Bob Peak

Posts

• Technique

  Racking Wine

  Racking — the action of transferring wine off the lees to another vessel — is an important technique that is required to produce clear f

• Technique

  Skin-Contact White Wines

  Orange wine is made by treating white grapes in a similar manner to red wine production, with fermentation conducted on the skins. Even if o

• Technique

  Using Gum Arabic

  Gum arabic is a natural anti-flocculant with a list of benefits that includes helping prevent tartrate crystals from forming, smoothing out

• Technique

  Pectic Enzymes

  Pectic enzymes are often used in fruit and other high-pectin wines to aid in clarity, but also serve as a useful tool post-crush to aid in j

• Technique

  Vegan Winemaking Products

  Manufacturers have recently released many plant-based or microbial-sourced products. Learn about these products, even if vegan isn’t your pr

• Technique

  It’s All Fine and Good

  There are many different types of fining agents available to home winemakers that fall into these four groupings: Mineral, polysaccharide, s

• 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

• Article

  It’s Better With Barrels

  There is a reason so many of the pros use oak barrels. Learn about the benefits of a barrel, as well as how to choose the right barrel for y

• Technique

  Backsweetening

  Backsweetening is most often done to add sweetness to a wine, but it can also help take the edge off a harsh vintage and is used in making t

• Technique

  Using Dry Ice

  Dry ice has numerous applications for the home winemaker who needs to chill their must or juice without watering it down. Learn more about t

• Technique

  Special Purpose Wine Yeasts

  Sometimes we want a wine yeast that will strictly ferment a wine dry in the conditions available to it, but other instances require special

• Technique

  Boost Your Wines With Raisins

  Raisins can be used to add body, flavor, sugar, and complexity to grape wines. They can add a wine-like character to fruit wines. And they c

• Article

  Home Winery Design

  A lot of thought and planning should be done before you begin designing a home winery. Whether building a new space or refurbishing an exist

• Technique

  Expressing Terroir in Red Wine

  Over the last decade or so, the word “terroir” has become the buzz word not just among wine lovers, but the greater agricultural world.

• Technique

  Post-Fermentation Adjustments to Taste

  When alcoholic fermentation is all wrapped up, most people assume that the wine is then mostly left alone to age. But winemakers know well t

• Technique

  Tasting Critically

  Feedback is critical for winemakers who are looking to advance their hobby and no one should be more critical than you. Learn some of the ma

• Article

  Practical Sulfite Management

  The use of sulfites in wine — how much, or even if used at all — remains a contentious subject. WineMaker’s Technical Editor shares hi

• Technique

  Pick of the Litter

  Finding high-quality grapes, even in wine country, can be a challenge for new winemakers. Get some advice for sourcing fresh grapes, no matt

• Technique

  The Charmat Process to Sparkling Wine

  Many homebrewers of beer are unknowingly very familiar with the Charmat method to carbonate wine. If you are unfamiliar with this easy, albe

• Article

  Getting Crafty

  Since the start of COVID-19, the interest in fermented foods seems to have only grown in popularity. Take a walk through some easily ferment

• Article

  Live Chat with Bob Peak

  Live Chat with Bob Peak that took place on January 24, 2023.

• Article

  Let’s Start Making Wine

  Are you or a friend new to the hobby of winemaking? Don’t worry — WineMaker’s Technical Editor Bob Peak is here to explain the basics

• 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

  Intoxicating Stuff: Crafting ice wine and ice cider

  Commercial producers of ice wines and ice ciders are highly regulated in their production, but hobby wine and cidermakers don’t need to ab

• Technique

  Balancing Wine’s Structure: Techniques to add and remove tannins

  Tannins are a big piece of the large puzzle when balancing many styles of wine. It’s important to understand ways to increase or decrease