How to Bottle Wine (8 Steps)

Once your wine is fermented and racked (cleared of sediment) to your satisfaction, it's time to bottle it.

Instructions

If the bottles are new and unused, rinse them with hot water and dry them. If the bottles are used, soak them in a cleaning solution recommended by a wine-making supply shop. Then rinse them with water and dry. Be sure the bottles are completely dry.
Prepare new corks by soaking them in water for 1 to 2 hours, then rinsing them several times with warm water.
Prepare used corks by soaking, boiling gently, then rinsing with hot water. Finish with a cold-water rinse.
Place the bottles below the wine container.
Insert the notched end of the siphon tube into the container of wine. Be sure the tube isn't touching the bottom of the container.
Suck on the other end of the tube until the wine begins to flow. Then insert the tube into a bottle.
Fill up bottles to 3/4 inch below the bottom of the cork.
Use a corking machine to insert the corks into the bottles. Corking machines can be rented from wine-making supply shops.