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Writer: Bob Peak

107 result(s).

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 can even be made into wine on their own. Learn more about the use of raisins in winemaking.


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 existing area, you want to make the winery as conducive to your needs as possible. From accessibility to temperature control, we lay out what you need to know.


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. Bob Peak walks us through several real-world examples of expressing terroir when making a red wine.


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 that there are a lot of adjustments that can be made throughout the cellaring process.


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 many roads you can take in order to better your skills at critically tasting your wines.


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 his own simple yet practical approach to sulfite management that works every time.


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 matter where you live, as well as how to handle the grapes to get them home safely.


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, albeit more equipment-heavy, process to produce bubbly wines, Bob Peak explains the technique.


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 fermented foods you can make in your kitchen and what wines may pair nicely with them.


Live Chat with Bob Peak

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


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 of making wine from grapes, juices, and kits.


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 numbers we obtain and how to use them to our advantage.


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 abide by those rules. Learn some creative ways to produce these coveted, sweet sippers.


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 their presence when that balance leans too heavily in one direction or the other.


Harvest Checklist: Pre-planning for success

Why make harvest/crush day more stressful than it needs to be? With a solid game plan things should run smoothly. One of the best ways to get all your ducks in a row is to create a checklist so that no small details are overlooked.


Four ‘Cellos

Limoncello is the most popular citrus-flavored liqueur, but they can be made from other citrus fruits as well. Learn to make four citrus liqueurs: Limoncello, limecello, arancello, and mandarincello.


Using Oak Alternatives: Cutting into the granular details

There is no denying that oak alternatives are a lot gentler on the wallet and on the environment. Bob Peak takes a spin through oak chemistry, available options, and techniques to incorporate them to elevate your wines.


Delicious Endeavors: The science of food-wine pairings

Approaching food-wine pairings can be complex given the nearly endless options available . . . but there is a science to it. Learn the basics to matching a wine with a food course to impress even the sticklers in the group.


Inert Gases for Winemaking

There are four gases often used in winemaking, each with its own unique advantages. Learn what sets carbon dioxide, argon, nitrogen, and beer gas apart, and which is best for each chore where gas can be of assistance in the home winery.


Live Chat with Bob Peak

Live chat with Bob Peak, which took place January 26, 2022.


Tune Up: Calibrating your wine equipment

What good is having a thermometer or titration kit if the numbers you are getting from them are off? Make sure you are properly calibrating all your wine testing equipment.


Versatile Vino: Using wine in other hobbies

There is so much more you can do with wine than simply drinking it. Bob Peak walks readers through several side projects winemakers can perform starting with their homemade wines to create other items of interest.


Making Mulled Wines

As autumn rolls into winter, it’s time to heat things up with mulled wine. A holiday tradition around the world, mulled wines usually include spices, citrus fruits, and wine served hot to take the chill away.


Going The Distance: Crafting age-worthy wines

When you set your sights on making a “keeper” wine, one you plan to lay down for several years, there are certain techniques you can employ to make sure it doesn’t round the bend too soon. Learn how to make that wine worth holding on to.


Making Sausage at Home

Looking for another hobby that can enhance your passion for winemaking? Try making your own sausage! Not only does sausage pair well with your wines, but you can even use your wine in the recipes.


107 result(s) found.