Learn the hows to winemaking and the skills you need to craft great wine thanks to our archive of winemaking techniques articles. From crushing grapes to bottling, gain the knowledge and know-how.

• I have heard about using lysozyme to stop any restarting of malolactic fermentation. What do you suggest? (Oct/Nov 2012)
• Winemaking From Frozen Must (Dec 12/Jan 13)
• Late Malolactic, Color Question: Wine Wizard (Dec 12/Jan 13)
• To Malo Or Not To Malo? (Jun/Jul 2012)
• Cool Fermentations: Techniques (Apr/May 2012)
• Award-Winning Red Winemakers Roundtable (Dec 11/Jan 12)
• Tannin Myths and Methods (Oct/Nov 2011)
• Suspicious Syrah, Fermentation Aids: Wine Wizard (Oct/Nov 2011)
• How do you know if it's too late to add MLF? (Jun/Jul 2011)
• Can I Reduce Tannins in a Wine Kit Without Aging? (Feb/Mar 2011)
• Reconditioning Corks, Bottle Film: Wine Wizard (Apr/May 2011)
• Tannin Chemistry: Techniques (Apr/May 2011)
• The MLF manufacturer’s instructions say the wine should be less than 15 ppm. Isn’t that risking spoilage? ( 2011)
• Is the salmonella (commonly associated with eggs) a problem to consider when fining with egg whites? ( 2011)
• Egg White Fining, Malolactic Levels: Wine Wizard (Dec 10/Jan 11)
• Would you recommend using dry ice to control the temperature of must? (Oct/Nov 2010)
• Creating a Balanced Must (Oct/Nov 2010)
• Cold Soaking: Tips from the Pros (Oct/Nov 2010)
• Testing Wine Barrels, Dry Ice: Wine Wizard (Oct/Nov 2010)
• Egg White Fining, Overoaking: Wine Wizard (Aug/Sept 2010)
• Cab-Syrah (Feb/Mar 2010)
• Pressing seeds, gluten in wine: Wine Wizard (Feb/Mar 2010)
• Choosing Yeast, Boosting Alcohol: Wine Wizard (Jun/Jul 2009)
• Using Enzymes: Tips from the Pros (Apr/May 2009)
• Cloudy Fruit Wine, Macerating Whites: Wine Wizard (Feb/Mar 2009)
• Organic acid reduction, reusing corks: Wine Wizard (Dec 08/Jan 09)
• Where can I find good quality bottles? (Apr/May 2008)
• Chitosan, dry climate grapes: Wine Wizard (Jun/Jul 2008)
• 10 Winemaking Techniques You Should Know (Jun/Jul 2008)
• High pH, low TA, bottles: Wine Wizard (Apr/May 2008)
• Screw Caps and Fruit Wines: Wine Wizard (Dec 07/Jan 08)
• Refermentation, malo on the move: Wine Wizard (Oct/Nov 2007)
• Blending Red and White: Tips from the Pros (Oct/Nov 2007)
• A Clearer Understanding of Fining Agents (Oct/Nov 2007)
• Yeast-free wine and quality control: Wine Wizard (Aug/Sept 2007)
• Separating press runs: Tips from the Pros (Aug/Sept 2007)
• Fruit and Grape Blends: Tips from the Pros (Jun/Jul 2007)
• Blending and testing: Wine Wizard (Apr/May 2007)
• Wine Wizard Revealed & Top 10 Winemaking Questions (Apr/May 2007)
• Force-Carbonating Wine to Sparkle: Technique (Dec 06/Jan 07)
• Lessons of the Mosel Masters (Dec 06/Jan 07)
• Keeping Fermentations Cool: Beginner's Block (Aug/Sept 2006)
• Kegging Wine: Techniques (Feb/Mar 2006)
• Field Blending: Tips from the Pros (Aug/Sept 2005)
• Grape/Non-Grape Blending (Apr/May 2005)
• I made 15 gallons (57 L) of wine in my basement and it won’t finish fermenting. Help! (Dec 04/Jan 05)
• How do you sterile filter your wine? (Oct/Nov 2004)
• Where can an amateur buy a larger sized cork for a 3-liter bottle? (Aug/Sept 2004)
