.
Baco Noir Grape: Cold-Hardy Variety Guide for Home Growers Read Post »
For a standard 750 ml bottle of wine you need about 2.5–3 lb (1.1–1.4 kg) of grapes — or roughly 16–20 lb (7–9 kg) per gallon. Pete Lindgren breaks down the math, explains how cold-hardy varieties like Marquette and Frontenac perform at small backyard scale, and walks through a real 5-gallon batch example.
How Many Pounds of Grapes to Make a Bottle of Wine (2026 Guide) Read Post »
Concord grapes thrive in USDA Zones 3-6, tolerate -20°F (-29°C), and are one of the easiest backyard grapes to grow. Learn how to grow them, when to harvest, and how to make classic sweet Concord wine or jelly at home.
Growing Concord Grapes: Cold-Hardy, Easy, and Delicious Read Post »
A Bordeaux blend uses up to six red grape varieties – primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Learn what each contributes, plus the cold-hardy hybrid alternatives for Zone 3-5 growers who want to make a structured red wine without the winter kill risk.
Bordeaux Blend Grape Varieties: What Goes In (and What to Grow in Cold Climates) Read Post »
Red wine ferments on the grape skins. White wine is pressed off them first. That one difference explains why red and white wine taste so different — and why grape skins matter so much to home winemakers crushing their own cold-hardy varieties.
Grape Skins in Wine: Why They Determine Color, Tannin, and Style Read Post »
Learn how to make wine from your own grapes at home — from harvest Brix and crush through red skin fermentation, pressing, secondary aging, and bottling. Cold-climate hybrid tips for Zone 3–6 growers included.
How to Make Wine from Grapes: Step-by-Step Homemade Wine Instructions Read Post »
