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Articles

Amarone: A Taste of Valpolicella

Find out how to replicate the method of making Amarone — the famed red “straw wine” from the Valpolicella zone of Italy’s Veneto province made from grapes partially dried on straw mats to concentrate their juice.


High Acids, Low Tannins: Barbera

Barbera is a favorite among winemakers because its high acidity makes it a useful grape for blending and also a unique varietal wine. Get tips to make your own Barbera wines at home.


Making Pear Cider/Perry

Hard cider doesn’t have to be made from apples. Try making a pear cider (perry) this summer!


Your First Wine from Fresh Grapes

Nothing feels as satisfying and authentic as making your first batch of wine from fresh grapes. And there’s no better time to try it than in early autumn, when grapes all over


Your First Wine from a Kit

A few months ago, I decided to open a bottle from my collection of homemade wines. I selected an Austrian red and pulled the cork. The wine was healthy, almost vibrant. It


Swamp Donkey Vineyards: Growing Grapes in New England

A reader starts a vineyard in New England. “It is great to wake up in the morning, make a cup of coffee and walk out to the vineyard to check on the vines, training off shoots as I go along.”


Vineyard Queries: A Year of Questions and Answers

This past year brought challenges and rewards for home vineyardists — and also a lot of questions for our vineyard expert Wes Hagen.


Pinotage: The Red Grape of South Africa

Pinotage is the most recognized — though not the most widely grown — South African red wine grape.


Blending Basics

In this article, Michael Larner discusses the wines of the Rhône region of France, and one of the most important winemaking parts of Rhône winemaking is blending. Learn about the basics of


Harrogate Wine Club: A Love For Wine Doesn’t Age

When we are together bottling, corking and labeling the wine, we are all eager and happy to complete the project at hand, so we can enjoy the finished product.


Quest For The Big Red: Growing Red Grapes For Color and Impact

Want to make a big smashmouth red wine with grapes from your home vineyard? Then you’ll need to grow big or go home.


La Crescent: Cold-Climate Hybrid

Looking for a cold-hardy white to grow in a colder northern clime? Meet the University of Minnesota’s La Crescent.


Fermentation Temperature Control

For those that would like to start getting a better handle on the fermentation temperature of their wines, you’ve found the right spot.


Keys to a Healthy Canopy

“Grapevine Canopy: The above ground portion of the grapevine formed by the shoot system. It includes shoots (leaves, petioles, shoot stems, shoot tips, lateral shoots and tendrils) and the fruit, trunk and


Syrah: Versatile, bold and colorful

Australia recognizes Syrah as Shiraz. It is presumed that the name stuck as the cuttings that were brought to the country in the 1830s by James Busby were identified with the names Ciras and Scryas, making it difficult to research the origins of the name, given the Iranian connection . . .


Small Batch Winemaking

Tips for beginners looking to make small batches of wine.


Growing Rhône: Varietals to try in your backyard

An overview of the Rhone varieties you may be able to grow in your own backyard.


Chenin Blanc: The taste of terroir

Viticulturists in the Loire Valley tend to describe its flavor as an expression of the terroir of the land.


Prepping Your First Barrel

Tips for beginners on how to prepare their first barrel.


Vineyard Q&A (2012 Edition)

Wes Hagen answers your home vineyard questions.


Your First Mead

Tips for brewing your firs batch of mead.


Home Winery Names

What’s in a name? If it’s a homewinery, it could be almost anything. Home winemakers explain their winery’s name.


Cabernet Sauvignon: The king of red wine grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon is known for making some of the world’s most robust red wines.


You, the Connoisseur

Tim Vandergrift on you, the “connoisseur.”


Vigor in the Backyard

Vineyard vigor and how to keep it under control to grow the best grapes possible.