Wine-wizard

Sanitizing With Sulfur Dioxide and Citric Acid

Article

Sulfur Dioxide: Fact and Myth

Winemakers have a lot of misconceptions about sulfur dioxide and its use in winemaking. Though somewhat controversial, longtime wine educato

Stench of Sulfur & Excess CO₂: Wine Wizard

Technique

Volatile Sulfur Compounds and Hydrogen Sulfide in Wine

If you have ever encountered volatile sulfur compounds in wine, of which hydrogen sulfide is the most common, you know how repulsive the sme

Wine-wizard

Should I try using carbon dioxide whenever I rack to expel oxygen. Or should I bottle sooner?

Article

Boosting Aromatics, Removing Carboy Stains, Mycoderma, and Sanitation

The Wine Wizard offers steps to increase aroma for aromatic white wines. Plus, how to remove stains from glass carboys, whether high-proof a

Article

“Fruit Floaties”, Sweetening Wine, Free SO₂ levels

Because sulfur dioxide is so easily-oxidizable, hydrogen peroxide naturally ‘finds’ the easily-oxidized SO₂ and the two hopef

Article

Exploring The Corking Options and Making Acidity Adjustments

Most closures are packaged pre-sanitized, usually with sulfur dioxide in the sealed bags that come from the manufacturer.

Article

The Basics of Sulfite

Learn the basics of what sulfur dioxide is, as well as when and how to use sulfite in your winemaking.

Article

Malolactic Problems and Cleaning with Chlorine

Some of the SO₂ gas created by the sulfur wick certainly will transfer into the wine as sulfur dioxide.

Technique

Make Wines to Age

It starts with great fruit, but to make age-worthy red wine the winemaker must also consider acidity, tannins, sulfur dioxide, oxygen, cella

Technique

Shaping Body and Mouthfeel in Wine

Whether the body of your wine is too thin, fallen out of balance during bulk aging, or has stubborn tannins that resist softening, there are

Technique

Carbonic Maceration Techniques

Used to emphasize fruity character or reduce earthy or “foxy” flavors, carbonic maceration is a red winemaking whole bunch fermentation

Article

The Power of Tannins

You may think of tannins as no more than the drying or puckering sensation they provide; however, tannins also play a role in mouthfeel, col

Wine-wizard

When and ways to adjust acidity

How and when do I measure to determine how much tartaric to add, what the tartaric ppm should be, and any other question I don’t know to a

Wine-wizard

Homogenization Prior To Bottling

Why and how to to homogenize your wine prior to bottling.

Technique

Managing Acidity Through MLF

Professional winemaker Chik Brenneman shares how malolactic fermentation (MLF) impacts wines, when it may be necessary, and why winemakers s

Winemaking Definitions

Article

Small Barrels, Unwanted Secondary Ferments, Natural Ferments, & Cold Stabilization

The Wine Wiz explains the differences winemakers must consider when aging wine in smaller-volume oak barrels. She also troubleshoots an unwa

Technique

Turbidity

Clarity, or turbidity, is a key aspect of wine evaluation. Let’s revisit the fundamentals of wine clarity and examine how incorporating tu

Wine-wizard

Unwanted secondary fermentation

There’s nothing quite like popping open a bottle you meant to be still and finding it has turned into a sparkling version of itself.

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Yeast Strains Chart

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Sulfite Calculator

Article

Lees: The Good, The Bad, & The Smelly

The benefits of aging white wine on the lees includes a softer mouthfeel, added weight and texture, added complexity, and a smoothing of the

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