Oct-Nov 2024
It’s Better with Barrels
There is a reason so many of the pros use oak barrels. Learn about the benefits of a barrel, as well as how to choose the right barrel for you, prepare it for wine, and get the most return on your investment.
Craft Your Own Homemade Liqueurs
Homemade liqueurs are both delicious and incredibly easy to make. Why spend top dollar for liqueurs from the store when you can make ones to your taste at home for a fraction of the cost? We share the techniques as well as six homemade liqueur recipes.
We’re Better Together
Winemaking clubs offer members opportunities to learn from others and share their passion for making wine with new friends. From feedback on your wines to shared equipment and access to grapes through bulk purchases otherwise out of reach, there is a lot of value in joining a winemaking club.
Fermentation On the Mind
While the yeast technically does all the work, a winemaker has a lot of influence in the success of their fermentations. Understanding best practices — from rehydrating dry yeast and measured nutrient additions — as well as options like co-inoculation and using non-Saccharomyces yeasts are important tools to influence the final outcome of your wine.
Backsweetening
Backsweetening is most often done to add sweetness to a wine, but it can also help take the edge off a harsh vintage and is used in making traditional-method sparkling wines. Learn how to backsweeten and stabilize a wine prior to bottling.
La Batalla del Vino
Armed with a Super Soaker, WineMaker’s publisher learned quickly not to bring a wine-filled water gun to a Spanish wine fight (where the locals show up with full buckets). That didn’t spoil the experience at this year’s La Batalla del Vino.
Fall/Winter Tips in the Vineyard
Fall is the most critical time in the vineyard. Preparing for and executing harvest are paramount. So is the cleanup and vineyard care afterwards. Wes Hagen lays out his advice for fall and winter care in a mature vineyard.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most popular white wines worldwide. Where it’s grown has a big influence on the resulting wine, but the winemaker also has a say in the final outcome based on the techniques used in the winery.
Lowering pH
The pH of these grapes do seem high. For California grapes, I like to see whites in the 3.30–3.45 range and reds in the 3.45–3.65 range when picked. However, many of our
Adding body to country wine
You are really onto something here! Water is added to recipes for many different reasons. If you’re making a wine with flowers or dry fruits (like dandelion wine or elderberry wine) you’ll
Understanding degree days
Interestingly, even though your heat summation units are low, you are close to the Pacific Coast so I am guessing your winters are mild. European grapevines (Vitis vinifera) grow at a minimum
Is chitosan safe for those with shellfish alergies?
Though I’m no medical doctor (and certainly don’t play one on TV), from what research I was able to pull together, if I personally had a shellfish allergy I would feel comfortable
Lowering pH, add body to to country wines, degree days, & chitosan
The Wizard offers advice on when and how to lower pH. She also suggests a remedy for thin country wines, explains why degree days are only part of the story when selecting grape varieties to grow, and whether chitosan is safe to use if one has a shellfish allergy.
Tips for Using Barrel Alternatives
If you don’t have a barrel to put your wine in, then put a barrel alternative in your wine. Two experts share advice for getting the most from chips, cubes, spirals, and other alternatives.
