Russ and Todd
make wine.
You cantoo.
(The label was Russ's idea)
Two best friends, one questionable label, a lot of homemade wine. The picks we actually use, step-by-step guides, printable shopping lists, honest reviews — and a community of home winemakers to swap notes with.
From the actual archive — these guys, this label, this hobby.
To make wine at home
Backup Wine started as our picks. It grew into a whole shelf of tools — guides, lists, reviews, a community, and even a way to rent gear if you don't want to buy it all.
Kits & Supplies
The kits, gear, and bottling supplies we actually use.
Take a look →How to Make Wine
Step-by-step guides and a season-by-season timeline.
Take a look →Shopping Lists
Printable lists for your first batch, bottling day, and beyond.
Take a look →Reviews
Honest takes on the kits and equipment we've tried ourselves.
Take a look →Community
Trade tips, share batches, and connect with other home winemakers.
Take a look →Rent Gear
Don't want to buy everything? Rent local or find a studio.
Take a look →The picks
See all kits & supplies →
Wine KitRuss-Approved Cabernet Kit
The exact kit that started the whole blue-tape situation.
EquipmentThe Whole Darn Starter Kit
Everything you need on day one — minus the wine itself.
BottlingBottling Day Bundle
Bottles, corks, a corker — and yes, painters tape.
Todd & Russ, more or less
We met when we were ten. We are mid-50s now. Somewhere in between there was a basement full of carboys, thirty unmarked bottles of Cabernet, and a roll of blue painters tape that accidentally became a brand.
Read the whole thing →"It means if your real wine runs out, this is what you drink."
Gifts & gifting your own wine
The good stuff to wrap for the wine lover in your life — and the labels, bags, and boxes that turn a bottle from your basement into a real gift.
Looking for a gift?
Picks for the wine lover and the basement winemaker. Nothing novelty, nothing that lives in a drawer.
Browse the gifts shelf →Made wine? Make it a gift.
Custom labels for weddings, party favors, and holiday gifts — plus the bags and wooden boxes that dress the bottle.
See labels & packaging →From the blog
All posts →
May 13, 2026 · 8 min read
How to clean, de-label, and sanitize wine bottles for bottling day
You don't need to buy bottles. You need an empty bathtub, a box of OxiClean Free, and a Saturday. Here's the soak-and-strip ritual we learned from Mark — and the modern updates that make it easier.
Read it →
May 13, 2026 · 6 min read
Making wine with Mark at Vine to Wine
Before there was a basement carboy, there was a shop in Northville where the owner did the hard part and we showed up with thirty bottles, a couple of friends, and an empty Saturday night.
Read it →
September 14, 2025 · 9 min read
The night we labeled the Cabernet
How a roll of blue painters tape, a sharpie, and Russ's questionable handwriting accidentally became a brand.
Read it →