Hi,

Since it is now strawberry season around my neck of the woods
(Montreal, Quebec) I froze 4 pounds of strawberries over the week-end
to be used within a couple of months to make wine.

I read somewhere that defrosting fruit helps extract the flavour of
the fruit and is actually better than using fresh fruit (your opinion
here) but is there a preferred way to defrost fruit for wine making?

Should I just put in primary fermentator and add very hot/boiling
sugar water or would it be better to have the frozen fruit first sit
in the fridge or on the counter and let it defrost slowly there? Does
it make a difference?

Also, I was wondering if anyone could suggest where I can find
smaller primary fermentators than the 5-6 gallon ones at the wine
supply store?

Since I would like to make 1-3 gallon batches I really don't need
those big buckets (and my wife would be more annoyed with me if I had
a bunch of big buckets around the kitchen)?

Lastly, I would like to find out where I can find smaller wine bottles
(375ml or less) when it comes to bottling? I like to savor the wine
and give some out to family and good friends but a gallon isn't that
large and I want to make it last

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you,

Mike