Date: Aug-Sep 2003
Weird Wines & Fish Tanks: Wine Wizard
MEMBERS ONLYQMy friends have been asking me weird winemaking questions. I can’t answer them. Can you? If a yeast packet says it makes 1–5 gallons (3.8–19 L) of wine, what would be the difference between using it for 1 gallon or for 5? Will using it for 1 gallon give the finished wine a higher alcohol
Why does red wine give me a headache, but white wine doesn’t (assuming I haven’t had too much of either)?
MEMBERS ONLYThe “red wine headache” is one of those wine questions that lies somewhere between legend and reality. However, there are some real answers. I’ll lay them out and you can decide for yourself. Many people immediately fault sulfites as the culprit and mistakenly assume that red wines have more SO2 (sulfur dioxide, which when in
Can I use a fish aquarium as a fermenter?
MEMBERS ONLYDear Wine Wizard, Could I make wine in an aquarium or would the glue cause a problem? Dean Mehrkens Thief River Falls, Minnesota Wine Wizard replies: “This is the dawning of the age of Aquariums…” Wait, that doesn’t sound quite right. Well, no matter, because my advice is to refrain from serving eviction papers to
Can I add yeast to Mountain Dew or Sprite to make it into a “wine”?
MEMBERS ONLYDear Wine Wizard, Can I add yeast to Mountain Dew or Sprite to make it into a “wine”? Dean Mehrkens Thief River Falls, Minnesota Wine Wizard replies: Whoa. Sprite or Mountain Dew? I’ve never heard that one before, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t valid. It’s just that when I think of commercial soda my
If a yeast packet says it makes 1–5 gallons (3.8–19L) of wine, what would be the difference between using it for 1 gallon or for 5?
FREEIf you use a 1-5 gallon (3.8–19 L) yeast packet for 1 gallon as opposed to 5 gallons, it is likely that your fermentation will proceed faster, have a more yeasty aroma
Insects, Viral and Fungal Diseases
MEMBERS ONLYIn the last issue of WineMaker we concerned ourselves with the “common” diseases of backyard viticulture. As the flu and common cold attack the human body, powdery mildew and rot attack vineyards. As we discussed in the previous article, vigilant prevention and careful canopy management are vital to keeping your vines free from mildew and
Wine Tasting 101
MEMBERS ONLYMost of us make wine because we like to drink it. The drinking part is easy to master: just tilt your head back and swallow. The tasting part, however, is a little more complicated. There is a lot of mystic hoo-hah written about wine tasting, with tales of tasters so accomplished that they can not
Elderberry: Varietal Focus
MEMBERS ONLYIts shrub is known as “the medicine chest of the common people.” The root, bark, berry, leaves, and flowers have been used by herbalists for thousands of years. The flowers have been used topically in ointments and poultices for cuts and scrapes. The berries are a good source of Vitamin A and C and are
Picking the Proper Wine Yeast: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYStephen Smith attended wine appreciation classes at Denver University in 1982–84, winemaking seminars at the New Mexico Wine and Vine Society in Albuquerque from 1984 to the present, and extension courses at U.C. Davis (including Table Wine Production, White Wine Production, Wine Filtration and Wine Lab Procedures). He is the owner of Grande River Vineyards
See You at Wine U
FREEThe professional world of viticulture (grape growing) and enology (winemaking) has become its own amazing universe. To be part of it, there are two routes you can follow. The first is owning
Super Syrah!
FREESyrah can do well in a wide variety of climates and produces wine in a number of styles, from drink-it-today fruity to structured and age-worthy. Syrah also blends well with Rhône varieties,