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2014 Wine Label Contest Winners

By WineMaker Staff

Here’s the winners of the 2014 WineMaker label contest.

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Why the Tiny Bubbles?

By Alison Crowe

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Softened Water, High Alcohol Wine, and Tiny Bubbles

By Alison Crowe

Water softeners add another wrinkle, namely because they tend to add a lot of sodium.

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A Family Tradizione

By Peter Nero

A Brattleboro, Vermont man carries on his Italian family’s home winemaking tradition.

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Grape Growing Q&A

By Wes Hagen

Grape growing questions answered!

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Using Outside Labs to Run Analysis Tests on your Wine

By Bob Peak

Here is some advice on when, why, or even whether you might want to take advantage of having a lab test your wine.

technique

A Year in a Home Vineyard

By Dominick Profaci

From winter dormancy all the way through fall harvest, follow the annual lifecycle of a grapevine in this author’s New York home vineyard.

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Tannin Additions in Wine Kits

By Tim Vandergrift

Making kit wines doesn’t have to be only about following directions. Improve your wines by using tannin additions at various stages.

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Top 100 Wine Kits 2014

By WineMaker Staff

This past April 2014, over 50 experienced judges evaluated a total of 1,460 wine kit entries as part of the 2014 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition.

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Vidal Blanc

By Chik Brenneman

Vidal Blanc was originally develloped for Cognac production in the cold maritime regions of western France. Today it is a go-to grape in the US Northeast and Midwest as well as Canada. Plus, a recipe for Vidal icewine.

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Softened Water In Wine?

By Alison Crowe

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Vineyard Winter Maintenance: Tips from the Pros

By Dawson Raspuzzi

All done using their energy to grow shoots, grapes and leaves, vines in the winter begin storing water prior to the first frost and then go into dormancy. That doesn’t mean those who look after the vineyard lay dormant though.

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Stopping Fermentation

By Dawson Raspuzzi

Learn how to stop fermentation before reaching dryness, plus when and why a winemaker may wish to do so.

technique

New World Winemaking Decisions

By Bob Peak

Some of these tools and techniques have been around for a number of years but may not have been available in every region.

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High Alcohol Wine

By Alison Crowe

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Troubleshooting Visual Defects in Wine Kits

By Tim Vandergrift

No matter how a wine tastes, if it’s hazy, cloudy or (even worse!) lumpy, it’s not going to please the drinker.