Home wine making can intimidate a newbie, especially after hearing terms like “fermenter” or “hydrometer.” The staff at The Purple Foot, a home wine and beer making supply store, strives to put both novice and advanced home wine and beer makers at ease.
Ken and Clara Geist established the Purple Foot in 1969. In 1983, they moved to Washington state to buy a vineyard. They sold The Purple Foot to long-time employee and manager Mary Uthemann and her husband, Jerry. Their daughter, Karen Lau, started making wine when she was 17; at that time, Wisconsin’s legal drinking age was 18. “I wasn’t into it so much for the drinking of wine. It was just the fun of making it,” Lau said. “It’s a fun hobby, and at 17 I was already competing in wine competitions.”
Lau stepped away from wine making for a while and worked in the corporate world. After a job loss due to restructuring, Lau, in 2005, began helping her mother at The Purple Foot. Mary died in 2010, and Jerry handed the reins of The Purple Foot to Lau. Lau wasn’t sure if she could emotionally handle the store without her mother’s companionship and guidance, but she realized that operating the store was what she wanted to do.
This past April, Lau moved The Purple Foot from its longtime space in a strip mall in West Allis to an idyllic 1865 Cream City brick farmhouse built by Leonard Weiler, located on 5225 W. Forest Home. “I am so happy to be here, and this building is a perfect match for what we do,” Lau said.
Home wine making is a hobby that encompasses a broad demographic. Lau has customers of all ages and ethnicities—those who like to drink wine, those who enjoy the hobby and people seeking creative ways to use fruit. The Purple Foot carries Winexpert kits, which include all ingredients needed to produce a good batch of vino.
“The kits are not just a great beginners tool, but they are such a high-quality product that even people with the skills to make wine from fruit use the kits,” Lau said. She notes that home wine kits have very few preservatives, compared to some commercial wines on grocery store shelves.
In addition to common varietals, Winexpert has French cabernet, Argentine Malbec, Müller-Thurgau—a sweeter, German white grape—and California symphony blend. The lighter, fruity Island Mist line features flavors such as black cherry pinot noir or pomegranate zinfandel.
The Purple Foot also has the needed equipment: fermentation kits, carboys, crushes and presses, strainer bags, bottles, corks and bottling equipment, as well as wine yeast, concentrates, sanitizer and fermentation aids.
Home beer brewers can find beer making supplies, Brewers Best brewing kits, malt extracts, beer yeasts and more. Cider lovers aren’t left out, either. Cider House Select kits come in flavors including apple and pear, as well as mixed berry, cherry and even raspberry-lime. “Cider isn’t just about apples anymore,” Lau said.
With ample space to now offer an array of classes and events, home vintners can come to The Purple Foot to take classes on wine making from kits or from fresh berries and fruits, as well as cider making classes. An apple crushing day, tastings and samples are also on the horizon. “Every decision I make is dictated by retaining as much of the country feel of the property as possible,” she said.
For more information and class schedules, visit purplefootusa.com.
