I always call it brewing, just because when I started in this crazy hobby it was with wine. My friend's dad would come over and ask "What are you brewing up now?" We had a big wine crushing barrel that we used to stomp grapes, I wish I still had that!
What's funny is that the area of San Pedro, CA where we did this, there were a lot of Croatian and Italian immigrants who all made wine at the same time. That portion of San Pedro is still affectionately known as "vinegar hill" because of the way it smelled after the clean up of the barrels and the residual smell of the spent grapeskins and goop from the barrels. Also because any excess juice was used to make vinegar.
I lectured a group of Masters Candidates at USC last Friday about the San Pedro area, the Croatian population, and it's sociology within the San Pedro area. Winemaking is an important part of the tradition that is still practiced, but in a much diminished capacity from where it was in the 30's, 40's and 50's. The I told them that I still brewed at my home and they were all wide-eyed and like "ooh . . . aaaaah" It was cool!
Oskaar