Date: Aug-Sep 2020
Live Chat with Frank Musto
MEMBERS ONLYLive Chat with Frank Musto, which took place on August 12, 2020.
Benefit from a Cold Soak: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYThe benefits of cold soaking are debated among winemakers, but those who subscribe to the technique of keeping (usually red) grapes cool for a few days prior to fermentation swear by it. Two pros share their reasons why they always cold soak, and how you can do it at home too. Ann Moller-Racke, Blue Farm
Home Glycol Cooling Systems
MEMBERS ONLYGlycol cooling systems have been fixtures in commercial wineries for many years. Often using large, permanently mounted refrigeration compressors, they circulate a chilled solution of propylene glycol through pipes arranged throughout the cellar. At each cooled tank, connections allow for the circulation of the chilled glycol through a jacket surrounding the wine or must. Digital
Albariño
FREEAlbariño is Spain’s most famous white grape, best known from the country’s northwestern most department, Galicia, particularly the Rias Baixas (pronounced “Rias Bye-shas”) Denominación de Origen (D.O.). The jury is out on
Tempranillo Tips from the A-Team
MEMBERS ONLYTempranillo is a Spanish grape best known as the main ingredient in that country’s respected Rioja wines. It’s also the basis of Vega Sicilia, arguably Spain’s most famous vino. Tempranillo wines can have flavors you’d expect in a Cabernet, like dark fruit and mocha, the pepper you might find in a Syrah, and the savory
Bulk Aging
FREEAging your wine is not the most exciting winemaking topic, but it is a critical topic. Aging wine is considered from the time after your fermentation is completed through the time spent
Volatile Acidity: A little goes a long way
FREEMany wine aficionados view volatile acidity (VA) as a very fine line between a good thing and a bad thing. Find out ways to control VA so that you can walk that line between a wine boost and a wine defect.
Testing for Titratable Acidity
FREETitratable acidity, or TA, is often viewed as a more advanced test, but it shouldn’t be. With a simple kit and a good pH meter, anyone can measure TA in any wine. Bob Peak has some straightforward advice for winemakers to help you bring balance to your wines through TA.
Zoom, Zoom: Winemaking club meetings go virtual!
FREEShelter-in-place orders have been a challenge for many folks. But one winemaking club has found a way to keep their meetings going while being socially responsible. Welcome to the age of the virtual club.
LaCrosse or La Crosse? True diversity in a grape
MEMBERS ONLYElmer Swenson helped revolutionize the greater wine world with his cold-hardy grape breeding program. One such grape varietal that emerged from all his work was LaCrosse, with five species of grapes in its heritage. Learn about this grape made popular in colder climates — for good reasons.
Pressing Issues
MEMBERS ONLYYou’ve hit on one of the classic difficulties of making wine at home. The equipment we use, from presses to barrels to filters, usually are much smaller than that used by commercial wineries. Yet the size of the grapes and the job we need our equipment to do remain the same. Getting a better press
Wine Yeast to Make Bread
MEMBERS ONLYYou can definitely use wine yeast for baking bread. Bread yeast and wine yeast are both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and both work the same way, by eating sugar and converting it into ethanol and carbon dioxide gas. In the case of wine, the sugar comes from the grapes. In bread, the sugar (simple carbohydrates) can come
Light Strike in Wine?
MEMBERS ONLYI would definitely try to store your wine in the dark if you can. Your wines are in what I’m assuming are clear glass demijohns and over the year or more aging you might want for the wine, it could be enough to be detrimental to your wine’s quality. Interestingly, it’s not damage to your
Pressing Issues, Making Bread with Wine Yeast and Light Strike
MEMBERS ONLYDumping your pomace and finding the grapes still juice-laden after pressing is frustrating. The Wizard has some pointers for getting the most from your grapes as well as baking bread with wine yeast and the concerns of light strike on your wines.
The Importance of Temperature Control in Winemaking
FREENot properly controlling the temperature of your grapes, must, juice, or wine can have lasting impacts. Learn when and how to take control.