Fresh Fruit Wines and Ciders

Fruit Pressing & Custom U-Brew Services on Vancouver Island 2026

"Turn your backyard harvest into world-class wine and cider. We are Located in Nanaimo, we provide fruit pressing services and a full U-Brew (Ferment-on-Premises) experience for Vancouver Island residents. Whether you have heritage Gravenstein apples, backyard blackberries, or a surplus of pears and grapes, our industrial-grade equipment ensures the highest juice yield and quality.

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Ubrew and Fruit Pressing: How It Works

Welcome to the harvest season! We are excited to help you turn your backyard bounty into delicious cider and wine.

Fruit Quality & Safety To keep our equipment and your juice safe, we strictly enforce the following:

  • No "Grounders" (Windfalls): We only accept fruit that has been hand-picked from the tree. Fruit harvested from the ground carries a high risk of E. coli and other pathogens.
  • Sound Fruit Only: Please sort your fruit before arriving. We cannot process fruit that is rotten, heavily bruised, or shows signs of bird/pest damage.
  • Pre-Washed: While we provide a sanitizing rinse, fruit should arrive free of heavy dirt, leaves, or twigs.

The Pressing Process

We use a traditional No. 40 & 45 Italian Rachet Hand press system paired with a motorized crusher for maximum yield and flavor.

  • Yield Expectation: On average, 20-25 lbs of apples will yield 1-1.5 gallons of juice. Depending on how juicy your apples or fruit are.
  • Strickly For Fermentation: Because we do not pasteurize, all juice pressed at our store is intended for fermentation into alcoholic beverages.
  • Sanitation: All fruit is treated with a food-grade Potassium Metabisulfite (KMS) wash prior to crushing to ensure a clean start for your yeast.

Take-Home Juice

Bringing your juice home to ferment? Come prepared.

  • Container Requirements: Please bring food-grade pails or glass carboys. We do not carry spare buckets or carboys at this time. Canadian Tire has 5 gallon Food Grade Buckets as Well as Industrial Plastic.
  • Stability: We add a standard dose of Potassium Metabisulfite to all take-home juice to prevent oxidation. Wait 24 hours before adding your own yeast at home.