Date: Jun-Jul 2019
Story Behind The Label
FREEFeatured in the February-March 2023 issue: Kent Nienaber • Ham Lake, Minnesota Our Love Sick Marquette label was born out of a difficult situation that arose during COVID. In early September of 2021,
Blending Fruit Wines
MEMBERS ONLYCountry wines made with multiple fruit varieties can be blended prior to fermentation or after. Learn how two professional winemakers decide when to blend, as well as the other considerations they account for when making these lovely summer sippers.
Pressure in the Home Vineyard: How to measure and mitigate fungal disease
MEMBERS ONLYAll photos courtesy of Shutterstock.com It is not lost on the well-informed winegrower/winemaker that fungi — ancient, single-cell organisms that have been on this planet hundreds of millions of years longer than humans — are our best friend in the winery and our worst enemy in the vineyard. How is that possible? Yeast are fungi,
Off The Beaten Path: Spice, herb, and vegetable winemaking
MEMBERS ONLYPhoto by Charles A. Parker/Images Plus These wines are not common in the commercial marketplace where dry grape wines dominate. There are some fruit wines, of course, and a few novelty wines made with coffee or chocolate. You can find mulled or spiced holiday wines to serve warm in the winter. Among the small group
Beyond Beaujolais: Get acquainted with Gamay Noir
MEMBERS ONLYPhoto courtesy of Shutterstock.com Wine brings people together. This is cause for great reflection for me personally because as you read this, I will have been retired from the University of California Teaching and Research Winery for several months. It is a very sentimental time in my life because of all the contacts I made
Everything Wine: Scavenging up a new hobby
FREEI’d never seen my father drink a glass of wine — until he became a winemaker. He retired from a full-time sales career and besides golf, gardening, and a part-time job selling
Softening The Wine, Using Gum Arabic, and Avoiding a Persistent Sediment
MEMBERS ONLYQI am planning to try a new product on some older cabernet wine (2015 vintage) that has not yet been bottled. It has a harshness that might be related to tannins. It starts out okay for the mouthfeel, but the finish is harsh on the tip of the tongue. My question is with the use
Dealing With Persistent Sediment
FREEGoodness, you’ve got a persistent sediment source in your wines that’s for sure. You’ve removed the gross particles by racking and filtration.You’ve cleared out proteins by using bentonite. You’ve taken out excess
Softening The Wine
MEMBERS ONLYBefore I launch into my information about gum arabic and related products, do take a minute to think that gum arabic may not give you the result you’re looking for. Gum arabic can smooth out the perception of tannins in some wines, but I’ve found that sometimes it can make the problem seem worse. If
Let’s Get Macerating
FREEThe concept of maceration is a rather simple one: Take crushed grapes (or fruit) and allow the grapes — skins, seeds, and stems — a period to soak with the grape juice.
When Wines Go Bad
FREEWhether you make wine at home, commercially, or simply enjoy drinking it, it’s likely you have encountered faulted wine; maybe it was the subtle aroma of geranium leaves, an aromatically muted glass
A Quicker Route to Bubbles
MEMBERS ONLYMaking non-traditional sparkling wine at home through force carbonation is simple and can yield amazing results. With just a few pieces of equipment, one can make delicious bubbly in a matter of weeks. In this article I will outline how to keg, carbonate, and bottle sparkling wine to be enjoyed with friends and family. Force
Winemaking Tips from Robert Foley
MEMBERS ONLY“I think the two biggest things for me were to get out of the science lab and get into the vineyard,” says Californian winemaker Bob Foley, known for decades of top-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Foley is referring to the mid-1970s when he graduated from UC-Davis with a degree in enology and fermentation science. He
Méthode Champenoise
MEMBERS ONLYMéthode Champenoise is the most traditional way to make sparkling wine. It requires extra time, attention to detail, and more steps than other methods of sparkling wine production. However, it also makes the highest quality bubbly, which is why it is the only technique used by Champagne makers. Learn how to master this technique at home.