Articles
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 play a role in whites, rosé, and sparkling wines also.
Making Berry Good Wines
Get tips on the unique aspects of making berry wines. Award-winning recipes included!
Fruit Cider
Cidermaking requires you to develop, refine, and master many different skills. When you add the additional layer of fruit to your cider, it requires even more understanding of how these new flavors will fit with those from the apples.
Fine wine
The goal for experienced and new winemakers alike is a product that is both pleasant in taste and appearance. Unfortunately for many new winemakers the result is stubborn cloudiness with sediment, or
Ferment It All! Attack of the Juicy Juice boxes
What would you do if your kids brought home Juicy Juice boxes every day, but never drank them? One man decided to ferment it all!
Rosy Roussanne: A grape that doesn’t mind a little heat
In its homeland in the south of France, Roussanne grapes love some heat . . . probably one reason that it’s found a new home in the Texas Hill Country. Learn about this white grape that can stand up to being a varietal wine when conditions are right or blended with others.
Getting Closure: Corkers and Cork Sizing
Learn about the various factors that affect a home winemaker’s decision when choosing cork size and corkers.
Percent New Oak, Overcompensating, And The New Need For Sanitation
While the concept that is listed on some wine bottles or talked about in literature — % new oak — seems simple, there is a lot of nuance to this term. Learn about the concept as well as problems caused from overcompensating to fix a hydrogen sulfide stink with copper. Plus, the Wizard talks about the new need for sanitation in our world.
Winemaking Supply Shop Status During COVID-19
Greetings from WineMaker,With the quickly evolving situation worldwide due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we thought a helpful way to serve both hobby winemakers and winemaking retail suppliers was to provide a list
Barrel Cleaning, Kit Wine Tannins and Proper Sulfite Levels
It seems to me like your Carmenère is a candidate for one of the “Wine Wizard’s” cheapest, easiest and most favorite ways to improve a tannic wine; egg white fining!
Reconditioning Corks & Bottle Film
I’m glad you sent this question, though, because it brings up an important rule of the world of corks: corks must have a certain amount of moisture and “give” in order to work to keep the wine in and air (mostly) out.
Suspicious Syrah & Fermentation Aids
The first step I would take is to look at the package and/or the packing slip that came with the grapes . . . I hope they say Syrah. If you still doubt the paperwork, certainly get in touch with your juice supplier and ask to see the paper trail from the lot of juice you received.
Dumb Merlot & Filmy Finishes
QOne of my favorite batches is a 2002 Merlot, which was naturally fermented (no added sugars or yeast), aged in an oak barrel for 10 months or so, stored in stainless kegs
Bracing Barrels & Coffee Wine
The level of caffeine, of course, will depend on how much coffee you used in the recipe — just as your average cup of joe will be stronger with the more ground coffee, so will your wine.
Fine Filtering Chardonnay and a Sour Mead
Pad filters are stacks of cellulose sheets that get mounted in a stainless steel or metal frame. Wine or juice is forced by a pump or by air pressure through the cellulose pads and depending upon the “tightness” of the cellulose matrix and the back pressure on the system, a varying degree of particles will pass through.
Live Chat with Wes Hagen
Live Chat with Wes Hagen, which took place on April 15, 2020.
Live Chat with Christina Musto
Live Chat with Christina Musto, which took place on March 28, 2020.
Off Odors, Port-Style Wines, and Brass Fittings
QI recently bottled a batch of Cabernet Sauvignon, which tastes fine but has an off odor. I keep all my notes and regularly follow the same procedures. I buy my juice already
Spring Vineyard Care: Tips from the Pros
The summer and fall are when most of the action happens in the vineyard as leaves are thinned and grapes ripen on their journey to be turned into wine. But none of
Build a Better Sprayer
When your home vineyard grows to a certain size a hand-held or backpack sprayer just won’t cut it. Use these plans to build a tow-behind sprayer to save time and effort while executing your spray program.
Devise a Home Vineyard Spray Program
So you have decided to elevate your hobby to the point of growing your own fruit for winemaking? This is a huge step that should not be taken lightly. Once you plant
Maximizing Wine Aroma
Many wine writers draw a distinction between “aroma” and “bouquet.” Typical is the discussion by Yair Margalit in his excellent book Concepts in Wine Chemistry. He says aroma “is the term for
Phenolics and Tannins
An understanding of what is happening in wine on a chemical basis can be very useful in influencing choices regarding processing options and timing of activities for different wine styles. Unfortunately winemaking
The Forbidden Fruit: Making wine in Iran
Many of us in the Western Hemisphere can take wine and winemaking for granted. But for those folks living under extreme Islamic law, the consequences of being caught with it can be dire. But one Iranian man isn’t going to be deterred.
Primitivo: The early-ripening varietal
Anyone well versed in wine grape nomenclature knows that Primitivo and Zinfandel are genetically identical. Yet test trials have shown there are some differences with grape types. Learn some of the history and best practices when handling Primitivo.