Import Source: Quark
Making Wines with Finesse
MEMBERS ONLYThe mantra for the quest for making a big blockbuster type of wine is “more is better” — more sugar in the grapes, more alcohol in the wine, more extraction, more color and more wood. (And in the commercial marketplace, usually more bucks per bottle.) So if that’s not your style, what’s the alternative? No,
Guide to Cleaning and Sanitizing Winemaking Equipment
FREEWe can probably all agree that readying equipment for winemaking is not exactly a carboy of fun; nevertheless, it is an absolutely crucial aspect of winemaking. Reports of wine gone bad and,
Oak Barrel Seepage
MEMBERS ONLYI’ve certainly had the odd leaker (or three) but I’ve never experienced trans-stave leakage of the scale that you describe. Before I delve any deeper, I first of all would like to say that your situation is unusual and one that warrants an immediate customer service call (read: complaint) to your barrel supplier. It is
Making Berry Fruit Wines:Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYCountry wines come in all different styles and varieties, but berry wines are perennial favorites. Summertime brings with it a bevy of fresh, ripe berry options to craft some fine berry wines. Two berry wine experts share some winemaking advice. Sandi Vojta, Winemaker at Prairie Berry Winery in Hill City, South Dakota. Sandi is a
Techniques to Reduce Sulfite Additions
MEMBERS ONLYIn spite of their long history as wine preservatives dating to the days of the Romans, sulfites can receive a bad rap. Many suspect that sulfites cause headaches or believe that any preservative is harmful, and so, there is a strong push to eliminate — or at least reduce — the use of sulfites and
Using Grape Skin Packs in Wine Kits
MEMBERS ONLYGrapes . . . they do seem to inspire metaphor, but not as much as they inspire winemakers and wine drinkers. It is the source of wine, the beverage we all know and love so much. (Well, one source: if there’s one thing I’ve learned in more than two decades of working in the consumer
Troubleshooting Guide for Home Winemaking
MEMBERS ONLYA perfect stranger wanting to strike up a conversation about winemaking once came up to me and said, “Making wine is really easy. Don’t believe anyone who says otherwise.” Making wine is easy when all is “perfect,” but nothing is ever perfect in winemaking. Making great wine is a challenge more often than not given
Pinot Noir Winemaking Techniques from Burgundy
MEMBERS ONLYWe have all heard the expression that great wine is made in the vineyard. And while we home winemakers generally accept this as truth, nowhere has this been more obvious to me than in the Burgundy region of France. Many fans of Pinot Noir, including myself, believe that the very best Pinot Noirs come from
2012 WineMaker Competition Winners
FREE4,318 entries 803 wine flights 1,511 total judging hours 50 American states 8 Canadian provinces 7 Countries From April 20 to 22, 2012, a total of 4,318 different wines were judged at
Fermenter Options for any Size Home Winery
MEMBERS ONLYWhen setting out to make wine from grapes, one of the first major decisions is what you will use as a fermentation container. For most winemaking, you will need a primary fermenter and an aging container. Vessels for both purposes are available in a variety of materials and in many sizes. Frequently used choices include
Syrah: Versatile, bold and colorful
MEMBERS ONLYAustralia recognizes Syrah as Shiraz. It is presumed that the name stuck as the cuttings that were brought to the country in the 1830s by James Busby were identified with the names Ciras and Scryas, making it difficult to research the origins of the name, given the Iranian connection . . .
Allergic To Sulfites
MEMBERS ONLYCertainly you can try to pasteurize (heat at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time) your wine if you like. Many foods and beverages (like milk) are so heat treated in order to kill any bacteria, yeast or other organisms. Louis Pasteur, the Frenchman who gave the process his name back in the
Wild Yeast Fermentations: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYNot every winemaker makes wine with commercially-cultivated yeast strains. In fact, lots of commercial winemakers let their wines ferment with wild yeast from the grapes and in the winery. Here we have two California winemakers discuss wild yeasts. Robert Lauer, Assistant Winemaker at Storrs Winery in Santa Cruz, California. Robert studied fermentation science and viticulture
Small Batch Winemaking
FREETips for beginners looking to make small batches of wine.
Growing Rhône: Varietals to try in your backyard
MEMBERS ONLYAn overview of the Rhone varieties you may be able to grow in your own backyard.
Making White Wines with Less Sulfite
MEMBERS ONLYManaging oxygen is key in making reduced-sulfite or sulfite-free wines. A dissolved oxygen (DO) meter is a wise investment; you can buy a portable model for less than $300. Then you can ensure that your DO level at bottling is less than 2 mg/L to give you peace of mind that your wine will age
Tannin Chemistry in Wine
MEMBERS ONLYIt all starts with phenol. The tannins in wine make up one of the subgroups in a larger chemical family known as polyphenols. Those, in turn, are made up of phenol-derived molecules and additional carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. While a winemaker does not need to know the chemistry of polyphenols and tannins to make
Build a Ladder-Style Wine Rack
MEMBERS ONLYThere are lots of different styles of racking you can use in your cellar, so it’s worth considering the advantages and disadvantages of each as you work out the details of your design. They include flat shelves, display shelves, ladder racking, waterfall racking, diamond bins, radiused ladders, curved end shelves, end caps, and others. You’ve
10 Italian Red Wines to Make at Home
MEMBERS ONLYNEBBIOLO Nebbiolo derives its name from nebbia, in reference to the foggy conditions under which it is typically harvested, and possibly from nobile, as it is considered the most noble of Italian red varietals owing to its pedigree and the wines’ long aging potential. Much like oenophiles refer to Pinot Noir from Burgundy as Burgundy,
Chenin Blanc: The taste of terroir
MEMBERS ONLYViticulturists in the Loire Valley tend to describe its flavor as an expression of the terroir of the land.
Can Lysozyme Arrest MLF?
MEMBERS ONLYIn my day job in Napa, California (as Winemaker for Garnet Vineyards as well as other consulting projects) I bottle plenty of “partial ML” Chardonnay every year and love the style. In fact, my Garnet Vineyards Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is about two-thirds malolactic complete, depending on the natural acidity of the year (lower acid years
Oak Alternatives: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYA lot of home winemakers make small batches of wine that aren’t enough for a whole barrel. Thankfully there are lots of options for those of us making only a few gallons (or liters) at a time. In this article, two experts discuss their oak alternative choices. Tristan Johnson, Brand Manager at MoreWine! & MoreWine!
Prepping Your First Barrel
FREETips for beginners on how to prepare their first barrel.
Vineyard Q&A (2012 Edition)
MEMBERS ONLYWes Hagen answers your home vineyard questions.
Reducing Use of Winemaking Sulfites
MEMBERS ONLYInexperienced amateur winemakers are often misled thinking that making red wine is easier — or at least more foolproof — than making white wine because reds are better protected by polyphenols from the effects of oxidation. The result: Tired, orangey (and even brown) colored, lifeless reds. Making great red wine is indeed more challenging as