Date: Dec 11-Jan 12
Preventing Oxidation, Excess Sulfite
MEMBERS ONLYI need help to prevent oxidation. I make about 40 gallons (151 L) from California grapes each year, usually finishing quite nice, but last year’s Sangiovese suffers from oxidation. After fermentation and pressing, the wine spends the next ten to eleven months in carboys fitted with airlocks. I rack at least three times throughout the
Nero d’Avola: The red grape of Sicily
MEMBERS ONLY. . . Sicily’s legacy of red wine is all about Nero d’Avola, second only to Catarratto Bianco. There are almost 18,000 hectares (about 46,000 acres) of Nero in Sicily.
I accidentally made my sulfite solution at 20%. Is the wine still drinkable?
MEMBERS ONLYSince I don’t know what your “recommended” number was it’s impossible for me to know what a double addition is in this case. Therefore, you should definitely exercise caution before drinking and if your addition was greater than 50 ppm, I would send a sample out for a lab to check it. The legal limit
Should I try using carbon dioxide whenever I rack to expel oxygen. Or should I bottle sooner?
MEMBERS ONLYI have to commiserate with you on the Sangiovese and oxidation dance. For some reason, this grape varietal seems to be especially prone to color (and related oxidation) issues. Much like Pinot Noir, Sangiovese lacks some of the colored precursors that help a wine age gracefully. Some of the compounds that form high color are,
Award-Winning Red Winemakers Roundtable
FREEWhat does it take to make world-class wine at home? Over the years since WineMaker started hosting the WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition, many readers have written in asking variations on that
Sweet Wines: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYTwo pro winemakers share advice for home winemakers to make sweet wine at home
The Devil is in the Details: Dry Finish
FREEThere are five items that are considered essential by geologists for true happiness. To wit: a loaf of crusty bread, a block of cheese, a skin of wine (preferably red), a
Enjoying Dessert Wine Kits
MEMBERS ONLYDrinking Port To my palate, Port is toothsome — it somehow seems to satisfy and delight all on its own. Back when I smoked a pipe (and nothing looks dopier than someone under the age of 40 smoking a pipe, let me tell you) I thought it was the perfect accompaniment. Not that I’m recommending