Harrington Press Winemaking & Homebrew Supplies

As far as education, I did most of my youth classes around Kokomo, Indiana and Norfolk, Arkansas. As an adult, I went to Illinois Central Collage and studied horticulture. I am now a manager in horticulture services at the Peoria Park District. My wife and I are planing our retirement to our 17 acres in southern Missouri ( the Lord willing ! ) 2014.

I love the whole process and science of winemaking and stay very involved in that. I am a member of the River Valley Winemakers Club and as of January 2009 voted president.

I would like to give thanks to our faithful and devoted customers and will enjoy serving you in the future.

Cheers,

Jim Harrington

Harrington Press

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www.harringtonpress.com

Need help with a winemaking issue or need a suggestion. Ask the Ole

Moonshiner!

WINEMAKING SUPPLIES

Since 1998

My back yard vineyard

Winter SUCKS!!!

The difference a few short months make. This is my frozen Nortons Dec. 20th-2008 or 2009 and 2010. Take your pick. Each year seems the same in Illinois BURRRRRRRR!

The testing area

My testing area is complete. Just in time for 2008 harvest. I can not express enough how more people need to use and learn to read winemaking instruments.

Feb. 2010

This will be my the third year with the new test area. Things have worked out very well. I hope this year the sun shines a little more and the rains hold off a bit.

WINE MAKING CENTRAL

MEET THE OWNER OF HARRINGTON PRESS COMPANY

Born in Mountain Home Arkansas in 1954 I grew up watching my father and father's friends make wine, moonshine and fermenting homebrew by the wood stove. So, I guess its no surprise that I would someday own a winemaking and homebrew supply shop. My journey into winemaking started much like everyone else's. My wife Josie and I made a trip to southern Missouri's wine country and fell in love with the whole idea. Being handy with tools, I was sure I could make a wine press. And so it began! I started

selling wine presses to local folks and on the Internet. We then decided it would be a good idea to add wine making products as a companion to our presses. It wasn't long before I was spending all of my time shipping, packing and talking to customers. Now the only evidence of my woodworking is a press that sits quietly in the kitchen of our home and the cold silent tools waiting to be used in the shop. I have no regrets but sometime miss the sound of a saw zipping through white oak boards.

WaterStoneCellars

OUR FIRST LABEL

Well, I finally did it I named our home winery. It only took me 9 or 10 years but I did it. You may think that I'm a procrastinator or that I have some kind of commitment issue by waiting so long. And you may be right. I'm not really sure! Anyway its done and now we can get down to business .

This area of the web-site will be devoted to letting our friends and customers know what is going on in our home winery. We will be telling you about new products and explaining their use....

Also, as my wife and I visit new wineries and taste new wines we will be offering our humble opinions. As most of our friends know, we are dry wine drinkers. Ok, I know what your thinking, "wine snobs". That's further from the truth than you know. Occasionally we find ourselves downing a couple bottles of Stone Hill Concord and from what we remember it is pretty damn good. The flavor is intense and yummy.

Hopefully these tidbits of information will help you in your winemaking endevors. So with that said, I would like to introduce our new wine label. We are having these printed with no content name and will add a small white label on the bottom back of each bottle. Each small 1"X3"label will state the content and year. This idea was given to me by a local friend and winemaker. I thought it was a great one!

Cheers, Jim Harrington

While watching a movie the other day, "Bottle Shock", we learned a little history of Napa Valley winemaking. The movie showed the hardship that wineries went through before the French / American blind taste off. This taste off was located in France in 1976 and was put on by a British wine snob. The Brit was trying to promote wine sales in his store. He came to Napa Valley, collected the wines he thought was best, then returned back to France. Napa Valley won! The French did all the judging and was quite surprised when Chateau Montelena Chardonnay took first place! This Movie is based on a true story, sort of. It is Hollywood!

My wife and I immediately went on the search. We found a 2006 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay at a discount wine shop here in Peoria for $35.00.

This wine has to be one of my favorite wines of all time. 13.8 percent alcohol and you would never guess it! So,so,so smooth. It feels like a swarm of butterflies floating over your tongue. If you get the opportunity to try this wine.. Don't pass it up!

Cheers,

Jim Harrington

PS. Watch the movie too!

If you have time to check out his website you find a completely different story than the movie.

Miljenko “Mike” Grgich owner of Grgich Hills Estate was the wine maker at Chateau Montelena at the time of the French / American blind taste off. I'm going to give his wine a try very soon!

Click on label to vistit his site or buy his wine!

This year we won 2 Bronze and 1 Silver metal for 09

Placed 3 of 3

Still searching for perfection.

Jim Harrington recently became a member of the American Wine Socitey

A broken water valve destroyed the bar I spent so long in building. While on vacation for a week a water valve under our kitchen sink bust. The water must have ran for 5 days at least. The upstairs and downstairs were destroyed. We came home on the 4th of July to find the fireworks.

Please shut your water off when leaving for an extended time..

Sent in 3 wines in this year and picked up 3 medals ! 2009

1- bronze for my 2009 Viognier (dry) 12% alcohol

1- bronze for my 2009 Pinot Gris / Viognier 50/50 Blend (dry) 12% alcohol

1- Silver for my 2009 Chardonnay (dry) 14% alcohol