Date: Oct-Nov 2018
Freezing Grapes
FREEGoodness, I’ve never answered two questions at the same time before! I decided to put the two of you together since your questions were so similar. There are some things that apply
Curing A Stuck Fermentation
FREEYes, sluggish and stuck fermentations are one of the most common, persistent, and frustrating issues that winemakers encounter. They happen for so many reasons, and possibly for a combination of so many
Chat with Chik Brenneman
MEMBERS ONLYLive Chat with Chik Brenneman, which took place on November 14, 2018.
Doughboys Tribute Merlot
FREEI recently combined my winemaking hobby with the reverence I have for my ancestors who served in the military. Specifically, I made a batch of wine as a tribute to my three
Vineyard Management Review
MEMBERS ONLYAre you ready for some viticultural self-reflection? When harvest is wrapping up, there is no better time to reflect on what you have done right in your vineyard and factors you could improve upon for next year.
Using Tannins: Purposes, sources, and use in winemaking
FREETannins can provide a wine with a lot more than just astringency. They can also be useful in white and rosé wines as well if used properly. Bob Peak gives a tour of the benefits of various tannin products available to hobby winemakers.
Noble Nebbiolo: Time to raise it from the fog
MEMBERS ONLYExplore the grape varietal made famous by the Italian wineries producing Barolo and Barbaresco wines in the Piemonte region of northern Italy. Learn about Nebbiolo’s history, viticulture, enology, and future.
The Sulfite Blues, Curing A Stuck Fermentation and Freezing Grapes
MEMBERS ONLYQ I have a Merlot to which I added SO2 thirteen days ago and it smelled ok. but last night I pulled a sample and it had a bruised apple smell and tasted sweet. The fruit is from the Dry Creek AVA in California (great fruit) at pH 3.5, but I tested SO2 yesterday and
The Sulfite Blues
MEMBERS ONLYYour nose (bruised apple/sweet smell) and your chemical analysis (loss of Free SO2) are telling me that you have an oxygen ingress problem and aldehydes and perhaps an increase in VA (volatile acidity) are the result. Please do your future wines a favor and always switch from fermentation “burper” bungs to hard bungs upon racking
Crafting Pinot Noir Wines
MEMBERS ONLYFinesse the legendary grape from Burgundy.
Fortify It! Adding Spirits To Your Wine
MEMBERS ONLYYour first fortified wine can be a little intimidating. What method are you going to utilize? Sweet or dry? What type of spirits are you going to use? Then again, maybe you’re not like me and already have a game plan in place for your fortification process. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore other means
From Hobby to Startup
FREEThinking about taking your winemaking hobby commercial? There’s a lot of planning that must go into the endeavor, as Jason Phelps (a longtime home winemaker who opened a commercial meadery earlier this year) explains. Here’s what you need to consider before the actual process of making wine begins.
Fantastic Fermentations
FREECareful attention must be paid to fermentation to achieve great wine. We gathered experts from four different yeast laboratories to glean advice on selecting yeast strains, co-inoculation, optimal fermentation conditions, and more.
Red Hybrid Winemaking
MEMBERS ONLYThere are some intricacies when making red table wines from hybrid grapes that vinifera winemakers don’t experience — from growing practices, pre-fermentation techniques, and right on through to post-fermentation adjustments.
Single-Batch Bottle Variability
MEMBERS ONLYIf you’ve ever opened multiple bottles of wine made from the same batch and noticed they don’t taste identical, then you, too, have experienced bottle variability. Learn the potential causes and ways to alleviate variability among your bottles.
Wes’ Post-Harvest Quiz
FREEHarvest/Post Harvest Quiz: With Pro-Inspired Conceptual Cheat-Sheets Mark your answers and keep a running score in the margins. There will be a discussion of point totals at the end of the article.