Writer: Betsy Parks
Making Mozzarella: A primer on making cheese at home
FREEMaking mozzarella is fast and easy once you get the hang of it. Here is an easy guide to get you going to mastering the art of making your own soft mozzarella. Your caprese salad will never be the same…
Blending Bench Trials
MEMBERS ONLYOne of the most useful techniques used in blending wine is performing bench trials, which is the process of treating a series of small wine samples with varying degrees of conditions. In the case of blending, bench trials involve dosing a sample of wine with different measured amounts of a blending wine. The goal of
Blending Basics
FREEIn this article, Michael Larner discusses the wines of the Rhône region of France, and one of the most important winemaking parts of Rhône winemaking is blending. Learn about the basics of
Making La Crescent Wine: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYThanks to the University of Minnesota, wine grapes can thrive in some of the coldest climates in North America (and beyond). In this issue, two winemakers discuss making wine with the Minnesota-bred, cold-hardy hybrid, La Crescent. Scott Prom, Winemaker at Shelburne Vineyard in Shelburne, Vermont. Scott’s interest in wine started in 1985 while living in
Fermentation Temperature Control
FREEFor those that would like to start getting a better handle on the fermentation temperature of their wines, you’ve found the right spot.
Making Berry Fruit Wines:Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYCountry wines come in all different styles and varieties, but berry wines are perennial favorites. Summertime brings with it a bevy of fresh, ripe berry options to craft some fine berry wines. Two berry wine experts share some winemaking advice. Sandi Vojta, Winemaker at Prairie Berry Winery in Hill City, South Dakota. Sandi is a
Wild Yeast Fermentations: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYNot every winemaker makes wine with commercially-cultivated yeast strains. In fact, lots of commercial winemakers let their wines ferment with wild yeast from the grapes and in the winery. Here we have two California winemakers discuss wild yeasts. Robert Lauer, Assistant Winemaker at Storrs Winery in Santa Cruz, California. Robert studied fermentation science and viticulture
Small Batch Winemaking
FREETips for beginners looking to make small batches of wine.
Oak Alternatives: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYA lot of home winemakers make small batches of wine that aren’t enough for a whole barrel. Thankfully there are lots of options for those of us making only a few gallons (or liters) at a time. In this article, two experts discuss their oak alternative choices. Tristan Johnson, Brand Manager at MoreWine! & MoreWine!
Prepping Your First Barrel
FREETips for beginners on how to prepare their first barrel.
Going Pro RoundTable
FREEHow do you break into the wine industry? Do you volunteer to help out at a local vineyard for a vintage? Do you go to winemaking school? Do you start out as
Meadmaking: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYMeadmaking — like winemaking — has been around for thousands of years. And if you make wine you can also make mead using much of the same equipment. In this issue, two master meadmakers share some insight for making your own mead at home. Michael Fairbrother, Founder and Meadmaker of Moonlight Meadery in Londonderry, New
Your First Mead
FREETips for brewing your firs batch of mead.
Home Winery Names
MEMBERS ONLYWhat’s in a name? If it’s a homewinery, it could be almost anything. Home winemakers explain their winery’s name.
Making Riesling Roundtable
MEMBERS ONLYAsk any wine expert and they will tell you — Riesling deserves its day in the sun. Long touted as one of the most food-friendly wines available, it’s versatility in the winery also cannot be beat. Riesling can be made into a variety of wine styles, from bone dry to icewine, and can be enjoyed
Growing Riesling Grapes: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYIf you live in a place with cooler weather and want to grow a versatile vinifera varietal, Riesling might be your best bet. Think Germany and Austria when you think of a climate for Riesling. In this issue, we asked two Riesling experts to discuss how they grow their grapes and how you can use
Controlling Grapevine Vigor: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYOne of the biggest challenges to growing grapes — commercially or recreationally — is controlling vine growth, which is known as vigor. If the vines are too productive, or not productive enough, the grapes (and resulting wines) will suffer. Two grape growing experts share some vigor advice for finding a happy medium in your backyard.
Volatile Acidity
FREEAn introduction into volatile acidity (VA) and how to avoid it.
Award-Winning Red Wine Blends Roundtable
MEMBERS ONLYFive top medal winners from the WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition share the secrets of their red wine blending success. Ron Dickens from Arizona started making wine at home in 2008 and started making red blends in 2010. His recent awards include a gold for his 2011 Chardonnay, silver for 2011 “Two Red Heads” blend,
Bottle Shock
MEMBERS ONLYIf you’ve done everything right in the winery and your wine tastes great going into the bottle, you might scratch your head when you open that first bottle to find your wine muted and disjointed. Fear not — your wine is likely experiencing bottle shock.
2016 Best New Gear
MEMBERS ONLYHot new winemaking products hitting the market in 2016.
Make Your Own Wine Vinegar
FREEWinemakers spend a lot of time and effort preventing acetic acid from ruining good wine. But to make wine vinegar, Acetobacter is actually your friend. Find out how to make some wine vinegar at home.
A Ranch In Wine Country: Dry Finish
FREEWhen Teri Kerns and Micole Moore moved to Ramona, California in 2004, just north of San Diego, they knew they wanted to live an agricultural lifestyle, but were not sure what exactly
An Enology Education: Tips from the Pros
FREEIf you are thinking about taking your amateur winemaking to a more professional level, it might be time to consider taking some winemaking classes. In this issue, two wine school instructors discuss some tips for finding your way in winemaking school.
Award-Winning Red Winemakers Roundtable
FREEWhat does it take to make world-class wine at home? Over the years since WineMaker started hosting the WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition, many readers have written in asking variations on that