There Are No Small Wines

As a child growing up with the acting bug I remember being taught at an early age that there are no small parts, only small actors.  That was the kind of thing they told you when you were cast as an extra, whatever size you happened to be. 

A variation of that phrase has been running through my mind over the last few months, but one that applies to winemaking.  There are no small wines, only small carboys.  See, when you’re dealing in any decent volume of wine production, the smallest size container you’re likely to keep around is probably a 5-gallon carboy, and that’s purely for topping of purposes.  But when you’re dealing with a total volume per varietal of 6 to 8 gallons, as I am, you’re going to need some smaller containers, lest you throw away 10% of your production each time you rack because you happen to not have the right size container near by.  This would explain why there’s a thermos, a pickle jar and a vinegar jug in my basement right now each filled with the fruits (literally) of my labor.  While these containers may be small, I can assure that the importance of the wine inside them is not small to me. 

Why I think that my wine, like a self-absorbed child actor, is in need of a little ego stroking, I have no idea.