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Turn a Flawed Wine Into a Great Cocktail

Before you pour a disappointing wine down the drain, consider whether it has potential for a second life in a wine cocktail. The key is iden

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Precision Winemaking at Your Fingertips

Winemaking is full of calculations, but they don’t have to be intimidating. A veteran winemaker shares his free online winemaking calculat

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Cerasuolo Rosé

Cerasuolo-style rosés extract greater color, flavor, tannin, and texture to bridge the gap between the refreshing acidity of white wine and

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The Wild West of Winemaking

We share a recap and photos from a recent trip WineMaker readers took to explore Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe wine region.

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Chenin Blanc: A Chameleon Grape for Any Taste

No matter your style preference for white wines, there is a good chance Chenin Blanc could produce an ideal wine for you. It’s a chameleon

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Wine Mimosas

A home winemaker shares how a failed batch early in her exploration of the hobby led to an unforgettable mixer. Who’s up for wine mimosas?

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Pre-Fermentation Actions

From performing cold soaks, running lab tests, or making adjustments, don’t overlook the time between harvesting your grapes and the start

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Preparing for Your Backyard Harvest

Home viticulturists should begin preparing for harvest well in advance. From ongoing vineyard maintenance to ensuring equipment is cleaned a

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Preparing Your Winery for Harvest

Harvest season is the most important — and demanding — time of year for home winemakers, and it’s not something you want to leave to l

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2026 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition Recap

We share the top winners and highlights of this year’s wine competition, which received 1,043 entries from 40 U.S. states, 4 Canadian prov

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Set a Foundation With Kit Concentrates

Juice concentrate can be used for more than making kit wines. It is incredibly reliable, balanced, and easy to work with, which makes it a g

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Much More Than Just Sauvignon Blanc

We recap and share photos from a recent trip former WineMaker Publisher Brad Ring led readers on, visiting vineyards and winery tasting room

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Sampling for Ripeness

Harvest timing is the most important decision a winemaker will make, which means collecting accurate samples to base the decision on is crit

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Oaking by Doing

Oak plays an important role in many red wine styles, but it is also one of the easiest elements to overdo — especially on a small scale, w

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Petit Verdot: Bordeaux’s Color Adjustor

Petit Verdot is most commonly used as a blending tool to boost color in red wines, though this unique, thick-skinned French grape also makes

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Live Chat with Dwayne Bershaw (2026)

Watch the replay of our Live Q&A from August 2026 with WineMaker Author and Cornell Enology Lecturer Dwayne Bershaw.

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Live Chat with Ken & Leah Stafford (2026)

Watch the playback of our July 2026 live video chat with WineMaker authors Ken and Leah Stafford.

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Live Chat with Jenne Baldwin-Eaton (2026)

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The Lighter Shade of Red

Grape selection and harvest timing are important to make more easy-drinking reds that are perfect for summer days, but techniques like secon

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Crafting Bold, Blockbuster Red Wines

Not all red wine grapes are destined to make a big, blockbuster wine. But even with the right grapes, a winemaker still needs to consider te

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Ratafia: A Traditional Liqueur of Patience and Fruit

This simple yet elegant liqueur offers a tangible connection to Italy’s mountain kitchens, marrying the accessible flavors of locally sour

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Behind the Table

An experienced wine judge shares why she continues to pull up a seat at amateur competition judging tables — including the thrill of tryi

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Vegetative Growth Cycle in the Vineyard

Spring and summer is a time of great growth for your vines. Be prepared this year, as Wes Hagen shares what you need to be doing during your

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Dornfelder: Germany’s full-bodied purple grape

Germany is most known for their white wines, though they also produce fine red wines. Dornfelder is a Vitis vinifera variety with a full bod

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Make Dry Berry Wines

In many ways, dry berry wines are built like fine, age-worthy red wines. Though more hands-on care from the winemaker is required in the for