Put A Cork In It
Your search for the perfect vintage has taken you on a tour of free tastings all over town, to numerically scoring your tastes , and even, yes, to choosing wines based solely on their looks and label.
To really find wine that’s exactly to your liking, you might have to make your own. Which is easy at Kailua’s new Oeno Winemaking shop, which opened just a few days ago.
Pop in to taste the varieties and choose the one you want to make – they have more than 50. Maybe you want a clean, citrus-y New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Or a solid California Chardonnay (you can choose whether or not to ferment it with oak). Or go a little 
more exotic with an Italian Barolo or a South African Cabernet. There’s even a line of fruity wines, if you want something more playful – maybe pick a Cranberry Cabernet that will be ready in time for Thanksgiving?
Then, head into a guided mixing session where you add just the right amount of yeast, sulfites, and oak, if you want it. Your wine will stay in the temperature-controlled fermentation room for four to six weeks. You, meanwhile, can work with Oeno staff to design custom labels, or have them do it for you.
After a month or so, it’s time to rally your friends for a big night of bottling.
You’ll leave with 28 bottles of your own personalized vintage that you can drink immediately or save for a few months later, when the flavors have mellowed with a little age.
And you can save your vintage shopping for your closet.
Oeno Winemaking , 26 Ho‘olai Street, Kailua, 808.263.6366. Mention Lei Chic and get a total of $30 off any winemaking kit, through the end of October.
