Time is running out to enter the 2026 WineMaker International Wine Competition. Get expert feedback on your wines from experienced judges and compete for medals in the world’s largest competition for home winemakers.
Click here for full competition rules and a downloadable entry form. But don’t wait – the entry shipping deadline is March 13 so get your wine entries sent out by that date!
October-November 2021 issue WineMaker magazine. Cover Story: Australian Winemakers Tips, going pro, distilling brandy, mulled wines, and Frontenac grapes.
Live Chat with Chik Brenneman, which took place on November 23, 2021.
Live Chat with Jef Stebben, which took place on October 29, 2021.
An overview of this year’s wine competition, which received nearly 2,000 entries from across the U.S., Canada, and as far away as Australia.
Many hobby winemakers spend evenings sipping their wine and wondering if their hobby could become a profession. If you are serious about it, here is what you need to consider to get that career jump started.
When your wine is done fermenting, that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be aged or packaged. Where legal, the next step may be distilling it into brandy.
Australia produces a lot more than Shiraz and budget wines with kangaroos on the label. Get an inside look at how Aussie winemakers are flipping the reputation of the wines from Down Under, with tips for creating their most touted styles in your home winery.
As autumn rolls into winter, it’s time to heat things up with mulled wine. A holiday tradition around the world, mulled wines usually include spices, citrus fruits, and wine served hot to take the chill away.
Check out the following programs and equipment to start your journey down the path to distilling.
In our annual Reader Survey, hobby winemakers looking to go pro usually account for about 1 in 5 readers. Here is the story of one couple who made the leap and some of the details about how they’re making it work.
Not every harvest is going to be perfect. When the grapes come in at less than ideal numbers or with other “flaws,” make sure you’re well positioned and able to make the best of an inferior harvest. Plus, learn how to identify what went wrong in the vineyard so the same mistakes aren’t repeated in future vintages.
When you set your sights on making a “keeper” wine, one you plan to lay down for several years, there are certain techniques you can employ to make sure it doesn’t round the bend too soon. Learn how to make that wine worth holding on to.
Scattered throughout the Upper Midwest and Rockies, Frontenac wines are making waves as winemakers learn to coax a lot of flavor from this red grape. Chik Brenneman offers several tips and tricks to working with this hybrid varietal.
What is the best way to store oak barrels that don’t have wine in them? Get the answer from the Wine Wizard, as well as her advice for a case of oversulfited wine, removing white film from a glass carboy, and five tips for a rookie winemaker.
The earliest known alcoholic beverage uncovered on Earth was a mead from northern China. Get familiarized with the great and storied world of honey-based wines.