Articles

Winemaking clubs offer members opportunities to learn from others and share their passion for making wine with new friends. From feedback on your wines to shared equipment and access to grapes through bulk purchases otherwise out of reach, there is a lot of value in joining a winemaking club.

Following the directions that come with your wine kit will result in very good wine, but sometimes experimenting is part of the fun. Three award-winning winemakers share how they go about making adjustments to dessert wine kits — a category of wine that works well with fortification and other tweaks.

Chemical and microbial stability measures must be taken after fermentation but prior to bottle aging to protect the wine from contamination and subsequent off-aroma generation caused by microbial metabolism. Learn the most common methods for achieving microbial stability, both during aging in the cellar and at packaging.

As an agricultural product, the steps to make that perfect wine may be unique every year due to differences in the fruit. The most challenging growing seasons really force winemakers to test their skill as they face tough, on-the-fly decisions. One winemaker takes us behind the scenes during one such vintage.

As harvest nears it is time to make a plan of action for how you will proceed with each batch you plan to make this fall. With red wines there are many options. We take a closer look at cold soaking, extended macerations, and carbonic macerations.

Learn about the fundamentals of nitrogen levels in your winemaking as well as how, when, and what additions are needed

Keeping a very detailed log of each wine you make will allow you to track your wine’s daily progress from the vineyard to the bottle, and it is a great reference tool for the next time you want to make a similar wine or if you need to troubleshoot any problems.

Winemakers often read tips online, get advice from a friend, or are passed down knowledge from ancestors who have been making wine for generations without ever questioning the validity of the information. It’s time for a fact check.

Dear Wine Wizard, I’ve been making wine for about a year now and I’m wondering if you’d be willing to help me out with a wrap-up of some of your winemaking wisdom.

He’s been called the “God of Cabernet,” been named the Winemaker of the Year, and has produced “virtually perfect” wines, according to wine critics. Now, Robert Foley shares his best advice on how you can make the best wines at home.

Q I am a novice home winemaker and have been contemplating making the move from carboy and bottle-aging to barrel-aging some of my reds. It is my understanding that a new barrel

Learn key tips to avoid common winemaking pitfalls.

A beautifully crafted white wine is a thing of beauty. If done well, a winemaker can be drinking a very nice example 8 months after harvest, plenty enough to be sipping one

Positive affects of oxidation? How can that be? Wine-makers know that oxygen negatively affects wine. A little oxygen, however, can actually be beneficial to your homemade wine. Two common winemaking practices that

We often read that air (and especially the oxygen it contains) is a wine’s worst enemy. Oxidized wine becomes devoid of subtle and fruity aromas that make it seem tired, as if

“A letter is an unannounced visit, the postman the agent of rude surprises. One ought to reserve an hour a week for receiving letters and afterwards take a bath.” -Friedrich Nietzsche Man,

Take advantage of the quieter moments in your home winery to take a deep breath and regroup. Four veteran winemakers share tips for cleaning, organizing, restocking, and reviewing the past year’s winemaking, and planning for the coming vintage.

There are many components in wine that all need to work together to create balance. Find out how to juggle acidity, alcohol, residual sugar, tannins, color, flavor components, and more.

Pat Henderson, Chief Winemaker at Sonoma County, California’s famed Kenwood Vineyards, shares some universal winemaking advice that he has learned over the course of his more than 35 commercial vintages, and from his early years as a hobby winemaker.

  Heading to wine country is a field trip for adults. You’ve got beautiful scenery, interesting people, new beverages to enjoy and an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle

Two pro winemakers share advice for home winemakers to make sweet wine at home

Home winemakers get into the hobby for a number of reasons, including making high quality wine for less money. But even though making your own wine can sometimes be an economical choice,

For winemakers, grape harvest is a period of intense activity. Important decisions and preparations need to happen well in advance of crush day in order for things to go smoothly. These decisions

Ken Korando came to winemaking by way of entrepreneurship. Educated as an electronics engineer, he and a colleague patented technology used to decline balance debit cards – the sort of technology that

Did you ever notice that California is hot? You know, that exasperating kind of hot that feels like it might actually singe your lungs? Well, that same heart-stopping heat is the foundation