Technique

Pectic Enzymes

Pectic enzymes are often used in fruit and other high-pectin wines to aid in clarity, but also serve as a useful tool post-crush to aid in j

Wine-wizard

Red Wine Lost Its Color

I have an Australian Cabernet that is now clear (see photos)! All the color deposited on the bottom of the bottle.

Wine-wizard

Dealing With Bottle Shock

Article

Vineyard Canopy Management

Summer in the vineyard means it is time to manage your vines’ canopy. Spraying, suckering, leaf removal, adjusting lateral shoots, and eve

Article

Restarting a Stuck Life

Stuck in a rut and at the cusp of retirement, a couple buys a home with a backyard vineyard in Calaveras County, California. Determined to n

Article

Kings of Zin

Lodi, California, is known for its production of Zinfandel wines that run the spectrum of wine styles. Three Lodi winemakers share their app

Article

Understanding and Measuring Residual Sugars

Looking at Brix (or specific gravity) alone isn’t a great indicator whether a wine is microbially stable, and therefore determining if the

Article

Experimenting With Ways to Craft Rosé

A pair of home winemakers share the results from trials they conducted this past harvest in techniques for making rosé. The results offer i

Article

Tempranillo: The Noble Grape of Spain

The dark-skinned Tempranillo grape is most associated with the red wines of Spain and being the most prominent grape in the famed Rioja blen

Article

Chitosan: For more than just fining

Chitosan is a product every home winemaker should be familiar with, and likely has around their cellar. It is used to help clarify wine, but

Article

Taming Tartness, Adding Body, & Non-Alcoholic Wine

The Wine Wiz offers her wizdom to bring a tart wine into balance, as well as ways to add body to a wine and why non-alcoholic wine productio

Wine-wizard

Adding body to wine

I heard about a trick for home winemakers where bananas are used to add body and mouthfeel. So, my question now, is how many bananas would I

Article

Traminette

Traminette is a white hybrid grape grown all over the northern areas of North America that can make extremely aromatic wines. From crisp, dr

Technique

It’s All Fine and Good

There are many different types of fining agents available to home winemakers that fall into these four groupings: Mineral, polysaccharide, s

Article

Gold Tips for Red Wine Kits

The idea that making a great tasting wine from a kit is simple if you follow the directions isn’t wrong, though there is often a bit more

Article

Teroldego

If you want to make a red wine that can be consumed without years of aging, Teroldego is a great option. This Italian variety features flav

Technique

Mid-Winter Check-In

Harvest and the heavy lifting of crushing and fermenting your 2024 vintage are in the rearview mirror at this point. That doesn’t mean the

Wine-wizard

Wine Consumer Myths

Wine-wizard

Yeast Impact on MLF

Article

Dubunking Consumer Myths, Yeast Impact on MLF & pH Adjustments

If you sometimes prefer your red wines served a little on the cool side or are not afraid of buying high-end wines with screw cap closures,

Article

Craft Your Own Homemade Liqueurs

Homemade liqueurs are both delicious and incredibly easy to make. Why spend top dollar for liqueurs from the store when you can make ones to

Technique

Backsweetening

Backsweetening is most often done to add sweetness to a wine, but it can also help take the edge off a harsh vintage and is used in making t

Article

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most popular white wines worldwide. Where it’s grown has a big influence on the resulting wine, but the wine

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

Technique

Using Dry Ice

Dry ice has numerous applications for the home winemaker who needs to chill their must or juice without watering it down. Learn more about t