Technique

Balancing Must

Grapes aren’t always harvested with ideal numbers to be made into wine. Getting them often requires intervention by the winemaker. This co

Technique

Chemistry of Must Correction

Clark Smith offers ways to extract the most from your grapes by digging into the chemistry of must correction — including methods to boost

Technique

Mid-Winter Check-In

Harvest and the heavy lifting of crushing and fermenting your 2024 vintage are in the rearview mirror at this point. That doesn’t mean the

Technique

Get the Most From Harvest Numbers

While taste should drive many decisions, the numbers can’t be ignored. Chik Brenneman shares the ideal statistics he looks for at harvest

Technique

Experimenting With Deficit Irrigation

With ongoing drought concerns in many wine-growing regions, the practice of deficit irrigation is gaining traction, not only for using less

Technique

Just the pHacts

If you are a winemaker looking to boost your wine’s quality, then tracking pH is a must. Bob Peak introduces the chemistry behind the numb

Technique

Chaptalization

Chaptalization is the act of adding sugar to juice or must in order to increase alcohol content post-fermentation. Learn the basics of this

Technique

A Nitro Boost: Nitrogen’s role in primary fermentation

Wine was made for millennia with little intervention from humans. But let’s be honest, we have no idea how those wines tasted. Today we kn

Technique

Finding Balance with Hybrids

Hybrid grapes pose certain challenges to winemakers including higher acidity and lower tannins. Three cool-climate winemakers share their ad

Technique

Maceration Enzymes: Making the most of these additions

There are a lot of enzyme products available to winemakers, but in general they can be broken into just a few classes. Learn when and why a

Technique

Tannin Additions: Tips From the Pros

A grape’s tannin structure is impacted by varietal, terroir, and growing conditions. Sometimes, grapes lack the tannins desired, and when

Technique

Testing for SO₂: Keeping your wine safe

Despite popular lore in some diet-watching crowds, sulfite in wine is not only low compared to many foods, but it is key to limit oxidation

Technique

Testing for Titratable Acidity

Titratable acidity, or TA, is often viewed as a more advanced test, but it shouldn’t be. With a simple kit and a good pH meter, anyone can

Technique

Testing for pH: What the big pHuss is about

Near the top of the list of factors that winemakers should be measuring in their juice and wine is pH. Bob Peak breaks down the what, when,

Technique

Testing for Malolactic: Don’t be in doubt

Not all wines should go through a secondary malolactic fermentation (MLF), but for all wines that do undergo this fermentation, testing shou

Technique

Oxygen Management for Home Winemakers

Oxidation is one of the most common faults among home (and pro) winemakers. Learn how to protect your wine against the detrimental effects o

Technique

Detecting, Measuring, and Preventing Volatile Acidity

Here, we will look at the possible sources and root causes of volatile acidity in grapes — yes, it can start in the fruit — and wine, as

Technique

Yeast Nutrient Strategies

Technique

Simple Sulfite Wine Chemistry

Technique

Techniques to Reduce Sulfite Additions

In spite of their long history as wine preservatives dating to the days of the Romans, sulfites can receive a bad rap. Many suspect that sul

Technique

Making White Wines with Less Sulfite

Follow these steps and best practices if you would like to use less sulfite in your white winemaking.

Technique

Tannin Chemistry in Wine

Technique

Reducing Use of Winemaking Sulfites

Many factors from grape quality to winemaking care and technique impact the amount of sulfite needed to protect wine from spoilage.

Technique

Using Winemaking Enzymes

Technique

Understanding Oxygen and Oxidation in Winemaking