Writer: Danny Wood
Merlot Around the World
MEMBERS ONLYThough its reputation may have been tarnished by a certain movie after the turn of the century, Merlot continues to be one of the most popular wine grapes in the world. Winemakers from France, Italy, and the United States share advice on crafting a memorable Merlot at home.
Sauvignon Blanc: Old World to New
MEMBERS ONLYSauvignon Blanc wines came to fame in France’s Loire region, but they have also achieved success in New Zealand, the U.S., and elsewhere. Four winemakers from these top Sauvignon Blanc-producing regions share their techniques that result in wines of varying character and flavors.
Winemaking from Down Under
MEMBERS ONLYAustralia produces a lot more than Shiraz and budget wines with kangaroos on the label. Get an inside look at how Aussie winemakers are flipping the reputation of the wines from Down Under, with tips for creating their most touted styles in your home winery.
Tempranillo Tips from the A-Team
MEMBERS ONLYTempranillo is a Spanish grape best known as the main ingredient in that country’s respected Rioja wines. It’s also the basis of Vega Sicilia, arguably Spain’s most famous vino. Tempranillo wines can have flavors you’d expect in a Cabernet, like dark fruit and mocha, the pepper you might find in a Syrah, and the savory
Malbecs Around the Globe
FREEThe popularity of Malbec has grown tremendously over the past two decades, thanks in large part to the award-winning examples coming out of Argentina. We interviewed five winemakers from three continents to share their tips for making Malbec at home.
The Many Sides of Chardonnay
MEMBERS ONLYIf Cabernet is the King of Grapes, Chardonnay is probably the Queen. It’s the most popular wine among US drinkers with about 20% market share, and in California there’s more of this white grape planted than any other wine grape — 91,043 acres according to a report released last year by the California Department of
Winemaking Tips from Robert Foley
MEMBERS ONLY“I think the two biggest things for me were to get out of the science lab and get into the vineyard,” says Californian winemaker Bob Foley, known for decades of top-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Foley is referring to the mid-1970s when he graduated from UC-Davis with a degree in enology and fermentation science. He
Six Essential Winemaking Techniques
MEMBERS ONLYCommercial winemakers and wine industry professionals don’t become experts overnight. It can take many vintages to figure out what works and what doesn’t work in a home or commercial winery. But that doesn’t mean hobby winemaking has to be hard — and it helps to get some pro-level advice to boost your confidence. We spoke with
Wild Yeast Fermentation
MEMBERS ONLYWild or native yeasts, according to a general definition, occur naturally in the air or on surfaces. While the word, ‘wild’ might give the romantic impression that winemaking’s native yeasts come from the grapes in the vineyard, it’s just as likely a wild ferment is the result of yeast from winery equipment or even the
10 Tips for Taking stock in Your Home Winery
MEMBERS ONLYTake advantage of the quieter moments in your home winery to take a deep breath and regroup. Four veteran winemakers share tips for cleaning, organizing, restocking, and reviewing the past year’s winemaking, and planning for the coming vintage.
The Legacy of Ravenswood
MEMBERS ONLYOnce upon a time Joel Peterson was a hobby winemaker with dreams of going pro. Today, Ravenswood is one of the most recognizable labels in the world. Find out how he did it, as well as his winemaking philosophy and techniques.
Lessons from Somms Who Make Wines
MEMBERS ONLYThese three world-class sommeliers have taken the leap from designing restaurant wine programs and recommending bottles to growing grapes and making award-winning vintages of their own.
Wines, Naturally
MEMBERS ONLYDo you know the difference between organic, biodynamic, and natural wines? Learn what differentiates each term, plus ways to cut down on the chemicals in your winemaking process.
Wines, Naturally
MEMBERS ONLYMany wine experts are very skeptical about natural winemaking techniques. They say natural fermentations lead to unreliable or stuck ferments and regard doing away with sulfite additions — a requirement of certified organic wines in the United States — as handing over the wine to spoilage microbes. But in recent years, a small but growing
Award-Winning Kit Winemakers Roundtable
MEMBERS ONLYHow do you make the best possible homemade wine from a kit? You know, something truly great that can stand out in a crowded competition and go toe-to-toe with a fresh grape wine? I reached out to four kit winemakers who all won multiple medals in the 2015 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition for their