He bought a child’s paddling pool and stomped some grapes and made his first wine which was ok but not marvellous.
When he saw that there was a Sydney Amateur Winemakers Club which had been going for 50 years, met monthly and hosted wine judging shows at Riverwood legion club, he went along and sought advice.
“I was soon hooked and so then went about getting some basic equipment and started making 20 litres of Shiraz but also having a go at making Lilli pilli mead and of course, Dandelion wine for which I won a gold medal at another show a few years later.
“Mum would have been impressed,” he said.
With the club’s annual show judged by professional tasters who judge commercial wines, and last year’s the most successful ever, David said the group was making some great wines for as little as $3-$5 a litre.
“Many of the older European migrant populations have been making wine for years but there has been an increasing interest from the younger generation of mead and beer brewers as well, especially since covid,” he said.
“This year’s grape harvest is coming soon, starting in late February, early March and we are expecting a bumper one this year; enthusiasts can make fruit wines, beer and mead during the rest of the year.”
New winemakers are invited to the Thursday, March 7, meeting and check out an actual wine production process.
For meeting times and further info: cherryandwhite9@gmail.com.
Juicy way wine lovers can save cash
INSPIRED by his mother who used to make Dandelion wine and Raisin wine while he was growing up in England, David Martin was impressed by the abundance of grapes in Australia and when he retired, decided to give wine-making a go.
