June-July 2025
Blending White Wines
Blending is often associated with red wines, but blending white wines can also be advantageous to create a balanced wine in certain situations or to complement grapes that need amplification in areas.
White Wines from Hybrid Grapes
Hybrid grapes are bred to combat growing conditions vinifera grapes have trouble with, including cold temperatures, diseases, and more. Hybrids also have their own nuances when it comes to turning them into wine. Learn how to get the most from white hybrid grapes.
Wine Filtration
Filtering isn’t glamorous, but it is often a necessary step toward brilliantly clear and microbially stable wine in the bottle. Learn the options home winemakers have when it comes to filtration, from plate to cartridge filters and various size pads, each has its own purpose.
Fermenting Pears
A perrymaker in Oregon shares advice for making perry, which he does most commonly from dessert pears.
Explore the World of Perry
Perry, or pear cider as some refer to it, is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. Facing extinction for periods through history, perry is on the upswing and it’s a great time to learn to make your own at home. Whether it’s bubbly or still, sweet or dry, there is likely a perry for everybody’s taste.
St. Croix
St. Croix is a red hybrid grape designed by a private grape breeder to withstand the bitter cold Wisconsin winters. Learn more about this thin-skinned red variety that thrives where others can’t survive.
A Ghost of Cabernet Past, Swing-Top Bottles & Bottle Shock
A 40-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon that’s now as white as a ghost? Oh no! The Wine Wizard gets to the bottom of this spooky phenomenon and also discusses the pros and cons of bottling wine in swing-top bottles and how to combat bottle shock.
Wine Adventure Down Under
We share images and recap a trip Publisher Brad Ring recently led WineMaker readers on across South Australia’s different wine regions.
Pectic Enzymes
Pectic enzymes are often used in fruit and other high-pectin wines to aid in clarity, but also serve as a useful tool post-crush to aid in juice, color, and aroma extraction for many grape wines.
Red Wine Lost Its Color
A. Ah, the joys (and occasional shocks) of rediscovering long-forgotten bottles! Your 1984 Australian Cabernet, now ghostly pale with all its color settled at the bottom, is a fascinating case study in
Using Swing-Top Bottles
Your switch from natural cork to swing-top bottles is an entirely reasonable one given your storage constraints, and you’ve taken the right steps to ensure your wine is kept in a stable
Dealing with Bottle Shock
Sounds like you’ve been bottle shocked! That, and you are experiencing some post-bottling sedimentation. You’re not alone in this, my fellow winemaker. Many a vintner, professional and amateur alike, has been surprised
Vineyard Canopy Management
Summer in the vineyard means it is time to manage your vines’ canopy. Spraying, suckering, leaf removal, adjusting lateral shoots, and eventually fruit sampling and netting your vines all need to be done long before you start picking grapes. Keep up with your vineyard work throughout summer to make harvest easy.
Restarting a Stuck Life
Stuck in a rut and at the cusp of retirement, a couple buys a home with a backyard vineyard in Calaveras County, California. Determined to not let the grapes go to waste, the vineyard sprouts more than just grapes for them — a new hobby and joy to life.
2025 Wine Education
Looking to advance your winemaking knowledge? Check out these wine education programs to start your journey down the path to a higher education in winemaking and the business of wine. Finger Lakes
Enter WineMaker’s Amateur Label Contest
Enter your home wine labels into WineMaker’s 26th Annual Label Contest!
