Maureen Macdonald

Posts

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  Syrah (Shiraz)

  Terroir plays an important role in wine made from Syrah (or Shiraz, as it is called in Australia). From tart fruit, vegetal, pepper, and sav

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  Sangiovese

  Sangiovese is the ultimate wine to pair with food due to the variety’s ability to hold its acidity as it ripens and generous amounts of ri

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  Jupiter: A table grape with BIG winemaking potential

  Jupiter — a grape that gets its name from the girth of its berries — is often grown for eating, but the purple-skinned grape can also be

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  Petite Sirah: The little grape with big color

  With small berries and a high grape skin-to-juice ratio, Petite Sirah makes a wine that is incredibly pigmented, rich in black fruit charact

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  St. Croix

  St. Croix is a red hybrid grape designed by a private grape breeder to withstand the bitter cold Wisconsin winters. Learn more about this th

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  Tempranillo: The Noble Grape of Spain

  The dark-skinned Tempranillo grape is most associated with the red wines of Spain and being the most prominent grape in the famed Rioja blen

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  Traminette

  Traminette is a white hybrid grape grown all over the northern areas of North America that can make extremely aromatic wines. From crisp, dr

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  Teroldego

  If you want to make a red wine that can be consumed without years of aging, Teroldego is a great option. This Italian variety features flav

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  Sauvignon Blanc

  Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most popular white wines worldwide. Where it’s grown has a big influence on the resulting wine, but the wine

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  Sourcing Grapes from Grape Suppliers

  Buying grapes from a supplier allows access to varieties from regions of the world that would otherwise be inaccessible to home winemakers.

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  Black Muscat

  Black Muscat first gained popularity in France and is gaining steam in California due to its great aromatics and versatility. Whether turnin

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  Fabulous Frontenac Gris

  Our newest columnist, Maureen Macdonald, shares her own experiences and advice for crafting a Frontenac Gris of any style in her first “Va

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  Finishing Wines With a Secondary Fermentation

  Most red and some white wines are put through a secondary malolactic fermentation (MLF). The process converts malic acid to lactic acid, whi

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  Live Chat with Maureen Macdonald

  Live Chat with Maureen Macdonald that took place on June 28, 2023.

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  Live Chat with Maureen Macdonald

  Live chat with Maureen Macdonald, which took place June 29, 2022.

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  Fruit & Grape Blends

  When a wine comes up lacking, the solution may just be blending a totally different type of wine with it. Grape wines and wines made from ot

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  Blending Vinifera and Hybrid Grapes

  Vitis vinifera grapes are often thought to be the species used to make wine in the premier wine regions, while French-American hybrid grapes

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  Live Chat with Maureen Macdonald

  Live Chat with Maureen Macdonald, which took place on June 24, 2021.

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  Maturation Intervention

  No matter how much attention we give a wine, sometimes it will disappoint when tasted for the first time during aging. It may not be faulted

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  Live Chat with Maureen Macdonald

  Live Chat with Maureen Macdonald, which took place on June 17, 2020.

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  At Home in the Wine Lab

  Whether it is just the basics (Brix, pH, etc.) or more advanced (free SO2, yeast assimilable nitrogen, etc.) all home winemakers should perf