• Are there basic rules when it comes to choosing bottle color and shape for different styles of wines? (Jun/Jul 2004)
• Meritage: What's in a Name? (Aug/Sept 2004)
• Is it possible for a plastic fermenter to impact the effectiveness of isinglass as a fining agent? (Feb/Mar 2004)
• Is there a way to stop corks from leaking? (Jun/Jul 2003)
• Delestage Fermentation: Techniques (Jun/Jul 2003)
• Do you have any suggestions for a wine that came out too "hot" with a higher than expected alcohol content? (Feb/Mar 2003)
• Is filtering good or bad for your wine? (Dec 02/Jan 03)
• Using Fining Agents: Techniques (Dec 02/Jan 03)
• Do fluted bottles serve any useful purpose other just for looks? (Aug/Sept 2002)
• How can I keep my fermenters cool during hot weather? (Jun/Jul 2002)
• How Sweet It Is: Chaptalization (Aug/Sept 2002)
• Should I boil or soak my corks prior to bottling? (Apr/May 2002)
• It's Lysozyme Time (Jun/Jul 2002)
• Evaporative Cooling (Jun/Jul 2002)
• Ice Your Wine! Hot Weather Tips (Jun/Jul 2002)
• Measuring Residual Sugar: Techniques (Apr/May 2002)
• Bottling: Tips from the Pros (Apr/May 2002)
• The Joys of Blending (Apr/May 2002)
• How can I make homemade sparkling wine? (Summer 1998)
• I added oak beans to several different batches of wine at the same time. Only my Chardonnay turned milky and hazy while the other wines were clear. Do you have any idea what happened? (Summer 2001)
• How can I best rid my wine of tartrate crystals? (Fall 2000)
• A sediment like fine sand is appearing in my homemade wine after it is opened. Can you tell me what's going on? (Summer 2000)
• There is a yellow ring around the top of the wine in my carboy, but the wine tastes and smells fine. What's with the yellow ring? (Fall 1999)
• What is the best way for a home winemaker to make fortified wines? (Summer 1999)
• Is it better to separate free-run wine from the pressed wine during fermentation and should they be blended before bottling if you are making Zinfandel? (Spring 2000)
• Second Runs to Get More from Your Grapes: Techniques (Fall 2000)
• Mastering Malolactic Fermentation: Tips from the Pros (Fall 2000)
• Adjust Flavor in the Fermenter: Techniques (Summer 2000)
• Bottle Basics (Summer 2000)
• Ferment Well: Tips from the Pros (Spring 2000)
• The Fine Art of Fining (Spring 2000)
• Blending to Improve Wines (Winter 1999)
• Take Control of Must Temperature--And Reap the Benefits (Summer 1999)
• Bottling, Start to Finish (Summer 1998)
• How To Have a Fruitful Crush: Tips from the Pros (Summer 2001)
• Blending Batches: Tips from the Pros (Winter 2000)
• Choosing a Filtering System: Techniques (Winter 2000)
• Put a Cork in It! (Winter 2000)

• Oxygen and Oxidation: Advanced Winemaking (Apr/May 2013)
• Blending (Dec 12/Jan 13)
• Natural Wines - Part III: Techniques (Dec 12/Jan 13)
• Natural Wines - Part II: Techniques (Oct/Nov 2012)
• Natural Wines - Part 1: Techniques (Aug/Sept 2012)
• SO2 In Winemaking: Techniques (Jun/Jul 2012)
• How To Feed Your Yeast (Apr/May 2012)
• Cold Stablilization: Techniques (Dec 11/Jan 12)
• Fermentation: The Golden Window of Opportunity (Oct/Nov 2011)
