Date: Oct-Nov 2012
Lysozyme, Adding Sugar, and Oak Alternatives
MEMBERS ONLYExcluding bacteria that can eat malic acid and turn it into lactic acid is the only way to make sure you don’t get refermentation in the bottle.
Growing Rhône: Varietals to try in your backyard
MEMBERS ONLYAn overview of the Rhone varieties you may be able to grow in your own backyard.
Making White Wines with Less Sulfite
MEMBERS ONLYManaging oxygen is key in making reduced-sulfite or sulfite-free wines. A dissolved oxygen (DO) meter is a wise investment; you can buy a portable model for less than $300. Then you can ensure that your DO level at bottling is less than 2 mg/L to give you peace of mind that your wine will age
Tannin Chemistry in Wine
MEMBERS ONLYIt all starts with phenol. The tannins in wine make up one of the subgroups in a larger chemical family known as polyphenols. Those, in turn, are made up of phenol-derived molecules and additional carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. While a winemaker does not need to know the chemistry of polyphenols and tannins to make
Build a Ladder-Style Wine Rack
MEMBERS ONLYThere are lots of different styles of racking you can use in your cellar, so it’s worth considering the advantages and disadvantages of each as you work out the details of your design. They include flat shelves, display shelves, ladder racking, waterfall racking, diamond bins, radiused ladders, curved end shelves, end caps, and others. You’ve
10 Italian Red Wines to Make at Home
MEMBERS ONLYNEBBIOLO Nebbiolo derives its name from nebbia, in reference to the foggy conditions under which it is typically harvested, and possibly from nobile, as it is considered the most noble of Italian red varietals owing to its pedigree and the wines’ long aging potential. Much like oenophiles refer to Pinot Noir from Burgundy as Burgundy,
Chenin Blanc: The taste of terroir
MEMBERS ONLYViticulturists in the Loire Valley tend to describe its flavor as an expression of the terroir of the land.
Can Lysozyme Arrest MLF?
MEMBERS ONLYIn my day job in Napa, California (as Winemaker for Garnet Vineyards as well as other consulting projects) I bottle plenty of “partial ML” Chardonnay every year and love the style. In fact, my Garnet Vineyards Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is about two-thirds malolactic complete, depending on the natural acidity of the year (lower acid years
Oak Alternatives: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYA lot of home winemakers make small batches of wine that aren’t enough for a whole barrel. Thankfully there are lots of options for those of us making only a few gallons (or liters) at a time. In this article, two experts discuss their oak alternative choices. Tristan Johnson, Brand Manager at MoreWine! & MoreWine!
Prepping Your First Barrel
FREETips for beginners on how to prepare their first barrel.
Sugar Options For Fruit Wine
MEMBERS ONLYCane sugar, or sucrose, derived from the sugar cane plant, has a chemical structure of C12H22O11, is a di-saccharide comprised of the mono-saccharides glucose and fructose and is found in many plant sources, most well-known being the aforementioned sugar cane plant, the sugar beet root and sap from the maple tree. I think you mean
Oak Chip Recommendations For Chardonnay
MEMBERS ONLYFirst, make sure that the portion left over, i.e. the portion you are not bottling now and will be adding more oak to, will be stored in a completely full (or “topped up”) container. This is critical to protect wine, especially white wines, from the ravages of oxygen and aerophilic spoilage organisms. Now, on to
Making the Most of Your Winery Visit
MEMBERS ONLYHeading to wine country is a field trip for adults. You’ve got beautiful scenery, interesting people, new beverages to enjoy and an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life. But how do you make the most of your winery field trip? As a winemaker, you have insight into the
Making the Most of Your Winery Visit
MEMBERS ONLYHeading to wine country is a field trip for adults. You’ve got beautiful scenery, interesting people, new beverages to enjoy and an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life. But how do you make the most of your winery field trip? As a winemaker, you have insight into
Quick Drinking Wine Kits
MEMBERS ONLYIn this article I’ll be discussing “vinfanticide,” which is wines to drink on bottling day (or before). And in the next issue I’ll cover super-early drinking wines (under three months of age). I know that there are a few kit winemakers reading this article who just got a shocked look on their face: “You can
Young Wine Kits: Wine Kits
MEMBERS ONLYBack in the April-May 2002 issue of WineMaker I wrote an article about picking the right wine kit. The McGuffin of the article was the idea that there was a right kit for every winemaker, based on what time-frame they were looking to drink it in: obviously, if you’re pressed for time, most super-premium
Orange County Competition: Dry Finish
FREEOn June 9th, members of the Orange County Wine Society (OCWS) gathered at oh-dark-thirty at the Orange County Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, California for our 36th annual Homewine Competition,