Articles
Aging Potential: Understanding the lifespan of your wine
For many wine lovers, the subject of a wine’s aging potential can be intimidating or seem like artful science that is best left to the wine gurus of the world. Some are
Making Chardonnay
White wine Case Study Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular wine grapes, as evidenced by widespread plantings in France, Australia, South Africa, South America and the United States. The grape
Making Cabernet Sauvignon
RED wine Case Study: There are two important keys to determining the success of any grape varietal. The first key is its adaptability to the local climate where it is planted. We
New Skills: Master maceration
Maceration is the process in red winemaking of letting the crushed grape solids soak in the juice. It is during maceration that key compounds are extracted from the grape juice and solids,
Home Vineyard Bookshelf
If you want to experiment with your backyard vineyard, these references may be very helpful. All are readily available from major booksellers, or the UC-Davis online bookstore: Making Good Wine: A Manual
Zinfandel: ‘America’s’ grape
We all are familiar with White Zinfandel, the rosé style that enjoyed immense popularity in recent years and led to the emergence of a rosé boom with other varieties.
Norton: New World nobility
The experts surmise Norton is likely a cross between V. aestivalis and an unknown V. vinifera species. There is possibly some contribution of V. labrusca.
Barbera
Barbera frequently comes in with high acidity but, with the right winemaking approach, it makes a food-friendly red for people who drink wine every day.
Verdelho: More than Madeira
Verdelho is the most widely planted grape on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
Tempranillo: Spanish nobility
Tempranillo is the predominant black grape variety from the northern wine region of Spain we know as the Rioja, and other regions of the Iberian Peninsula.
Colombard: Crisp and versatile
Despite its innocuous character, Colombard is a good choice for home winemakers, as it is easy to work with and allows for a wide scope of techniques and styles.
Sauvignon Blanc: The ‘wild white”
Sauvignon Blanc originated in the Loire Valley of France, and people started cultivating it as a wine grape starting sometime in the 19th century.
Grenache: An international blender
In the vineyard, Grenache is extremely vigorous and needs a long growing season to mature all of its fruit.
Riesling: German nobility
To this day, I consider that Riesling vintage one of the best wines I ever made, and I wish I could find a bottle or two in my cellar to taste what I had predicted to be a very graceful aging wine.
Merlot: Noble grape of Bordeaux
. . . Merlot is the most common grape variety grown in France with about 280,000 acres.
Nero d’Avola: The red grape of Sicily
. . . Sicily’s legacy of red wine is all about Nero d’Avola, second only to Catarratto Bianco. There are almost 18,000 hectares (about 46,000 acres) of Nero in Sicily.
Egg White Fining
An introduction to fining wine with egg whites.
Marquette: A hardy cold-climate hybrid
If you are looking for a cold-tolerant red grape, Marquette might be the varietal for you. Bred in Minnesota, this hybrid can withstand temperatures as low as -30 °F (-34 °C).
Understanding YAN
If you want to make good homemade wine, you should learn to manage your wines’ YAN — yeast assimilable nitrogen.
Unconventional Additives
There are lots of possibilities for adding extracts, flavorings, herbs, and spice when you are making wine at home. We explore a variety of options.
Montepulciano
To understand Montepulciano the grape, you also have to understand the difference with Montepulciano the place. Chik Brenneman takes you on a tour of eastern Tuscany, Italy in this issue.
Build a Temperature-Controlled Wine Storage Box
A home winemaker from California’s Sierra Foothills shares his design for an air-conditioned wine storage room he built for his garage.
Controlling Fermentation Temperature
Many hobby winemakers believe that fermentation temperature control is beyond their reach — but this isn’t so! Discover how to keep temperatures in the proper range.
The Essential Ins and Outs of Oak Barrels
Aging your wine in an oak barrel can do wonders for your wine. It can also ruin it. Before you dive in head first, learn all there is to know about aging in oak. Plus: Using oak alternatives.
Build Your Own Basket Press
Build this basket press using HDPE plastic.