Don’t Miss Live Online Workshop on Mastering Hybrid Grape Winemaking February 20. Three hours of tips and techniques. Also available later as video replay. Click here for event and registration details.
In this issue, tips on how to skip the crush and de-stemming and get straight to the fermentation. Plus, pump up your wine using grape skins.
Whole cluster fermentation — fermenting grapes without crushing and destemming them first — is a technique that has been around for ages. Let’s take a deep dive into the benefits of this technique, what the research says, and whether you may want to consider whole cluster fermentation at home.
Barrel aging typically begins after alcoholic fermentation is complete, however, you don’t have to wait until your wine is dry to start getting the benefits of oak. Learn about the advantages of fermenting in a barrel and ways it can be done at home.
Raisins can be used to add body, flavor, sugar, and complexity to grape wines. They can add a wine-like character to fruit wines. And they can even be made into wine on their own. Learn more about the use of raisins in winemaking.
Two pros share why they prefer whole cluster fermentations for certain varieties, the impact it has, and considerations home winemakers should make if they plan to forgo the crush.
Making small adjustments to a wine the moment they are needed, as opposed to one large adjustment prior to bottling, will result in a more cohesive wine. A couple of award-winning home winemakers share when you should assess your wine and what to look for.
It can be difficult to fill time between batches of wine once you have been bitten by the fermentation bug. How about trying a new kind of fermentation? Derek Dellinger lived on nothing but fermented foods for a year, and he’s here to share how to make your own.
It is both a spoilage yeast and the heart of many great wines of Bordeaux. We share what you need to understand about Brettanomyces, the common misconceptions, and methods to tame this wild yeast.
The Wine Wizard offers steps to increase aroma for aromatic white wines. Plus, how to remove stains from glass carboys, whether high-proof alcohol is a match for mycoderma, and why the combination of sulfur dioxide and citric acid works well for sanitation.
Most readers are likely familiar with Amarone wines made from drying grapes to concentrate the flavors and sugars prior to fermentation, but have you heard of Sagrantino? This Italian variety known for its huge tannins makes similar passito wines, in addition to table wines worth cellaring.
A home winemaker sets out to explore just how versatile Grenache can be by making five different wines from it in a single vintage, including red, pink, and white versions.