Home wine making is making a comeback with more and more people trying it out for the first time. It isn't really difficult to make wine, but the rules on what you legally can and can't do with your wine can be a bit confusing.

In the United States, each person (of legal age) can make up to 100 gallons of wine without having a license to make this wine. In each household you can make a maximum of 200 gallons of wine, regardless of the number of people living there.

How much is 100 gallons of wine? Well, a standard bottle of wine is about 750 milliliters, and in one gallon, you can make about 5 bottles of wine. If you were to make your full 100 gallons, you could consume about 500 bottles of wine a year. That's a bottle of wine every day of the year, plus an extra bottle on Saturday and Sunday and the holidays.

No one can drink 500 bottles a year, right? You may be calculating how much you drink exactly, and it is probably nowhere near 100 gallons. You may be thinking of a way to make 100 gallons of wine tax free, and then selling it.

Well, you can't sell any wine that you make unless you have a license. Getting a license is a lot of paperwork and a huge headache, so don't bother unless you plan on really cranking out the wine. Selling wine without a license could lead to a knock on your door, huge fines and even worse.

So what can you do with 100 gallons of wine a year? You can give your wine to family and friends, allowing them enjoy the fruits of your hard labor. They will probably appreciate it and pay back the favor in another way. You can also age any wine that you won't be consuming immediately. Remember that a lot of wine will taste better in a year or two (or ten).

Even if you don't ever plan on making 100 gallons of wine a year, it is important to realize that there is a limit. Imagining how you would drink 500 bottles of wine a year is also a fun thing to try when you and your friends are sitting down for a couple of bottles a wine!