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.

Aug/Sep 2018

Take a master class in cabernet sauvignon. Plus, how to use press cuts for better wine, and tips on beating the heat in your vineyard.

In this issue

  • article

    Your First Lug of Grapes

    Buying your first lug of grapes can be intimidating, but it does not need to be. Get some pointers before committing to your first box of grapes.

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    Dealing with Excessive Heat in the Vineyard

    Relentless heat can be an anxious time for winegrape growers. But the worry of vineyard heat stress doesn’t need to cause stress in the grape-grower’s life. Two professional winemakers discuss dealing with excessive heat in your own vineyard.

  • article

    Versatile Viognier

    It was not long ago that Viognier was almost an extinct grape varietal. Luckily for wine fans, both grape growers and winemakers have learned some tricks to unlock this grape’s true potential.

  • article

    Meet the Blue Bulls Wine Co.

    Meet the Blue Bulls Wine Company, a group of New Jersey-based career first responders who also like to dabble in the art of winemaking. If you mess with these bulls, you may get a horn . . . of wine?

  • article

    Cherry Picking Grapes

    A good grape sorter is fast, efficient, and always with a keen eye towards prioritizing what grapes to use and what grapes to discard. Alex Russan walks winemakers through some of the crucial keys to being a good sorter.

  • article

    Crushing Grapes

    Supposedly there are many ways to skin a cat, but we’re not familiar with any of them. Luckily for winemakers, Bob Peak knows many ways to crush a grape, and is willing to explain.

  • article

    Cabernet Sauvignon: Master Class

    Grab a seat, take out your pencil, and get ready for an introduction into the master class on the world’s most popular grape. Guest lecturers include three experts on making Cabernet wines.

  • article

    Making the Cut

    Press cuts give the winemaker more blending options to create a wine precisely as it was envisioned. Learn if, and when, press cuts may benefit your winemaking.

  • article

    2018 WineMaker Magazine International Amateur Wine Competition Recap

    An overview of this year’s competition, which included 2,299 entries from winemakers in six countries, 48 American states, and 5 Canadian provinces.

  • article

    A Walk Alongside Ripeness

    How ripe your grapes are when picked is one of the most important factors in determining what your wine will taste like. Here is a closer look at how a grape’s development affects the resulting wine.

  • article

    Sniffing The Cork, Screwcap Closures and the Facts About Wine Headaches

    Interestingly, a cork may smell “tainted” and the wine below it might be just fine, or, better said the wine in the bottle may be below your TCA threshold.

  • wine-wizard

    The Facts About Wine Headaches

  • wine-wizard

    Screwcap Closures

  • wine-wizard

    Sniffing The Cork