Bottling

The first step in bottling your wine is to determine if you want to use screw top bottles or cork type bottles. Personally, I prefer the screw top bottles because they are easier to use. Once this is done gather up your bottles for the second step.

The second step would be to clean and sanitize your bottles. I use "One Step" to sanitize my bottles and I have used "Oxi-Clean" with great success.

The third part is where I deviate from what you read in the books. The books tell you to siphon the wine into bottles, or to use a filler tube. At bottling time, I usually have racked my wine to one gallon jugs. I then clean and sanitize a funnel and proceed to fill the bottles. Some people will tell you that this procedure will oxidize your wine, but hey, most of your wine won't make it pass a year because you have "enjoyed" it.

Fourth step, either cork the bottle or put the screw top on. If you are corking, make sure that you use the real cork if you have a hand corker. The other stuff is really difficult unless you are using a floor corker. Also, make sure that you soak the cork in water with sanitizer. It makes it easier to cork.

Last step is to wait a few months and then open up that bottle to enjoy your masterpiece.