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Date: Aug-Sep 2012

2012 Back Issues

16 result(s).

Passion Fruit Wine

Well, 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


Avoiding Sulfites, Adding Copper

Pasteurization operates on a sliding scale and its effectiveness depends on a coefficient between time and temperature.


Techniques to Reduce Sulfite Additions

In 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 any additives perceived not to be “natural.” Let’s take a look at some of the strategies to reduce sulfite use.


Using Grape Skin Packs in Wine Kits

Grapes . . . 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


Troubleshooting Guide for Home Winemaking

A 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


Pinot Noir Winemaking Techniques from Burgundy

We 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


2012 WineMaker Competition Winners

4,318 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

When 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


Syrah: Versatile, bold and colorful

Australia 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

Certainly 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


Wild Yeast Fermentations: Tips from the Pros

Not 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


Small Batch Winemaking

Tips for beginners looking to make small batches of wine.


Choosing the Right Fermenter

When 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

As 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


Vineyard Consultants: Backyard Vines

  We 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


Watertown Winemaking: Dry Finish

Here 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


16 result(s) found.