Articles

In January 2013 my wife, Carole, and I moved from our rural Maryland house to a 17th floor condo in “The Century” — a new 41-story structure in Century City, Los Angeles.

The essential tools any home viticulturist will need to stay on top of their backyard vineyard.

With few exceptions, melons conjure up memories of juicy, succulent sweetness that satisfies the senses on a warm summer day. Any winemaker enjoying a fully ripened culinary melon will naturally envision a

One of my first memories as a child was following my maternal great-grandmother, Maggie, around in her orchard and vineyard in western Pennsylvania. It was fascinating for me as a 6 year

When I was first introduced to wine in the 1980s, I was certainly overwhelmed about how complex the subject of wine could be. I had some friends that had enrolled in a

Making wine from tropical fruits, with a little know-how, is just as easy as making wine from traditional fruits and berries.

WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition Results: Download Full Results With 2,825 entries, the event is once again the largest wine competition of its kind in the world! Wines were judged on April

There are several options available to a backyard grape grower when considering which trellis configuration and which training system to use. How do we focus on what’s important in a trellis and

In the 1960s, Viognier seemed to be an endangered grape, planted only in dwindling numbers in a pair of obscure redoubts in France, the shrinking Condrieu region and the one-winery Château-Grillet AOC.

For many home winemakers, space — or the lack of it — is the final frontier, the one thing holding their winemaking aspirations back. See how some home winemakers have dealt with this problem.

While traveling recently in the Burgundy region of France, it was easy to see why the world loves Pinot Noir. It is the only red grape grown in that region, and the

  If winemaking appeals to you and you live in Ontario, the Amateur Winemakers of Ontario (AWO) may be just what you’re looking for. AWO is the umbrella organization of 33 independent

  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

  Back in the April-May 2002 issue of WineMaker I wrote an article about picking the right wine kit. The McGuffin of the article was the idea that there was a right

On June 9th, members of the Orange County Wine Society (OCWS) gathered at oh-dark-thirty at the Orange County Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, California for our 36th annual Homewine Competition,

When setting out to make wine from grapes, one of the first major decisions is what you will use as a fermentation container. For most winemaking, you will need a primary fermenter

  We winemakers are self-reliant. We like to be in charge of our own affairs and it can seem like a defeat to be forced to ask for help — whether it

Here in northern New York State there is a special place like no other. To the west of this place there is Lake Ontario with breathtaking sunsets and the newly formed Seaway

When we think of the great wines of the Bordeaux region of France the names of the Grand Cru châteaus of Lafite, Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion or Cheval Blanc come up. Today, the

When Teri Kerns and Micole Moore moved to Ramona, California in 2004, just north of San Diego, they knew they wanted to live an agricultural lifestyle, but were not sure what exactly

Make wine from fresh grapes in April — with grapes harvested in the Southern Hemisphere.

Maybe you made a truly spectacular batch of Cabernet Sauvignon two years ago and haven’t been able to make another like it since and can’t figure out why. Maybe you’ve been making

Running up a 12-inch (30-cm) wide, rock, one-sided staircase with no handrails from one terrace to another, all more than 30% sloped, I pause to capture my balance, which has now shifted behind

If you are thinking about taking your amateur winemaking to a more professional level, it might be time to consider taking some winemaking classes. In this issue, two wine school instructors discuss some tips for finding your way in winemaking school.

A good winemaker understands not only his or her grapes and where and how they are grown, but also his or her techniques of elaboration and the greater context of the wine