Baco Noir First TimeHi Folks, I've been making wine for a couple of years now from kits and also trying my own from different varieties of fruit. This year...
No basement, no wine cellar, and 100+ degrees in the garage? You're making it tough. I also live in a hot climate, but have the blessing of a stand alone outbuilding that, over the years, we've converted into a 'winery'.
I live in the Sierra Foothills in California, where it's hot in the summer, but by crush time (October) the temps have moderated considerably - I do primary fermentation of reds in large open plastic bins (Macro bins). I do those under an awning outside, and keep them covered with plastic (you can buy it in sheets from the hardware store) affixed with tape. I do my white wine primary fermentation in large plastic buckets; I start fermentation in a shed we converted to winemaking; temps in the shed at that time of year range from high 60's to low 80's. Once fermentation is well underway, I move the fermenting white wine into a large cooled and insulated cellar cool room (built into the wine shed), where air temps are kept in the low 60's during fermentation. Reds and whites both age in the cool room at somewhat lower temps.
Homebrew Champagne 219I'm going to tell you one more time time: Air causes bottles shock. Expose your wine to less air, not more, if you intend to drink a wine young. The story I heard...
If you have a room that you can insulate, keep cool, and don;t mind making a mess in, then do so; you'll make better wine. It occurs to me that even a second bathroom could be converted. The trick will be keeping it relatively cool efficiently. Insulate the heck out of it, and use a single room air conditioner if you have to.
As for the smell - it's all in the nose of the beholder. I really like the smell of fermenting wines. But I guess not everyone does.
