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2017 WineMaker Competition Results
FREEWineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition Results: Download Full Results With 2,497 entries, the event is once again the largest wine competition of its kind in the world! Wines were judged on April
Petit Manseng
MEMBERS ONLYA long time ago, brave souls looking for an easier route to the Far East set sail west across the Atlantic Ocean. Controversial at the time given the prevailing philosophy was that the Earth was flat. But these believers were living outside of the conventional norms, and I recall in my own personal circle someone
Refractometer vs. Hydrometer
MEMBERS ONLYThat is a great question. The “simple” answer is that no, hydrometry and refractometry are not interchangeable and that you shouldn’t try to use a refractometer during active fermentation. Refractometry relies on measuring how a ray of light will bend (refract) through liquids of different densities to be read out on a scale. Hydrometry relies
Monitoring & Adjusting pH
FREEpH greatly affects the taste of wine as well as microbial stability. It can make the difference between drinking the wine or pouring it down the drain. Make sure you know when it should be analyzed and make the necessary adjustments.
Blending Stuck Wine
MEMBERS ONLYThat’s too bad that you had some stuck fermentations. It’s probable that your yeast died out due to alcohol toxicity resulting from those high brixes. Next time make sure you’re adding enough water and feeding enough nutrients to create as healthy of a fermentation environment as you can. Before next harvest you may want to
Enzymes for Hobbyists
MEMBERS ONLYWhen pioneers of winemaking like Louis Pasteur or André Tchelistcheff are mentioned, James B. Sumner is often overlooked. Nonetheless, this Nobel-prize-winning chemist (1946) set in motion the entire scientific field for today’s article. In 1926, Sumner successfully crystallized the enzyme urease and performed chemical analysis that demonstrated that urease is a protein. Not at all
Winemaking in the Philippines: Dry Finish
FREEThe Philippines are not known for red wines, but there are a small group of winemakers looking to change that using exotic mountain berries.
Wine, Women, & Support
MEMBERS ONLYThere are some new faces emerging on the Connecticut winemaking scene. These are the faces of young, enthusiastic, and innovative females who are part of the next generation of Connecticut winemaking culture. The Women Winemakers of Connecticut was created by Christina Musto (Musto Wine Grape Company, LLC.) and Amanda Brackett (Southern Connecticut Wine Company) over
Aligoté
MEMBERS ONLYI am writing this on an airplane on my way to Burgundy, the crossroads of France known for its great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. But did you know that Burgundy has a lighter side? This is a little known variety that folklore says was proclaimed into obscurity by a King because he just happened
What To Consider When Selecting A Yeast
FREEAh that is a wonderful and complex question. When a winemaker chooses to inoculate for fermentation (which I generally recommend) there are many factors to take into account when making that choice.
White Wine Case Study
MEMBERS ONLYI planted my hobby vineyard in 1999 and made my first wine in the 2002 vintage. I have 125 vines of Chardonnay and 125 of Pinot Noir planted on 1⁄3 acre (0.13 hectares) in Sonoma County, California. I am located in the soon-to-be (hopefully) AVA of the Petaluma Gap, a cool-climate sub-region of the larger
Drinking From Brass
MEMBERS ONLYThere certainly is something historically appealing about hoisting an overflowing chalice of one’s own homemade vinous deliciousness. In ancient times metal was a common material from which to fashion drinking cups. From medieval castles to Viking mead-halls, brass, pewter, and silver goblets have been part of our world’s imbibing culture. However, such romantic imaginings are
Using Yeast Nutrients
FREEOne of the most important conditions for your yeast to thrive is an abundance of nutrients. If the must doesn’t provide enough naturally, it’s time to add yeast nutrients. Use these tips to know when it’s time to add nutrients, and what types your yeast need to complete a successful fermentation.
Evolution of a Wine & Its Maker
MEMBERS ONLYI just bottled my 2013 Valdepena. If you’re wondering why I would wait two and a half years to bottle, let me start by saying that I don’t normally do that, but I was in no hurry either. Once you know what you are doing it’s pretty easy to make more than you will drink
Growing Trees for Fruit Winemaking
MEMBERS ONLYThere is nowhere in North America or Europe below the Arctic Circle where suitable fruit trees cannot be grown — which means you can grow your own trees for making fruit wines!
Amateur to Pro Winemaking Glory
MEMBERS ONLYRaymond Meyer was the first person to win the three most competitive amateur winemaking competitions in North America, and now he can add a professional “Wine Person of the Year” to his resumé.
Reducing Acidity of Wine
MEMBERS ONLYThat’s great that you are already planning ahead for this upcoming harvest. Indeed, a TA of 10.0 g/L is very high and I would certainly plan on de-acidifying for style as well as to facilitate fermentation. As with just about any major adjustment you’ll make to a wine, the earlier you do it the better.
Cleaning & Sanitizing Techniques
FREE“They can make the difference between sound wine and spoiled wine.” Daniel Pambianchi Daniel Pambianchi was talking about cleaning and sanitizing when he put that maxim in Techniques in Home Winemaking. Home
2016 WineMaker Competition Results
FREEWineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition Results: Download Full Results With 2,981 entries, the event is once again the largest wine competition of its kind in the world! Wines were judged on April
Tasting Party: Dry Finish
FREEIt was 1998 when I first began hosting a winemakers party and I have been refining it for the past 17 years. In September every year before wine season starts we host
Making Acidity Adjustments Post-Fermentation
MEMBERS ONLYYou certainly can adjust acidity after fermentation is complete, but many winemakers feel that the acid is better-integrated, as well as less-detectable, the earlier it is added. That being said, by all means measure the total acidity after fermentation (and after malolactic fermentation) and feel free to adjust as you’d like. Indeed, adding tartaric acid
Perfecting and Protecting Wine Color
FREEIt’s said that people eat and drink with their eyes, and when it comes to wine there is no exception.Find out how to create and protect the color of your red, white, and pink wines.
Red Hybrid Color Stabilization: Tips from the Pros
FREERed wines from hybrid grapes can be frustrating — one day you have a deep garnet wine and the next you are wondering where the color went. Color stabilization is the key,
Mastering Wine Acid Balance
MEMBERS ONLYSometimes the acidity of your grapes, juice, or wine will need to be adjusted. Learn some of the finer details surrounding how, and when, to make those acid adjustments to your wine.
Brown (Instead of Red) Wine
MEMBERS ONLYThere’s the old saw about the sow’s ear and the silk purse. It reminds me of my old adage of “never blend a loser,” which admonishes readers against blending bad wine into good. It improves the bad wine at the detriment to the whole blend. That’s too bad your grapes were sub-optimal and absolutely you