Article

Fixing Common Mistakes: Tips from the Pros

We asked two professional winemakers to discuss common winemaking mistakes and how to avoid or correct them.

Technique

Wine Kit First Aid

Wine-wizard

Can I make a sulfite-free wine?

Technique

It’s Lysozyme Time

Article

Bottling: Tips from the Pros

Three longtime pro winemakers share their advice for amateurs related to bottling wines.

Article

The ABCs of Making Z

In the early days of the California wine industry, growers found that Zinfandel was a good “workhorse” grape that did well in a variety

Wine-wizard

What can I do to prevent my recurring problem of excess CO₂ in my wines?

Technique

Barrel Care Techniques

Wine-wizard

My first white wine has a fizziness and tasted like it is almost carbonated. Do you have any suggestions?

Article

Who Wants to be a Winemaker?

Take out a pencil and test your winemaking knowledge using this fun quiz. Let’s play “Who Wants to be a Winemaker?”

Article

pHiguring out pH

Get an understanding of pH, why it’s important, how to measure pH, and how to correct it.

Wine-wizard

Should I add Campden tablets each time I rack my wine and how do I measure the level of sulfite in my wine?

Article

Solving the Sulfite Puzzle

Let’s try to demystify sulfite by reviewing some fundamental chemistry. This will help us understand how sulfite protects wine and how muc

Article

Put a Cork in It!

Wine closures include a range of possibilities: Traditional wooden corks, synthetic cork imitations; hybrids of plastic and cork; screw caps

Article

Mastering Malolactic Fermentation: Tips from the Pros

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) may sound mysterious, but it’s a technique every home winemaker should master.

Wine-wizard

I just bought my first barrel and opted for a paraffin-lined model. Will this work or do I need charred barrels for wine aging?

Article

The Willamette Way to World-Class Wine

Oregon’s Willamette Valley offers a cooler climate that is ideal for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and other popular varieties, as their

Technique

From Cleaning to Bottling: Tips from Adelsheim

Article

Great Gewurztraminer from Grapes

From finding the uncommon grapes to fermenting the delicate wine, making Gewürztraminer wine is no simple task.

Article

All Hail Cabs!

Often considered the king of red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon wines are as diverse as the lands upon which the grapes are grown.

Article

Ferment Well: Tips from the Pros

Bob Pepi, the son of famed winemaker Robert Pepi, has been making wine for nearly two decades and offers advice for making award-winning win

Wine-wizard

What can cause homemade wine to have a slight “vinegar” taste?

Troubleshoot a Stuck Fermentation

More Practical Wine Terms

Technique

Taking the Fear Out of Must Analysis

You might be wondering why someone would want to bother tinkering with must when trying to get the grapes smashed and into the bucket is cha