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Vineyard Consultants: Backyard Vines
MEMBERS ONLYWe winemakers are self-reliant. We like to be in charge of our own affairs and it can seem like a defeat to be forced to ask for help — whether it be from our spouses, our relatives or from a hired professional. There is power in self-reliance. It helps us persevere through difficulties. When
Watertown Winemaking: Dry Finish
FREEHere in northern New York State there is a special place like no other. To the west of this place there is Lake Ontario with breathtaking sunsets and the newly formed Seaway
Is it ok to use ammonia in the winery?
MEMBERS ONLYRegarding ammonia (chemical formula NH3), I’m glad you brought the subject up. There’s a reason why we don’t use ammonia for sanitation in the winery and one acronym says it all: DAP. More on that in just a little bit, however. Myself, I keep a little ammonia squirt bottle under the kitchen sink to remove
Perry Questions
MEMBERS ONLYYou are making me thirsty! I am a huge fan of cider and perry (pear cider), especially when it’s tart, dry-ish and has a sparkling finish. Yummy yum yum! I applaud you for keeping this ancient and tasty art alive in your neck of the woods. You present an interesting scenario above. Since I don’t
To Malo Or Not To Malo?
FREEMany home winemakers are uncertain on whether or not to have their wines go through malolactic fermentation. This is not surprising since there is no “one size fits all” approach to the
pH Adjustments Post-MLF
MEMBERS ONLYAbsolutely, I would lower your pH prior to aging. No matter how high the TA is, if you’ve got a high pH as well, you are putting your wines at risk for premature oxidation and, most critically, are providing an environment that favors the growth of spoilage organisms. Bacteria enjoy higher pH environments, even with
Malbec: Beyond Bordeaux
FREEWhen we think of the great wines of the Bordeaux region of France the names of the Grand Cru châteaus of Lafite, Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion or Cheval Blanc come up. Today, the
A Ranch In Wine Country: Dry Finish
FREEWhen Teri Kerns and Micole Moore moved to Ramona, California in 2004, just north of San Diego, they knew they wanted to live an agricultural lifestyle, but were not sure what exactly
Moldy Grape Press
MEMBERS ONLYI certainly wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater or the crush equipment out with the sanitizing solution in this case. A little accumulated mold on a wooden basket press or fermentation barrel doesn’t faze this Wine Wizard. It shouldn’t phase you, either, because it sounds like you are taking all the appropriate steps
Big Reds Aging Time
MEMBERS ONLYSo sorry to hear you had a bad year with the powdery mildew. Many growers in California were challenged by 2011, as the cooler weather left lots of us battling botrytis, rot and mildew in many areas of the state. I would suggest you go ahead and get your wine in the barrel now, even
South American Grapes
FREEMake wine from fresh grapes in April — with grapes harvested in the Southern Hemisphere.
Cool Fermentations
FREEWant to preserve the delicate aromas in your white wines? Learn these hot tips for running a cool fermentation.
I accidentally made my sulfite solution at 20%. Is the wine still drinkable?
MEMBERS ONLYSince I don’t know what your “recommended” number was it’s impossible for me to know what a double addition is in this case. Therefore, you should definitely exercise caution before drinking and if your addition was greater than 50 ppm, I would send a sample out for a lab to check it. The legal limit
Should I try using carbon dioxide whenever I rack to expel oxygen. Or should I bottle sooner?
MEMBERS ONLYI have to commiserate with you on the Sangiovese and oxidation dance. For some reason, this grape varietal seems to be especially prone to color (and related oxidation) issues. Much like Pinot Noir, Sangiovese lacks some of the colored precursors that help a wine age gracefully. Some of the compounds that form high color are,
Wine Education
FREEMaybe you made a truly spectacular batch of Cabernet Sauvignon two years ago and haven’t been able to make another like it since and can’t figure out why. Maybe you’ve been making
Rhône Wines
MEMBERS ONLYRunning up a 12-inch (30-cm) wide, rock, one-sided staircase with no handrails from one terrace to another, all more than 30% sloped, I pause to capture my balance, which has now shifted behind me as the 45 lbs. (20 kg) of Syrah grapes in my plastic bin-backpack pulls me downhill. Sweat is pouring from my head,
An Enology Education: Tips from the Pros
FREEIf you are thinking about taking your amateur winemaking to a more professional level, it might be time to consider taking some winemaking classes. In this issue, two wine school instructors discuss some tips for finding your way in winemaking school.
Potassium Sorbate Post-MLF
MEMBERS ONLYIf your primary fermentation (sugar to alcohol) is complete you shouldn’t have to add any potassium sorbate to your wine. In fact, adding sorbate to wine after performing malolactic fermentation (ML) can cause an unwanted effect in the finished wine — potassium sorbate reacts negatively with lactic bacteria and results in a geranium-like off-odor. The
Rhône in a Box: Wine Kits
MEMBERS ONLYA good winemaker understands not only his or her grapes and where and how they are grown, but also his or her techniques of elaboration and the greater context of the wine he is making. A winemaker will allow the wine to express itself without trying to mold it against its true nature, intervening only
I have about 30 gallons (114 L) of Cabernet Franc in 5-gallon (19-L) carboys that have a small yellow ring in the neck. Do you have any suggestions?
MEMBERS ONLYThe dreaded “ring around the carboy” strikes again! Quickie answer – your instincts are correct. I would rack to clean containers and, since you’ve already added SO2, and since I doubt your malolactic (ML) fermentation will reignite as a result, go ahead and give it about 10–20 mg/L total SO2. ML bacteria are notoriously difficult
How do I really know that my juice is Syrah, and are there Syrahs that don’t have that deep purple color?
MEMBERS ONLYYou say you have a Syrah that is not purple, and how do you know it’s Syrah? To address your second question first, I would say you really have to trust your supplier unless you want to spend a lot of money playing detective (more on that presently). The first step I would take is
Award-Winning Red Winemakers Roundtable
FREEWhat does it take to make world-class wine at home? Over the years since WineMaker started hosting the WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition, many readers have written in asking variations on that
Sweet Wines: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYTwo pro winemakers share advice for home winemakers to make sweet wine at home
The Devil is in the Details: Dry Finish
FREEThere are five items that are considered essential by geologists for true happiness. To wit: a loaf of crusty bread, a block of cheese, a skin of wine (preferably red), a
Enjoying Dessert Wine Kits
MEMBERS ONLYDrinking Port To my palate, Port is toothsome — it somehow seems to satisfy and delight all on its own. Back when I smoked a pipe (and nothing looks dopier than someone under the age of 40 smoking a pipe, let me tell you) I thought it was the perfect accompaniment. Not that I’m recommending