Sommeliers recommend that you swirl a glass of wine and inhale its bouquet before throwing it in the face of your enemy. Enjoy pleasures that are worth the wait with this Groupon.
$85 for a Winemaking Experience ($160 Value)
In hands-on workshops spread out over four months, experienced vintners help guests transform grape juice into batches of red and white wine. At the initial session, participants combine yeast, filtered water, and a grape juice of their choice in a fermentation container. White-wine options include chamblaise or a delicate, slightly tart riesling; those who favour reds can concoct merlot or a cabernet sauvignon to stain lips a specific shade of rouge. Participants return approximately four weeks later to bottle their wine—23 litres' worth—into containers of their choice, yielding ready-made gifts. Attendees can bring along their own bottles, jugs, or waterproof suitcases to carry libations home, or they can purchase 750-millilitre bottles for their onsite price ($1 each). Labels, corks, and shrink capsules are included, and participants can upgrade to another type of wine or request customized labels for an additional fee. Tax is included with this deal.
Grapefully Yours
In 1993, Ms. Bonny Brown formed Grapefully Yours to bring the secrets of wine- and beer-making to the masses. Today, her dream is housed inside Grape Plus Wine Cellar, which is owned by Betsy Rong. Her staff walks customers through selecting and fermenting their chosen brew—a simple process that can treat palates to dozens of red, white, and fruit mist wines, which fuse juicy flavours such as banana and pineapple. An air conditioner's gentle breeze keeps mixtures cool on their journey from grape to wine before bottle-filling and corking machines ready potables to pour into wineglasses or empty ice-cube trays. Additionally, the staff can emblazon bottles with custom labels or dispense beer kits that let customers create bubbly lagers and ales.