On July 17 learn late season grape growing and harvest techniques for your small-scale vineyard with “Backyard Vines” Columnist Wes Hagen. Register now to grow and harvest the best wine grapes this year!
New to WineMaking
Ready to make wine at home? This is a great place to start. These articles explore the basics of winemaking from grapes, fresh juice, or wine kits, and provide some helpful advice to get you started. Be sure to check out our Resource Guides, and browse our Wine Wizard content if you get stuck.
Posts
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Article
Prepping Your First Barrel
Tips for beginners on how to prepare their first barrel.
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Your First Mead
Tips for brewing your firs batch of mead.
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Volatile Acidity
An introduction into volatile acidity (VA) and how to avoid it.
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Choosing Your First Fermenter
Explore the options for your first fermentation vessel.
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Preparing Country Fruit
How should fruit be prepared before using it to make country wines? Let’s have a look…
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Determining Ripeness
How do you know when it’s time to pull the trigger on harvest? Here’s an introductory look for your first harvest.
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Article
What’s that in my Kit?
An introduction to what you’ll find in your first wine kit.
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Cleaning and Sanitation for Beginners
An introduction to cleaning and sanitation for beginners.
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Preventing Oxidation
An introduction to preventing oxidation of your wine.
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Bottling Your First Batch
An introduction into bottling your first batch of wine.
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Malolactic Fermentation for Beginners
A quick explanation of what malolactic fermentation is, and how/when you may want to do it.
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Stopping Fermentation
Learn how to stop fermentation before reaching dryness, plus when and why a winemaker may wish to do so.
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Using Pectic Enzymes
Pectic enzymes are often required when making fruit wines, but also come in handy in certain situations when making wine from grapes. Learn
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Sourcing Grapes
Want to make wine from fresh grapes but not sure how to go about getting them? Here’s an introduction about sourcing grapes.
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Design a Great Home Wine Label
You are already proud of the wine you made, but when it comes time to share or gift your wine, you want to be proud of the packaging too. Us
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Sur Lie Aging & Bâttonage
An introduction to sur lie aging and why you may want to consider it for your next batch.
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Keeping Notes in the Winery
Why it is important for winemakers to take notes, and what information should always be recorded.
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Crafting Age-Worthy White Wines
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Choosing Your First Wine Kit
Looking to buy your first wine kit? Here’s what you need to know before you start shopping.
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Protein Stabilization
Get hot tips for protein stabilization.
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Using a Hydrometer
Learn the basics of how and when to use a hydrometer in your winemaking process.
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Cellaring Wines
Learn the basics of how and where to age your homemade wines.
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Understanding Brix Readings
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Fresh-Grape Winemaking Equipment
An introduction into the equipment a new winemaker will need to get started in the hobby.
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Fining for Beginners
Learn the ins and outs of fining wine and the options to choose from.