Date: Spring 2000
Killer Bacteria & pH: Wine Wizard
MEMBERS ONLYQI own a small store in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. I have two customers with the same problem and I have no solution. Both batches were made with a four-week wine kit. The first customer lives in a small northern community and has sent me a bottle of his wine, a Merlot. It is quite cloudy
How do I adjust my wine’s pH without changing the TA?
FREEAsk almost any commercial winemaker and they will say that pH is one of the most important – if not the most important – winemaking parameter. Even though TA is important for
I’ve read you can use bananas to give body to thin wines. Can you please explain why this works and any impact on flavor?
MEMBERS ONLYHome winemakers use bananas, both dried and fresh, as a source of perceptible sweetness and body. Both effects are derived from the complex polysaccharides (that’s a fancy name for big, long-chain sugars) that bananas contain. By cooking the bananas or by using dried bananas (as many recipes specify), you’re taking advantage of these sugars to
Is it better to separate free-run wine from the pressed wine during fermentation and should they be blended before bottling if you are making Zinfandel?
MEMBERS ONLYDear Wine Wizard, Our Zinfandel wine is now in secondary fermenters, with free-run wine separate from the pressed. Do you have advice on allowing the free and pressed wines to go their own ways – or do tannins enrich Zinfandel? Also, I have another question: How do I locate a resource to help me understand
What can cause homemade wine to have a slight “vinegar” taste?
FREESeems like an attack of your friend and mine, the acetic acid bacteria. These bacteria live in wineries, on winery equipment and in the air. In fact, you’re probably breathing some in
A Feast for the Season
MEMBERS ONLYThe poets speak of glad hearts, and the red tulips and blossoming trees leave no doubt. Spring is here! So are tender, fresh vegetables like baby asparagus, bell peppers, white corn and tart mixed greens. With these newly available ingredients, you can create a delicious meal that celebrates the arrival of the warm season.
All Hail Cabs!
FREEMost winegrowers and connoisseurs consider Cabernet Sauvignon the king of the red wines. Genetically, its parents are Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. The exact birth of Cabernet Sauvignon is lost in legend,
Anatomy of a Micro Vineyard
FREESince childhood, I had always been under the impression that there is no such thing as a good bottle of homemade wine. This was mostly due to the fact that every time
Ferment Well: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYAsk most home winemakers where to find America’s best wines, and they will probably say California. Ask for the best region, and they will almost certainly say Napa Valley. And if you follow the Napa River into an area that three hundred residents call home, you will have reached a winemaker’s Nirvana: Rutherford. This California
Pressing Matters: Build a Wine Press
FREEPlan to make your own wine press
The Fine Art of Fining
MEMBERS ONLYFining is a process that clears your wine after fermentation is complete. It also stabilizes the wine by speeding up the formation and precipitation of excess tannins, unstable proteins and other microscopic matter that could form after the wine is bottled. When a fining agent is introduced to the wine, it binds to these particles,
Thinking Outside the Box
FREEMost home winemakers are familiar with grape concentrates, whether they’ve used them in a “brew-on-premise” store or at home. What many people don’t know, however, is that concentrates are surprisingly versatile. Besides
