Want to Make Wine?

Stonefield Cellars hosts two Winemaking Courses per year (in the spring, and in the fall) taught by Robert E. M. Wurz, Ph.D.

In six classes over 8 weeks, this course covers the full winemaking process: from fermentation to bottling. Learn techniques to start or improve your own home winemaking while creating your own wine during class in small teams of 2-4 & hone your wine evaluation skills with classes on sensory evaluation training and food and wine pairing.

Fall 2021 Course Dates & Times:

Mondays 7:00-9:00 pm in the Stonefield Cellars Production Room.

• September 20th: Introduction – Basics of fermentation and winemaking.
• September 27th: Principles of Winemaking – Racking, barrels, oak alternatives, tannins. Wines of the world.
• October 11th: Wine sensory evaluation. Food and wine pairing.
• October 25th: Defects and Problems: Causes and remedies, fining agents, additives, filtering.
• November 1st: Blending, tasting panel, and bottling preparations.
• November 8th: Bottling, Labeling, Wrap-up, Exam.

Cost: $195
Provided: All winemaking materials, detailed winemaking notes, snacks, and 3 bottles of wine bottled by the class.

Must be at least 21 years old to participate.
Class size limited to 8 people.
Additional Class Wine will be available for $13.95 per Bottle.

Registration: Register Over the Phone by calling Kelley at 336-644-9908 during regular business hours. You can also Email Kelley at [email protected] with any additional questions. Registration Ends 9/06/2021.

We are continuing to practice our COVID-19 safety precautions, please read below for our updated guidelines:

• Due to nature of this class we recommend all students be vaccinated. 
• Vaccinated students will not be required to wear a mask indoors.
• Non-Vaccinated students will be required wear a face covering at all times while inside the winery building (including the production room) and during interactions with others. You do not have to wear your mask during our wine tasting/discussion session of the class while actively consuming wine, but you will need to wear it during the lab portion of the class.
• We will be setting up the barrel room to create sufficient distance between student seating and supplying individuals wine tasting supplies for each seat during the tasting and lecture portion of this class.
• We will be conducting a lab portion for this class with individual lab supplies and lab stations spaced out at sufficient distances in the production room.
• Course notes that contain all the information gone over in that class will be sent out to the students after each session. If you experience viral symptoms or need to skip a class for social distancing, please inform the T.A. Kelley at [email protected].

Instructor Biography
Robert E. M. Wurz, Ph.D. – Robert is a native of Napa Valley, CA. He received his doctorate in wine chemistry from the University of California, Davis. He has taught wine making classes at Patrick Henry Community College in Virginia, at Stonefield Cellars Winery in Stokesdale, NC, and is currently the winemaker for Stonefield Cellars Winery in Stokesdale, NC.