Help me get drunk for cheap!

July 11, 2006 4:14 PM

I'd like to find one of those "make your own wine" places in Toronto..

A friend of mine recently let me try some wine her friends had made at one of these places, and I was surprised that it wasn't undrinkable. I was even more interested when she told me that the cost broke down to something around 4 bucks a bottle.

I'd like to find a similar service in Toronto, preferably one you have actually used and would recommend. My cursory web search seems to turn up a lot of broken links and "franchise opportunities."

TIA

posted by SassHat to Food & Drink (13 answers total)

I'd bet you could get that cost down to $0.
posted by glibhamdreck at 4:23 PM on July 11, 2006

Hey Sassamonkey, there's a place just down the street from me. Never used it, but it's supposed to be decent. not too expensive either.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:35 PM on July 11, 2006

We use Fermentations. They make really good beer and wine. Our last batch of wine was a nice Pinot Gris that broke down to about $5.50 a bottle, but our first batch was a Chardonnay made directly from Niagara grapes (Fermentations doesn't use concentrate, just grapes or juice) and that was as good as any $20 bottle of wine I've had. It'll age well, too. Wine takes anything up to 3 months, but beer only takes 2 weeks and doesn't need bottle conditioning.
posted by Dipsomaniac at 5:04 PM on July 11, 2006

Never used it, but there is a place at Prince Edward and Bloor (between the Royal York and Old Mill subway stations). I can't remember the name, just remember seeing it.
posted by defcom1 at 5:18 PM on July 11, 2006

I see these places all the time. There's WineKitz -- one at Wilson just west of Bathurst, one on Danforth west of Woodbine. There's another place in Mirvish Village, Markham Street just south of Bloor (just west of Bathurst). Can't say I've ever visited any of these places, but goodl uck!
posted by greatgefilte at 5:32 PM on July 11, 2006

Oh, there's another WineKitz at Yonge and Finch, too.
posted by greatgefilte at 5:32 PM on July 11, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks, all!

Dirtynumbangelboy, if you know (or remember) the name of the place, shoot me an email. Should I decide to do it, I'll gladly share the results!

That goes for the other TO mefites, too...I smell a MEETUP!

In three months when my wine is ready.
posted by SassHat at 6:20 PM on July 11, 2006

The place on Roncy is the "Wine Cave". South half of the street... I dunno the exact cross street, though I can picture the place in my head. That's the one DNAB is talking about I bet.
posted by GuyZero at 6:36 PM on July 11, 2006

in the Kingsway (2869 Bloor St W), there's Wine Estates. They use juice only - no concentrate or sulphites, and do a pretty darn amazing job of it.
posted by iTristan at 6:48 PM on July 11, 2006

defcom, that's the place I'm talking about - yes, Wine Estates
posted by iTristan at 6:49 PM on July 11, 2006

GuyZero writes "The place on Roncy is the 'Wine Cave'. South half of the street... I dunno the exact cross street, though I can picture the place in my head. That's the one DNAB is talking about I bet."


Indeed it is. Slightly south of Garden, on the east side. I pass it all the time on may way to/from the Film Buff. (And also Tinto, which we discovered this weekend is a fabulous place for a Sunday brunch).
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:50 PM on July 11, 2006

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the place but it's at the corner of Annette and Runnymede (northwest side) and the prices are pretty good and the wine was excellent.

I ordered a few batches and never received any complaints. The staff was excellent.

It might be called "Wine Tradition", but I'm not 100% sure.
posted by purephase at 10:28 PM on July 11, 2006

Because I never pass up a chance to turn MeFi into RoncesvallesFi - Tinto serves brunch?! Awesome. I just go there to use the free WiFi whan I need to concentrate on something. One more reason to go.
posted by GuyZero at 6:50 AM on July 12, 2006