A new study has just revealed that Canadians are drinking more wine than ever.

Given the uncertain economic climate, it鈥檚 perhaps no surprise that more and more of that wine, at least here in the Comox Valley anyway, is being made by consumers themselves.

鈥淲e see a lot of people making their own wine for the first time,鈥� said Lyle Brodie, who owns The Wine Cottage, a do-it-yourself winemaking studio in Courtenay, with his wife Pamela. 鈥淲e鈥檙e gradually overcoming our greatest challenge, which has been dispelling the myth that consumer-made wine is inferior to store-bought varieties.

鈥淚f you do it right, you can have a consumer-made wine that鈥檚 every bit as good as a commercial one, for a fraction of the price,鈥� he added. He and Pamela are so confident in the quality of consumer-made wines, in fact, that they offer every customer a 100 per cent satisfaction guarantee if they鈥檙e not happy with the final product.

鈥淢any people base their opinion of consumer-made wine on the low-quality products they鈥檝e tried in the past,鈥� says Brodie. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 superior wine kits use pure grape juice and are free from non-grape ingredients that have characterized lower end kits.鈥�

The Brodies source all of their winemaking kits exclusively from Winexpert, an industry leader and consistent winner of amateur wine-tasting competitions throughout North America. The Wine Cottage is Courtenay鈥檚 exclusive supplier of Winexpert kits, making the store a preferred choice for wine lovers.

鈥淲ines made from Winexpert products won 244 medals at last year鈥檚 WineMaker International Competition,鈥� explained Brodie, referring to the world鈥檚 largest and most prestigious amateur wine event. 鈥淲e often get people who鈥檝e just moved to the Valley who seek us out because we carry Winexpert kits. They鈥檙e simply the best of the best.鈥�

The second-most common misconception about making your own wine, according to the Brodies, is that you have to be either a bona fide wine buff or a chemist to do it properly.

鈥淲e love it when people tell us they don鈥檛 know much about wine because we can then educate them,鈥� said Pamela. 鈥淲e ask them about the types of wine they enjoy, we get a sense of their budget and we match them with the perfect wine.

鈥淲e鈥檙e always on hand during the winemaking process to answer questions, give tips and help out,鈥� she adds. 鈥淲e鈥檒l hold their hand the whole way through.鈥�

As for their satisfaction guarantee, the Brodies are happy to report they鈥檝e only had to honour it a few times over The Wine Cottage鈥檚 15-year history.

鈥淚t鈥檚 no surprise to us,鈥� noted Pamela. 鈥淲hen done right, consumer-made wines can rival the best commercial varieties. They just cost a lot less.鈥�

To find out more about consumer-made wine, or to make your own, visit The Wine Cottage at 312-130 Centennial Drive, near the corner of Back Road and Ryan Road, or call 250-338-2686.

The Wine Cottage can be found online at .

鈥� The Wine Cottage