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Winemaking Science
For winemakers who want to understand the “why” as much as the “how,” these stories dive into the deep end of the science involved when turning grape juice into wine.
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Performing Winery Lab Tests
Take the guesswork out of winemaking by performing tests on your juice, must, and wine. We run through the most critical tests, as well as h
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Performing Benchtop Trials
When changes to aroma or structure are desired to achieve a more balanced, pleasing wine, you should always start with benchtop trials to di
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Understanding and Measuring Residual Sugars
Looking at Brix (or specific gravity) alone isn’t a great indicator whether a wine is microbially stable, and therefore determining if the
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Chitosan: For more than just fining
Chitosan is a product every home winemaker should be familiar with, and likely has around their cellar. It is used to help clarify wine, but
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Taming Tartness, Adding Body, & Non-Alcoholic Wine
The Wine Wiz offers her wizdom to bring a tart wine into balance, as well as ways to add body to a wine and why non-alcoholic wine productio
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Game-Changing Innovations
A number of innovative products well-suited for the home and small-scale winemaker have come to market in recent years. Explore these option
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Dubunking Consumer Myths, Yeast Impact on MLF & pH Adjustments
If you sometimes prefer your red wines served a little on the cool side or are not afraid of buying high-end wines with screw cap closures,
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Lowering pH, add body to to country wines, degree days, & chitosan
The Wizard offers advice on when and how to lower pH. She also suggests a remedy for thin country wines, explains why degree days are only p
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Understanding and Controlling Brettanomyces
It is both a spoilage yeast and the heart of many great wines of Bordeaux. We share what you need to understand about Brettanomyces, the com
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Balancing Wine Acidity
Acid is a critical building block in a wine’s structure. Learn how to balance acidity by testing, adjusting, and most importantly, tasting
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Practical Sulfite Management
The use of sulfites in wine — how much, or even if used at all — remains a contentious subject. WineMaker’s Technical Editor shares hi
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Sulfur Dioxide: Fact and Myth
Winemakers have a lot of misconceptions about sulfur dioxide and its use in winemaking. Though somewhat controversial, longtime wine educato
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The Science of Winemaking
There is a lot of chemistry involved in winemaking — the better you understand it, the better chance you have of consistently making quali
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Protection from the Elements
Heat (protein) and cold (bitartrate) stability issues in wine cause off-putting aesthetic defects that are often brought to light after the
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Volatile Acidity Basics
It’s a dirty phrase in most winemaking circles, but volatile acidity is found in all wine and having a little can actually add complexity
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Understanding the Basics of pH Meters
pH meters are a crucial piece of testing equipment for winemakers looking to take their hobby to the next level. Learn some basics of why, h
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Spit Or Swallow? Health benefits from spitting wine
One reader who is also a medical doctor discusses the potential health benefits of wine tasters who swish and spit their wines. It may be on
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The Role of Varietal Thiols in White Wines
Volatile thiols are delicate but powerful aromatic compounds released during fermentation. Through careful techniques and yeast selection, t
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Additives to Impact Phenolics and Tannins
Explore the additives and fining agents common in commercial wine production and available to home winemakers. These tannin additives and fi
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Phenolics in Red Wines
The decisions you make in the process of red winemaking will dramatically impact the phenolics and tannins in the resulting wine. From macer
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Phenolics & Tannins in White, Sparkling & Rosé Styles
Polyphenolics are usually associated with red wines, but there are definitely processing choices and stylistic options where polyphenolics p
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Phenolics and Tannins
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Oxygen Management for Home Winemakers
Oxygen exposure can cause a whole litany of flaws in wine. Learn strategies for minimizing the risks at all steps of your winemaking.
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Bench Trials and Tribulations
A home winemaker details the four bench trials he conducted to adjust the acidity of a low-pH Sauvignon Blanc to show how the process is don
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Lower Alcohol Wines
Rising temperatures have led to grapes that are higher in sugar and lower in acid at harvest. Winemakers are beginning to look at microbial