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Chlorine Conundrum & Country Wines: Wine Wizard

I never use any chlorine-containing cleaning compounds in my winemaking and don’t recommend it to anyone. There are plenty of alternatives

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Zoom, Zoom: Winemaking club meetings go virtual!

Shelter-in-place orders have been a challenge for many folks. But one winemaking club has found a way to keep their meetings going while bei

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LaCrosse or La Crosse? True diversity in a grape

Elmer Swenson helped revolutionize the greater wine world with his cold-hardy grape breeding program. One such grape varietal that emerged f

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Pressing Issues, Making Bread with Wine Yeast and Light Strike

Dumping your pomace and finding the grapes still juice-laden after pressing is frustrating. The Wizard has some pointers for getting the mos

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Live Chat with Maureen Macdonald

Live Chat with Maureen Macdonald, which took place on June 17, 2020.

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Acidity & Aging

My situation is that the total acidity (TA) rises during the aging process.What could be causing this?

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Live Chat with Pat Henderson

Live Chat with Pat Henderson, which took place on May 13, 2020.

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Phenolics & Tannins in White, Sparkling & Rosé Styles

Polyphenolics are usually associated with red wines, but there are definitely processing choices and stylistic options where polyphenolics p

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Making Berry Good Wines

Get tips on the unique aspects of making berry wines. Award-winning recipes included!

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Fruit Cider

Cidermaking requires you to develop, refine, and master many different skills. When you add the additional layer of fruit to your cider, it

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Fine wine

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Ferment It All! Attack of the Juicy Juice boxes

What would you do if your kids brought home Juicy Juice boxes every day, but never drank them? One man decided to ferment it all!

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Rosy Roussanne: A grape that doesn’t mind a little heat

In its homeland in the south of France, Roussanne grapes love some heat . . . probably one reason that it’s found a new home in the Texas

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Getting Closure: Corkers and Cork Sizing

Learn about the various factors that affect a home winemaker’s decision when choosing cork size and corkers.

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Percent New Oak, Overcompensating, And The New Need For Sanitation

While the concept that is listed on some wine bottles or talked about in literature — % new oak — seems simple, there is a lot of nuance

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Barrel Cleaning, Kit Wine Tannins and Proper Sulfite Levels

It seems to me like your Carmenère is a candidate for one of the “Wine Wizard’s” cheapest, easiest and most favorite ways to improve

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Reconditioning Corks & Bottle Film

I’m glad you sent this question, though, because it brings up an important rule of the world of corks: corks must have a certain amount of

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Suspicious Syrah & Fermentation Aids

The first step I would take is to look at the package and/or the packing slip that came with the grapes . . . I hope they say Syrah. If you

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Dumb Merlot & Filmy Finishes

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Bracing Barrels & Coffee Wine

The level of caffeine, of course, will depend on how much coffee you used in the recipe — just as your average cup of joe will be stronger

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Fine Filtering Chardonnay and a Sour Mead

Pad filters are stacks of cellulose sheets that get mounted in a stainless steel or metal frame. Wine or juice is forced by a pump or by air

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Live Chat with Wes Hagen

Live Chat with Wes Hagen, which took place on April 15, 2020.

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Live Chat with Christina Musto

Live Chat with Christina Musto, which took place on March 28, 2020.

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Off Odors, Port-Style Wines, and Brass Fittings

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Spring Vineyard Care: Tips from the Pros