Articles
Norton Grapes: An American Original
Learn about Norton grapes, an American original, plus how to make Norton wine.
Field Grafting Grape Vines
If you want to grow a new varietal, you have the option of grafting cuttings onto your existing rootstock, saving you the time of establishing a new root system. Also, if your
How Yeast is Made
Home winemaking continues to gain in popularity. The quality of wines kits has greatly improved over the past several years and, as a consequence, the first experience of many folks curious about
What the Pros Think When They Choose Yeast
According to academics and professionals, if you want to pick the right yeast for your grape juice, knowing what questions to ask is essential. “I view it more as not who do
How Kit Manufacturers Choose Yeast
Wine yeast — or Saccharomyces, which is Latin for ‘sugar-fungus’ — converts sugar into alcohol. While alcoholic fermentation is the most important aspect of winemaking, yeast does more than just bubble out
10 Can’t-Miss Country Wine Recipes
If you have not tried making country wines — i.e. non-grape wines — this article’s sole purpose is to entice you to try. To do this, I’ve collected 10 sure-fire recipes just
The Perils of Volatile Acidity
It’s as much a process as it is a condition. It’s also a perfectly natural part of the fermenting process. It can happen at any time and depending on when and how
One Vine at a Time: Dry Finish
The first year Tam Cloer experimented with planting grapevines on his 18-acre property in Apex, North Carolina — just southwest of Raleigh, the state’s capital — a late spring frost killed every
Entering Wine Competitions
You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.” –Marian Wright Edelman I’ve always liked Marian’s sentiment. There’s nothing that says you have
Winning Winemaking Gold Medal Tips
Out of the 2,247 wines entered in the 2005 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition, six still wines topped the charts in the best of show categories of red, white, dessert, fruit, kit
True Champagne: Tips from the Pros
Two professional Champagne-makers share their secrets for home winemakers.
2005 WineMaker Label Contest Winners!
View the winning labels of the 2005 WineMaker label contest.
Building Diamond Bin Wine Racks
Diamond bins, so called because of their orientation, are a simple storage option. I recommend building a diamond bin frame and making some horizontal shelves for holding wine in case boxes. (By
Wild Yeast: The Pros and Cons of Spontaneous Fermentation
Making wine with wild yeast has been a source of debate for many because of its unpredictable nature. Should you make your wine from wild yeast or cultured yeast? This article will provide some insight to help you make an informed decision.
Home Winemaking Pro: Dry Finish
The Cat’s Meow Vineyard has been the moniker for my homemade winemaking operation in Warsaw, Kentucky for the past four years. My eight cats that “patrol” the grounds were the inspiration for
Field Blending: Tips from the Pros
People blend wines for many reasons and are able to fine tune their blends by drawing the best characteristics from each wine blended. For centuries winemakers have started their blends right in
The Pomace Predicament
Winemaking, like baking bread or beer brewing, is one of humankind’s most ancient food-manufacturing processes. And, just as baking and brewing leave behind cereal stalks and spent grain, winemaking produces one of
Winemaker’s Garden and Orchard
The average person, upon hearing the term “winemaker’s garden,” will probably think of fruit, berries and perhaps a couple of grapevines, but it can mean so much more. Depending on what wines
Grape/Non-Grape Blending
The first time I ever blended two wines was an exercise in ignorance. I had a dewberry wine that had beautiful color and clarity but tasted flat. I also had a blackberry
Aging Your Kit Wines
Discussions of wine aging range well into the past, from the biblical story of Luke and putting new wine into old skins, to the ancient Roman interest in Falernian wine, which could
A Rosé by any Other Name
In 1963, I first experienced the romance of wine in the form of a basket-covered Chianti bottle stuffed with a candle and covered in dripping wax. It sat on a red and
2004 WineMaker Label Contest Winners!
The winners of the 2004 WineMaker Label Contest
An Amateur Pouring Alongside the Pros
On January 29, 2005, the Fort Mason in San Francisco will be transformed into a wine lover’s paradise. Nearly 300 wineries will be offering their Zinfandels to thousands of samplers. All of
Pinot Paradise: Backyard Vines
Orv Madden and his wife LeAnn have a talent for turning their dreams into reality. I remember meeting them for the first time in the winter of 2003 at a breakfast restaurant
Hobby Harvest
When Philip Hanyok pulled up to Melancy Hilltop Vineyards in Perry County, Pennsylvania, early last October, he found Mel Heffley, the vineyard’s owner, already deep in discussion with another home winemaker. Heffley