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Preparing White Wines for Bottling

A look at the steps required in making white wines through winter and spring and how the timing of each step impacts when the wine is ready

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2026 Label Contest Winners

We share all of the winning labels from the 2026 WineMaker Label Contest, which include some repeat winners as well as new names from the hu

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An Organic Experience in France

A home winemaker interested in expanding her viticulture and winemaking knowledge interned for a week at an organic winery in France through

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Vino Cotto

Vino cotto is a traditional, semi-sweet Italian wine that is as much a culinary process as a winemaking one. Unlike any other wine, vino cot

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Syrah (Shiraz)

Terroir plays an important role in wine made from Syrah (or Shiraz, as it is called in Australia). From tart fruit, vegetal, pepper, and sav

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Evaluating Young Wines

During a relatively slow period in the vineyard, now is a perfect time to start planning for the upcoming growing season. Tasting wines from

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Pressing Rosé, Creamy Chardonnay, & Oak Origins

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Lookin’ Back

A longtime home winemaker shares some of his earliest memories of helping his Grampa make wine in the 1950s — which began with a drive to

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Live Video Chat with Bob Peak (December 2025)

Watch the video playback of our December 2025 Live Video Chat with home winemaker and WineMaker technical editor, Bob Peak.

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Live Video Q&A with Maureen Macdonald

Click here to watch our live video Q&A from January 2026 with “Varietal Focus” columnist Maureen Macdonald.

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Creating a Field Blend

Explore the history, benefits, and drawbacks of field blends — where varieties are traditionally grown, harvested, crushed, and fermented

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Top 100 Wine Kits of 2025

We share the top 100 wines made from kits and evaluated by experienced judges in the 2025 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition.

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Ramato Pinot Gris

“Ramato” Pinot Gris gets its name from the copper color of the wine that comes from extended skin contact with rose-gray colored grapes

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Trellising Explained

The ideal trellis system for one wine grower may not be the same for another. Learn about the most common trellis systems home winemakers ma

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Under the Tuscan Vine

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Small Barrels, Unwanted Secondary Ferments, Natural Ferments, & Cold Stabilization

The Wine Wiz explains the differences winemakers must consider when aging wine in smaller-volume oak barrels. She also troubleshoots an unwa

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Sangiovese

Sangiovese is the ultimate wine to pair with food due to the variety’s ability to hold its acidity as it ripens and generous amounts of ri

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Abundance

In recent years there has been quite a bit of news coverage around excess grapes being grown. There is also a high rate of food insecurity i

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Live Video Chat with Stephen Scarnato

Watch the video playback of our November 2025 Live Video Chat with pro viticulturist and winemaker Stephen Scarnato.

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Live Video Chat with Jenne Baldwin-Eaton (2025)

Listen to the playback of our Live Q&A with Jenne Baldwin-Eaton from September 2025.

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Live Video Chat with Zac Brown (2025)

Listen to the replay of our Live Q&A with British Columbian winemaker Zac Brown.

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Lees: The Good, The Bad, & The Smelly

The benefits of aging white wine on the lees includes a softer mouthfeel, added weight and texture, added complexity, and a smoothing of the

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Federweißer

Popular in parts of central Europe where it’s often sold from carts on the side of the road during a short period each fall, federweißer

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Over-Oaked Chardonnay, Choosing Yeast, Hard Water, & Stuck Ferments

Always start small with additions — it’s much easier to add more than to take something out later. That said, the Wine Wizard shares adv

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Jupiter: A table grape with BIG winemaking potential

Jupiter — a grape that gets its name from the girth of its berries — is often grown for eating, but the purple-skinned grape can also be