• Fermentation Faults (Oct/Nov 2011)
• Aromatic White Techniques (Jun/Jul 2011)
• Why to Filter?: Wine Kits (Jun/Jul 2011)
• Wine Bacteria (Jun/Jul 2011)
• Measuring Sugar Content (Dec 10/Jan 11)
• Bordeaux-Style Blends (Dec 10/Jan 11)
• Testing for Free SO2 (Oct/Nov 2010)
• Double Salt Precipitation: Techniques (Oct/Nov 2010)
• Keys to a Great Crush and Press (Aug/Sept 2010)
• Build Your Own Crusher (Aug/Sept 2010)
• Carbon Dioxide: Techniques (Aug/Sept 2010)
• Wine Yeast Nutrition (Jun/Jul 2010)
• Testing for MLF Completion (Jun/Jul 2010)
• Buying Barrels: Techniques (Jun/Jul 2010)
• Chaptalization: Techniques (Apr/May 2010)
• Troubleshooting Fermentation (Feb/Mar 2010)
• Syrah/Shiraz Roundtable (Feb/Mar 2010)
• Wine Filtration 101 (Feb/Mar 2010)
• Filtering Wine: Techniques (Feb/Mar 2010)
• Stabilizing Wine (Dec 09/Jan 10)
• Managing Sweet Wines (Dec 09/Jan 10)
• Stabilization Troubleshooting: Techniques (Dec 09/Jan 10)
• Hyperoxidation: Techniques (Oct/Nov 2009)
• Macerating Red Wines: Tips from the Pros (Aug/Sept 2009)
• The Color Red (Jun/Jul 2009)
• Wine Chemistry Part 2: Techniques (Jun/Jul 2009)
• Corks, Closures and Confusion (Apr/May 2009)
• Gasses in Winemaking: Techniques (Dec 08/Jan 09)
• The Timing of MLF (Oct/Nov 2008)
• Bitterness and astringency: Techniques (Apr/May 2008)
• Wines to Order (Feb/Mar 2008)
• Detecting Spoilage: Techniques (Dec 07/Jan 08)
• Hot and Cold Stabilization: Techniques (Oct/Nov 2007)
• Blending Basics (Oct/Nov 2007)
• Sweet Wine (Oct/Nov 2007)
• Membrane Filtration: Techniques (Aug/Sept 2007)
• Enzymes in Winemaking (Aug/Sept 2007)
• Should I Membrane Filter My Wine? (Aug/Sept 2007)
• Winemaking Techniques and Trends from the Finger Lakes (Jun/Jul 2007)
• Cool Fermentation: Techniques (Apr/May 2007)
• Five Winemaking Experiments (Apr/May 2007)
• Malolactic Fermentation: Tips from the Pros (Feb/Mar 2007)
• Malolactic 101 (Feb/Mar 2007)
• Making Muscular Wine (Oct/Nov 2006)
• Crushing, Pressing & Wine Quality (Oct/Nov 2006)
• Making Fruit-Forward Wines: Tips from the Pros (Apr/May 2006)
• Vacuum Filtration: Techniques (Jun/Jul 2005)
• Blending: Tips from the Pros (Apr/May 2005)
• Saignée: Think Pink (Apr/May 2005)
• Balancing Your Wine: Techniques (Dec 04/Jan 05)
• Maximize Aroma: Tips from the Pros (Feb/Mar 2005)
• Top 10 Winemaking Mistakes: Techniques (Dec 04/Jan 05)
• Seconds: Second Hand Rose? (Dec 04/Jan 05)
• Measuring Alcohol: Techniques (Oct/Nov 2004)
• Should I Malo Wines?: Techniques (Aug/Sept 2004)
• Making White Meritage (Aug/Sept 2004)
• Red Bordeaux Style Blends (Aug/Sept 2004)
• Using Dialysis Tubing for Sparkling Wine: Techniques (Jun/Jul 2004)
• Aging Potential: Techniques (Dec 03/Jan 04)
• The Home Winemaking Compendium (Oct/Nov 2003)
• Finding Closure (Apr/May 2003)
• How to Filter: Wine Kits (Oct/Nov 2002)
• Fill It Up! (Oct/Nov 2002)
• Trouble-Free Fermentation (Oct/Nov 2002)
• Carbonic Maceration: Techniques (Aug/Sept 2002)
• Juice Your Fruit (Aug/Sept 2002)
• Mastering malolactic fermentation: Techniques (Winter 2001)
• Master Maceration: Techniques (Fall 2001)
• The Art of Disgorging for Sparkling Wines (Spring 2001)
• Keg Your Wine! (Spring 2001)