First Steps in Winemaking

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Definitive - If you choose one book - this is it! - Rated
C J J Berry was a master on winemaking. I have bought and read most books on winemaking. This is the one I always turn back to. If you have to buy one book on homewinemaking this is the one! He begins my explaining the concepts and techniques of winemaking in easy to understand terms. He also explains the science behind the process but he is never confusing or condescending. I have never come across a problems which has not been solved by his troubleshooting section and his procedures are comprehensive but easy to follow. The remainder of the book takes you through a wine making year with suggestions, recipies and leaves you confident enough to experiment successfully. All recipes are in metric, imperial and US measures. He leaves you feeling that country wines from fruit are nothing to be ashamed of and that you should not worry about trying to emulate wines you can buy. Having said that, many of the wines stand comparison to anything you can buy. First published in 1960 it has not dated and will remain a reference for all authors to aspire to. It is an invaluable reference for both beginners and those more advanced wine makers.

May be the only book of its kind you will ever need? - Rated
I got into wine making about ten years ago, having used a few home brew wine kits. I then wanted to try making my own from scratch. Sure enough this book was recommended to me as a starting point. Well, I have now made over 100 gallons of wine in those years since biying the book, and not one bottle has been spoilt, all of them drinkable, and some of them that good that my friends were amazed that I made them, and hadn't bought it from a supermarket! It has plenty of tips, recipe ideas, etc in very easy to understand guidance. Starting off with the basics this gives you enough to progress on to bigger and better ideas. I can now adapt and make my own recipes for home made wines with ease. Although a little old fashion in his ways, he makes home brewing a pleasure and not a chore.

Invaluable! - Rated
I've yet to find a book that can come close to First Steps in Winemaking, which is excellent for both beginner and established brewer alike.

Some might argue the style is a little dated, but I rather like the 1960's oulook on life. A sound investment for anyone thinking of taking up this rewarding hobby.

This classic guided three generations from crop to wine. - Rated
C.J.J. Berry is a legend to winemaking hobbiests worldwide as the man who had a winemaking recipe for just about any ingredient. For literally tens of thousands of home winemakers, this is the only reference book they ever had or needed.

When it first appeared, the layout of "First Steps in Winemaking" was quite unique. After an admirable discussion of the basic principles of home winemaking, Berry then presented his recipes on the basis of the month in which the principal ingredients are readily available at market or are typically harvested in the British home garden. There are three things wrong with this format.

Firstly, citing harvest months for various ingredients geographically limits the accuracy of the format. Harvest times for any crop will vary greatly around the world, but they can differ from Britain's calendar by six months for gardeners in, say, Australia. Berry's treatment works fine in the British Isles and many other places, but certainly this is not universally so. In his later books, Berry abandoned the calendar-month format of "First Steps...."

Secondly, at least in developed countries, there is no longer a need to be tied to calendar-month availability of ingredients. Advances in cargo transport and refrigeration over the past 50 years have made dependency on local crops a thing of the past. Almost any ingredient can be found in the modern supermarket or produce center at any time.

Thirdly, Berry's presentation of recipes by month results in dependence on the index in order to find recipes for a particular ingredient. This is perhaps the greatest shortcoming of the book's layout. An alphabetical listing of recipes, as he used in subsequent books, would have been more convenient.

In defense of the author, however, I must point out that Berry never anticipated his book would have worldwide appeal. Nor, it would seem, that it would remain popular for so long. Certainly he would not have quoted prices for ingredients and supplies had he suspected as much.

Are these shortcomings fatal? Not in the least! This is still the classic reference to the subject and ought to be in every winemaker's library. Indeed, if you could only buy one book on the subject, only Terry Garey's "The Joy of Home Winemaking" could challenge "First Steps...." to a coin toss.

Buy it. Read it. Make wine. You'll love yourself for it.