Articles
Blending Red and White: Tips from the Pros
You know from art class that red and white make pink, but is the same true for wine? Often rosès and blush wines are made from red grapes that are briefly exposed
A Clearer Understanding of Fining Agents
The first thing you notice when someone hands you a glass of wine is its color and clarity. We all expect wine to look clear and appealing and there are many ways
Purple Grin Winery: Dry Finish
Overlooking the San Pasqual Valley is our winery, established solely for the enjoyment of friends and family. Designed to make the best of our 200-gallon allowance, the 303 Syrah vines entertain drivers-by
Separating press runs: Tips from the Pros
Are press cuts scientific or subjective? What about combining the free run with the press runs? Do different cuts get different treatments? If you’ve ever wondered about concerns like these, take some
Harvest Planning
For winemakers, grape harvest is a period of intense activity. Important decisions and preparations need to happen well in advance of crush day in order for things to go smoothly. These decisions
Alternate Degassing for Wine Kits
What could vacuums have to do with wine kits? While there have been times when a wet/dry vacuum would have been very helpful in my wine cellar, there is a specific benefit
Fruit and Grape Blends: Tips from the Pros
Ken Korando came to winemaking by way of entrepreneurship. Educated as an electronics engineer, he and a colleague patented technology used to decline balance debit cards – the sort of technology that
2007 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition Results!
From April 20–22, 2007, a record total of 3,422 different wines were judged at the Equinox Resort in Manchester, Vermont. The 2007 edition of the WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition represented the
Life’s Lessons: Dry Finish
This article originated as I was explaining to my son Christian the differences in the way I make wine and the way his grandfather used to make it. It all began in
Vineyard Field Trips
‘Talent Borrows, Genius Steals’ -attributed to Oscar Wilde As I set out to structure this issue’s “Backyard Vines,” I revisited previous articles to see what vineyard subjects I’d neglected. Surprisingly, I found articles
A Home Winemaker Turns Pro…At Home
I’m sure many a home winemaker has thought, “I wonder what it would be like to make this a full-time job?” Well, I took the plunge and that’s exactly what I did.
Common Grape Growing Questions
At the end of the year when I’m contemplating new topics for “Backyard Vines,” I like to go through and look at all the subjects I’ve covered previously and ask myself: “What
Carmine: Cold tolerant and color-rich
Deeply saturated in color and crimson red is the first impression to hit your senses when glancing at Carmine. After a few swirls of the rich liquid in the wine glass, aromas
Making Icewine: Tips from the Pros
Karl Kaiser is co-founder of Inniskillin Wines of Niagara, Ontario. He was born in Austria and attended a monastery school where winemaking and viticulture was a tradition. He later received his B.S.
Understanding Sparkling Wines
Learn about the different ways to make sparkling wine at home.
Méthode “Home-penoise”
In Champagne, the French make bubbly using the méthode Champenoise. In your home, use this method.
2006 WineMaker Label Contest Winners
See the winning labels from the 2006 WineMaker label contest.
pH pHacts: Tips from the Pros
Wine and grape juice is a naturally acidic solution. A pH reading has an inverse relationship with acidity, in that, the lower the pH measure, the higher the acidity. While a wine’s
Mead: From Nectar to Nirvana
Mead is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey. In fact, it’s sometimes called honey wine. Mead tastes like honey and can be made to be sweet or dry, sparkling or still
Keeping Fermentations Cool
The heat of summer can lead to problems when it comes to winemaking. When the temperature of your fermenting wine becomes excessive, your resulting wine could develop off flavors, off aromas or
Citrus Wine
It had been a while since I had visited the Sunshine State. When I returned, it was still as warm and sunny as I had remembered growing up with in my youth.
Planning the Vineyard Work Load
One of my favorite Chinese proverbs is: “Many hands make light work.” It’s as true in the vineyard as anywhere. The vineyard is a place that traditionally brings people together — to
French Colombard: Varietal Focus
Fresh, floral, citrus flavors with crisp acidity at a value price are the benchmarks for Colombard (pronounced Cole-um-bar or kahl-um-BARRD). It was the most widely planted white grape vine in California until
Raspberry Wine: Tips from the Pros
Summertime is the season of fruits and berries. For winemakers on the professional and amateur levels, it is also the season for fruit and berry wines. There are as many country wines
Norton Grapes: An American Original
Learn about Norton grapes, an American original, plus how to make Norton wine.