WineMaking Equipment

Wine making does not need much in the way of expensive equipment.

Most of the things outlined here can be found in the home, or bought for a few quid.

It is convenient to divide up the tools of the trade into essential and luxury. There is some overlap here, it all depends how much you want to spend.

The other subdivision is between things that are reusable, such as bottles, and disposable items, such as corks.

• Essential items. You simply must own these.
• Luxury items. Some more useful than others.

Above all, do not get hung up on buying lots of expensive winemaking toys. Homebrew shops are very tempting places, but I've seen plenty of people go into such shops and come out with an armful of kit, go home, make one gallon of wine and then never touch winemaking again. This is how large batches of equipment turn up on Ebay. Start with the bare minimum, and add other things as you grow into the hobby