After much planning and deliberation, we've decided to make wine. We'll chronicle our progress here and offer up whatever advice we're able to glean from our spastic headlong convulsion towards "opening our own vineyard."

A quick Google search yeilded the Oak Barrel Winecraft (OBW) store on San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley - and we were off - to harass as many employees as possible.

We ended up being able to corner just one but, Bernie Rooney, the obviously senior advisor at OBW, was able to answer every question we had. As I spent my time ignoring Bernie's answers trying to think of the next awesome question to ask, Cooley did complex chemistry equations in his head and Gabe wondered around touching things. We left with about $200 worth of buckets, jars, juice concentrate (the real grapes won't be ready for must for another 4 months or so), some glass tubing, fun bendy brushes, instructional literature and tanin powder .

Wish us luck.