Alison Crowe

Wine-wizard

Why does red wine give me a headache, but white wine doesn’t (assuming I haven’t had too much of either)?

Wine-wizard

If a yeast packet says it makes 1–5 gallons (3.8–19L) of wine, what would be the difference between using it for 1 gallon or for 5?

Wine-wizard

Is there a way to stop corks from leaking?

Wine-wizard

I was thinking of adding oak chips in cheesecloth to a gallon carboy of red Zinfandel for one month; any experience with this?

Wine-wizard

Can you remove excess sulfite from a batch of wine?

Wine-wizard

Do you have any suggestions for a wine that came out too “hot” with a higher than expected alcohol content?

Wine-wizard

My wine has some kind of flies buzzing around the must. Do I need to throw this batch out?

Wine-wizard

Is filtering good or bad for your wine?

Wine-wizard

Can I add grape juice in place of acid blend to my country fruit wine?

Wine-wizard

What can I do to make my wine more dry and less sweet?

Wine-wizard

Do fluted bottles serve any useful purpose other just for looks?

Wine-wizard

What would happen if you added a vanilla bean to red wine in hopes of getting some vanilla flavors traditionally given off by oak barrels?

Wine-wizard

Can I make a sulfite-free wine?

Article

The ABCs of Making Z

In the early days of the California wine industry, growers found that Zinfandel was a good “workhorse” grape that did well in a variety

Wine-wizard

Should I boil or soak my corks prior to bottling?

Wine-wizard

What can I do to prevent my recurring problem of excess CO₂ in my wines?

Wine-wizard

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?

Wine-wizard

My first white wine has a fizziness and tasted like it is almost carbonated. Do you have any suggestions?

Wine-wizard

How do I allow for suspended solids when taking hydrometer readings?

Wine-wizard

My wine tastes tart and I think there is too much acid. Any suggestions to correct this problem?

Wine-wizard

Should I add Campden tablets each time I rack my wine and how do I measure the level of sulfite in my wine?

Wine-wizard

Can you tell me what all those chemicals that come with wine kits are for and if it’s necessary to use them?

Wine-wizard

How can I increase the sugar content of my juice without using refined sugar?

Wine-wizard

Can you explain the “solera” system of aging your wine?

Wine-wizard

My wine has developed a foul taste and odor from Brettanomyces. Is it correctable?