Wine, ready for purchase, from Hangar 41 Winery. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Many of us, when asked to consider the art of wine making, may remember the black and white television episode of Lucille Ball, and the riotous comedian dancing barefoot through a vat of dark grapes. While images of the iconic red head, coated in grape juice, left an indelible mark on my imagination, winemaking has certainly come a long way from the process of barefoot grape stomping. Locally, those with a passion for wine and creating their own fanciful ideas of an apple or other bubbly-flavored drink can turn to expert wine maker Sandi Zahorchak for guidance and inspiration. Zahorchak is the owner of Hangar 41 and Time to Make Wine, two venues that share the same location, and she is the distributor behind many Fort Myers home brewers and their craft creations.

Twenty years ago, Sandi and her husband, Rudy – both avid wine-drinkers – bought a wine-making business in Cape Coral called Grape Escape.

“The original name, Grape Escape, was cute,” Sandi Zahorchak said, “but it did not tell people what our business was about.” Even with the challenges of the name, Grape Escape had a following. The business had wine makers and even craft brewers who visited Sandi for supplies. “I promised some of the craft brewers that once we moved our store to its current location in Fort Myers, we would carry more grain and beer-making supplies.”

Hangar 41 and Time to Make Wine owner, Sandi Zahorchak. stands before several recent batches of house-made wine. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Sandi Zahorchak was true to her promise. In the Fort Myers location, both wine and beer-making products are plentiful. Jennifer Vonderwill, a decades-long homebrewer, explained, “I rely on Hangar 41 for grains and hops.” She added that Zahorchak has all of the necessary equipment for homebrewers, “including all-in-ones, carboys, grain mills, kegs and all sorts of different bottles.”

In case you are a newbie when it comes to homebrewing lingo, an all-in-one (AIO) homebrewing system is a single electronic device that can heat water, mash grains, boil wort and recirculate liquids in a single appliance. Ultimately, an AIO saves the homebrewer space and time. Zahorchak supplies craft brewing supplies and sponsors the Hangar 41 Homebrew Club, which, according to Vonderwill, meets monthly at the Hangar 41 venue located at 10970 S Cleveland Ave., Suite 304, in Fort Myers. According to Hangar 41’s Facebook page, membership in the monthly Homebrew Club is $40 dollars for the year.

“It’s no accident that we moved the shop to a location near the airport,” Sandi Zahorchak explained. Her husband is a pilot, and he created the name Hangar 41 as an ode to the nearby runway and to aviation in general. Craft beer, though, is just one side of Sandi’s story, and the bigger part of her business is the entrepreneur’s passion for wine.

Upon entering Hangar 41 and Time to Make Wine, a moment may be required to gather your senses. Firstly, Time to Make Wine sells ready-to-drink bottles of Hangar 41 wine. Indeed, the venue is a licensed winery! There are 80 wines available to taste, with the most unique flavor consisting of notes infused with chocolate and mocha. Other varieties of Hangar 41 wine include red, white, sweet and dry.

Zahorchak said she has literally never created a flavor combination that was not drinkable. Part of the key to success, she explained, is utilizing high-quality juices and concentrates. Time to Make Wine does not use whole grapes for any of its recipes. Lucille Ball might be disappointed.

“One thing people find kind of funny, is that I don’t even get any of my grape juice from Florida,” she said. Muscadine grapes are the kind of grapes grown in Florida. “It is my opinion,” Sandi added, hoping not to offend local growers, “that these grapes are a challenge to use in wine making and Muscadine grapes don’t make great wine.”

Hangar 41 and Time to Make Wine offer wine to taste, create and purchase, as well as craft brewing supplies. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Instead, she imports most of her juices and concentrates from Canada. The second part of Hangar 41’s multiple personalities is the wine-making side of the business. This portion of the business is: Time to Make Wine.

“Call, schedule an appointment, and I will make wine with you,” Sandi Zahorchak shared. Creating a signature flavor of wine is not as simple as imagining a blend of tastes and concocting a single bottle. Wine makers at Time to Make Wine must make six gallons of their recipe. Six gallons equals 30 bottles. Legally, private citizens can make up to 100 gallons of wine a year according to Zahorchak.

“People make wine for all sorts of occasions. I have people make bottles of wine as wedding favors and Christmas gifts,” Zahorchak explained. “About October 1, my regular customers start calling me; very nervous about whether or not they will be able to come in and make their wine in time for Christmas.”

Regular customers are a critical part of Zahorchak’s business. Behind the high-top tables and wine displays in the front of the shop, are more than five rows of privately created wines – aging in the rear of the store. She believes giving wine time to age is one of the most important steps in creating a viable product. If there is not a wine recipe on the tip of your tongue, or in the recipe rolodex of your creative brain, do not worry.

“Customers can make the very same wine that they can buy here,” Zahorchak explained. She does share her successful flavor combinations, and customers are also welcome to experiment. “I did have a winemaker who wanted to add beets to her recipe,” Sandi said, grinning. “I was not a fan.”

Finally, the third side of Hangar 41 is the craft brewery section. Sandi said that craft brewing in Fort Myers is relatively young.

“The oldest brewery here is Fort Myers Brewery,” she said, “and they just turned 13 years old.” Zahorchak explained that she is eager to supply local brewers with everything they need for successful home brewing. Ultimately, Hangar 41 is both a purveyor of supplies and a hands-on wine-making emporium.

 

In The KNOW:

WHO: Time To Make Wine / Hangar 41 Winery & Brew Shop
WHAT: Wine making
WHEN: Tuesday-Friday 12-6 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: 10970 S. Cleveland Ave., #304, Fort Myers
MORE INFO: 239-542-9463 or facebook.com/Hangar41Brew/

The tasting bar at Hangar 41 and Time to Make Wine. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY