Topic: Color
Maceration Considerations
MEMBERS ONLYAs harvest nears it is time to make a plan of action for how you will proceed with each batch you plan to make this fall. With red wines there are many options. We take a closer look at cold soaking, extended macerations, and carbonic macerations.
Brown Colored White Wine
FREESorry to say, but it sounds like you’ve got a no-bueno situation. White grapes should always be pressed as soon as possible after picking in order to reduce juice (and subsequent wine)
Color Problems In My Pinot Noir
MEMBERS ONLYI had this exact problem happen to me this year with one of my lots of Russian River Pinot. Thankfully, the original brick-red color disappeared and was replaced by bright red once the fermentation got going and the wine got back into a reductive carbon dioxide-rich environment and after a few day’s skin exposure. On
Red Wine Stabilization
MEMBERS ONLYEver open a bottle of red wine you’ve lovingly saved for 20 years only to be disappointed as a brick-orange liquid followed by a brownish sludge falls into your glass? The issue of color optimization and retention in red wines is a large and complicated one — I could probably write at least ten articles
Red Wine Color Stability
MEMBERS ONLYKeep the color in your reds by learning about color stability and how to achieve it.
Color Loss in Candy Cane Wine
MEMBERS ONLYWell, well, well. Candy cane wine is one I have never heard of! However, as one of my winemaking professors always said, you can ferment just about anything as long as you can find the right microbe to do it! Candy canes certainly have a sugar source (sucrose), so wine yeast will definitely chew through
Skin Contact Decisions
MEMBERS ONLYWinemakers have to decide how long to macerate their grapes to make the best wine. But how? Too little skin contact and the wines can lack color or body; too much contact and you wind up with wines that are too bitter or astringent. Learn more about skin contact to make an informed decision.
Perfecting and Protecting Wine Color
FREEIt’s said that people eat and drink with their eyes, and when it comes to wine there is no exception.Find out how to create and protect the color of your red, white, and pink wines.
Red Hybrid Color Stabilization: Tips from the Pros
FREERed wines from hybrid grapes can be frustrating — one day you have a deep garnet wine and the next you are wondering where the color went. Color stabilization is the key,
How do I really know that my juice is Syrah, and are there Syrahs that don’t have that deep purple color?
MEMBERS ONLYYou say you have a Syrah that is not purple, and how do you know it’s Syrah? To address your second question first, I would say you really have to trust your supplier unless you want to spend a lot of money playing detective (more on that presently). The first step I would take is