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The Winemakers’ Renaissance

Home winemakers are living in the golden age of the hobby. One reader sits down to reflect on the great resources that are available to thos

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Vine Budbreak: Early season tips

For viticulturalists, the time between budbreak and bloom is often a time to let the vines do their thing. But Wes Hagen explains that a lit

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Stable Sémillon

Sémillon is a grape variety that is used to produce some of the great white wines of Bordeaux. Learn about what makes this grape so versati

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Avoiding The Winemaker’s Pitfalls

Learn key tips to avoid common winemaking pitfalls.

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Gum Arabic, Chilled Reds, and Pinot Noir Advice

A reader wonders about the usefulness of gum arabic in their winemaking process. The Wiz also talks about chilled red wines, the ups and dow

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Chat with Alex Russan

Live Chat with Alex Russan, which took place on December 12, 2018.

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Chat with Chik Brenneman

Live Chat with Chik Brenneman, which took place on November 14, 2018.

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2019 Backyard Vine Directory

Grow your own grapes? Thinking of starting a backyard vineyard? Now is the time to plan your spring. Here is a list of suppliers where you c

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Top 100 Wine Kits of 2018

Nearly 700 wines made from kits were entered into more than 30 different categories and judged in the 2018 WineMaker International Amateur W

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Get Crystal Clear About Filtration

If you want to serve a crystal clear and microbial stable wine, it will require filtration. Explore the “how” and “why” of wine filt

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Wine Kit Tweaks

One of the best things about wine kits is that they are relatively easy to make into great tasting wine if you just follow the directions. H

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Aperitifs

When you make your own aperitif wines at home — such as sweet and dry vermouth — you can then make your own cocktails with them. Learn t

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The Magic of Crush Day: Because We Can

Crush day can be a roller-coaster ride of emotions: Excitement, anxiety, joy, frustration, and of course, exhaustion. A reader tells of his

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SO₂ Fundamentals

Sulfites get a bad rap in the world outside of true wine aficionados. Alex Russan takes readers on a journey through the world of sulfites a

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Trebbiano Family Tree

Grape descriptors and the region of origin were often used in the Old World in the naming of a grape. In the case of the Trebbiano family of

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Cork Variability, MLF Question, pH Testing, and Aceto Problems

A concerned reader asks the Wizard why commercially-purchased wines might have their corks raised. She also answers questions on metabisulfi

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Keys To Great White Wine

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Doughboys Tribute Merlot

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Vineyard Management Review

Are you ready for some viticultural self-reflection? When harvest is wrapping up, there is no better time to reflect on what you have done r

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Noble Nebbiolo: Time to raise it from the fog

Explore the grape varietal made famous by the Italian wineries producing Barolo and Barbaresco wines in the Piemonte region of northern Ital

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The Sulfite Blues, Curing A Stuck Fermentation and Freezing Grapes

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Crafting Pinot Noir Wines

Finesse the legendary grape from Burgundy.

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Fortify It! Adding Spirits To Your Wine

Your first fortified wine can be a little intimidating. Learn the various methods to produce a fortified wine of your own.

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From Hobby to Startup

Thinking about taking your winemaking hobby commercial? There’s a lot of planning that must go into the endeavor, as Jason Phelps (a longt

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Fantastic Fermentations

Careful attention must be paid to fermentation to achieve great wine. We gathered experts from four different yeast laboratories to glean ad