Date: Winter 2001
Fizzy Wine & Gravity Readings: Wine Wizard
MEMBERS ONLYQI have just made my first batch of wine, a white one. Funny things have been happening to it. Everything seemed to go well with the fermentation of the wine. When it was done, I transferred it to the carboy. As I expected, the wine cleared on its own. At this point I added a
I am getting different gravity readings in my just-crushed juice from samples taken from the top and bottom of the vessel. What’s going on and is there a proper place to take these readings?
MEMBERS ONLYYour question is a valid one — one that many winemakers before you have wondered about. As you have discovered, where you take a sample from in a tank can give you varying readings and you find yourself wondering which reading is the most accurate. The specific gravity (or degrees Brix, or Baume, depending upon
My first white wine has a fizziness and tasted like it is almost carbonated. Do you have any suggestions?
FREEWine Wizard replies: First of all, you need to make sure that the fermentation is finished. You do this by checking your sugars with a hyrdrometer. Fermentation for a “dry” wine is
Aging Gracefully
FREESome truly remarkable changes occur when a wine is allowed to age. The more simple initial aromas eventually give way to a panoply of rounded, complex bouquets. Cabernet can take on the
2001 Label Contest Winners
FREEGold Medal Winners Joan Huff Louisville, Kentucky Joan won honorable mention in last year’s contest with a similarly colorful label. She and her husband ordered some Muscat grapes from California and things