Grape Expectations School of Winemaking is a wine lovers dream. Where else can you learn and participate in the art of winemaking with expert help and have a party at the same time? \n\n  Patti, the owner of Grape Expectations, and her staff lead your group through every stage of the 8 month process which in the end will net you some great wine and a lot of wonderful memories. While some people may see that \"8 month\" thing and balk at the idea but trust me, you are making real wine. It takes some time. That being said, you are only at their facility about 6 times over that period. After a session of de-stemming the grapes and putting them in a vat you will return a week later to put the juice into an oak barrel for some aging. This process takes about 4 months, so there is nothing to do for a while except maybe pay a visit or two to your little bundle of joy as it ages. From February to June you will have 4 more session which will take you all the way through the bottling process. I should also mention that you pick the varietal you want to make and the grapes are ordered for you specifically. You can do a single varietal like Zinfandel or a custom blend of your choice. The grapes are high quality products which are sourced from the central valleys of California and the Sonoma region. \n\n  I would be remiss in writing this review without mentioning the guys in the back that do the heavy lifting. Mike, K.J. and Steve are craftsmen and take the time to not only assist you in your winemaking endeavor, but to make sure you have a solid understanding of the process. These guys enjoy what they do and their enthusiasm will make your sessions even more enjoyable.\n\n  You design a label for your wine which you can personalize most anyway you want. Some people will use a business logo and give bottles to customers for promotions, some use their family name and some just design something that comes to them along the way. At the end of the season there is a winemaker's party where awards are given for the best wines (professionally judged by local wine experts) and medals for the best label designs as well. \n\n  The price of making a barrel of wine is in the $2400-$2600 range depending on the varietal. This is quite a bargain when you consider that you will end up with about 240 bottles of excellent wine. We always get a group of 6-10 friends/couples together to split the barrel which lowers our cost and allows us to party with friends at each session. At a final cost of about $10-$11 a bottle it is well worth it especially when you can tell your friends that the wine they are enjoying was made from the sweat of your brow.