Article

Black Muscat

Black Muscat first gained popularity in France and is gaining steam in California due to its great aromatics and versatility. Whether turnin

Article

Pinot Grigio: The Underrated Superstar

Pinot Grigio is often an introductory white wine for consumers — light, refreshing, though unremarkable. That doesn’t have to be the cas

Article

Fabulous Frontenac Gris

Our newest columnist, Maureen Macdonald, shares her own experiences and advice for crafting a Frontenac Gris of any style in her first “Va

Technique

Whole Cluster Fermentation

Whole cluster fermentation — fermenting grapes without crushing and destemming them first — is a technique that has been around for ages

Article

Understanding and Controlling Brettanomyces

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 com

Article

Sagrantino

Most readers are likely familiar with Amarone wines made from drying grapes to concentrate the flavors and sugars prior to fermentation, but

Article

Groovy Gewürztraminer

While it may not look like a white wine grape, Gewürztraminer is well known to produce world-class white wines. Learn some best practices t

Article

Reducing Bitterness, Micro-oxygenation On A Small Scale, and Deacidification Tactics

Citrus fruits contain a lot of interesting flavors, but making wine with them can be a challenge. Get advice on removing the bitterness that

Wine-wizard

Reducing Bitterness in Citrus Wine

Article

Graciano

A grape variety that has recently garnered a following thanks to its tannic structure and ability to retain acidity in warm climates, Gracia

Technique

Pectic Enzymes: Tips from the Pros

Three pro winemakers share how they use pectic enzymes to their advantage to maximize yields, increase color and flavor extraction, and make

Article

Rice, Rice, Baby

The ancient Japanese beverage sake has grown in popularity across North America in recent years thanks to craft sake producers. Making this

Article

Aglianico

Hailing from the southern regions of Italy, Aglianico is revered as producing big and bold red varietal wines. It is finding its way across

Article

Notably Norton

A grape with a proud following regionally, Norton has roots that remain shrouded in a fog. Learn about its past, how to best tend to it in t

Article

The Science of Winemaking

There is a lot of chemistry involved in winemaking — the better you understand it, the better chance you have of consistently making quali

Article

Protection from the Elements

Heat (protein) and cold (bitartrate) stability issues in wine cause off-putting aesthetic defects that are often brought to light after the

Technique

Dealing With Haze

While haze can sometimes just be aesthetically off-putting and not a true flaw, it’s something many winemakers like to avoid. Get the scoo

Article

Whose Fault Was It?

Phil Plummer was one of the experienced judges at the 2022 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition. After three days of judging he

Article

Graceful Garnacha: A grape with many facets

With origins in Spain, Garnacha grapes may now be more commonly associated with the Rhône and Languedoc-Roussillon region of France where i

Article

Classic Catawba: America’s first true wine grape

Some people have called Zinfandel “America’s grape,” others say it should be Concord. Chik Brenneman is here to make the case for the

Wine-wizard

Bottling Tips and Checklist

Article

Bottling Tips and Wine Judge Etiquette

Bottling is typically the final step towards producing wine where a winemaker can foul things up. Get some recommendations from the Wizard o

Article

Fruit & Grape Blends

When a wine comes up lacking, the solution may just be blending a totally different type of wine with it. Grape wines and wines made from ot

Article

La Vie En Dry Rosé

Pink wines may have gotten a bad rap due to sweet versions that dominated in the 80s and 90s, however, dry rosé is becoming more and more p

Article

Malvasia Bianca: A Greek grape that has gotten around

A grape of Mediterranean origins, Malvasia grapes spread throughout the region under the umbrella name. Get the scoop on this unusual family