Date: Aug-Sep 2012
Passion Fruit Wine
MEMBERS ONLYWell, I will admit I have never made a passion fruit wine (living in Napa, those pesky grapes just seem to be the most convenient sugar source at hand) but I will give you what advice I can. Passion fruit (or Passiflora edulis) is a popular worldwide flavor. The fruit is eaten in desserts and
Avoiding Sulfites, Adding Copper
MEMBERS ONLYPasteurization operates on a sliding scale and its effectiveness depends on a coefficient between time and temperature.
Techniques to Reduce Sulfite Additions
MEMBERS ONLYIn spite of their long history as wine preservatives dating to the days of the Romans, sulfites can receive a bad rap. Many suspect that sulfites cause headaches or believe that any preservative is harmful, and so, there is a strong push to eliminate — or at least reduce — the use of sulfites and
Using Grape Skin Packs in Wine Kits
MEMBERS ONLYGrapes . . . they do seem to inspire metaphor, but not as much as they inspire winemakers and wine drinkers. It is the source of wine, the beverage we all know and love so much. (Well, one source: if there’s one thing I’ve learned in more than two decades of working in the consumer
Troubleshooting Guide for Home Winemaking
MEMBERS ONLYA perfect stranger wanting to strike up a conversation about winemaking once came up to me and said, “Making wine is really easy. Don’t believe anyone who says otherwise.” Making wine is easy when all is “perfect,” but nothing is ever perfect in winemaking. Making great wine is a challenge more often than not given
Pinot Noir Winemaking Techniques from Burgundy
MEMBERS ONLYWe have all heard the expression that great wine is made in the vineyard. And while we home winemakers generally accept this as truth, nowhere has this been more obvious to me than in the Burgundy region of France. Many fans of Pinot Noir, including myself, believe that the very best Pinot Noirs come from
2012 WineMaker Competition Winners
FREE4,318 entries 803 wine flights 1,511 total judging hours 50 American states 8 Canadian provinces 7 Countries From April 20 to 22, 2012, a total of 4,318 different wines were judged at
Fermenter Options for any Size Home Winery
MEMBERS ONLYWhen setting out to make wine from grapes, one of the first major decisions is what you will use as a fermentation container. For most winemaking, you will need a primary fermenter and an aging container. Vessels for both purposes are available in a variety of materials and in many sizes. Frequently used choices include
Syrah: Versatile, bold and colorful
MEMBERS ONLYAustralia recognizes Syrah as Shiraz. It is presumed that the name stuck as the cuttings that were brought to the country in the 1830s by James Busby were identified with the names Ciras and Scryas, making it difficult to research the origins of the name, given the Iranian connection . . .
Allergic To Sulfites
MEMBERS ONLYCertainly you can try to pasteurize (heat at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time) your wine if you like. Many foods and beverages (like milk) are so heat treated in order to kill any bacteria, yeast or other organisms. Louis Pasteur, the Frenchman who gave the process his name back in the
Wild Yeast Fermentations: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYNot every winemaker makes wine with commercially-cultivated yeast strains. In fact, lots of commercial winemakers let their wines ferment with wild yeast from the grapes and in the winery. Here we have two California winemakers discuss wild yeasts. Robert Lauer, Assistant Winemaker at Storrs Winery in Santa Cruz, California. Robert studied fermentation science and viticulture
Small Batch Winemaking
FREETips for beginners looking to make small batches of wine.
Choosing the Right Fermenter
FREEWhen setting out to make wine from grapes, one of the first major decisions is what you will use as a fermentation container. For most winemaking, you will need a primary fermenter
Adding Copper
MEMBERS ONLYAs you’ve probably read in my columns and in the Winemaker’s Answer Book, though I like to “let wine be what it will be,” when it comes to potentially toxic things like high residual levels of copper, I like to only add — when I really have to — in measurable amounts. Though admittedly it
Vineyard Consultants: Backyard Vines
MEMBERS ONLYWe winemakers are self-reliant. We like to be in charge of our own affairs and it can seem like a defeat to be forced to ask for help — whether it be from our spouses, our relatives or from a hired professional. There is power in self-reliance. It helps us persevere through difficulties. When
Watertown Winemaking: Dry Finish
FREEHere in northern New York State there is a special place like no other. To the west of this place there is Lake Ontario with breathtaking sunsets and the newly formed Seaway