Writer: Maureen Macdonald

St. Croix is a red hybrid grape designed by a private grape breeder to withstand the bitter cold Wisconsin winters. Learn more about this thin-skinned red variety that thrives where others can’t survive.

The dark-skinned Tempranillo grape is most associated with the red wines of Spain and being the most prominent grape in the famed Rioja blends. Learn to craft your own Tempranillo at home.

Traminette is a white hybrid grape grown all over the northern areas of North America that can make extremely aromatic wines. From crisp, dry examples to late-harvest and even fortified wines, the grape is a fun one for home winemakers to play with.

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 flavors of bold acidic fruits and rich notes of baking spices. It doesn’t require heavy oaking and its silkier tannins negate the need to wait for the sometimes harsh flavors of young red wines to mellow.

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 winemaker also has a say in the final outcome based on the techniques used in the winery.

Buying grapes from a supplier allows access to varieties from regions of the world that would otherwise be inaccessible to home winemakers. We lay out seven critical points to consider before making your purchase.

Black Muscat first gained popularity in France and is gaining steam in California due to its great aromatics and versatility. Whether turning it into a red table wine, dry rosé, dessert wine, or even grappa, Black Muscat is a unique grape to consider.

Our newest columnist, Maureen Macdonald, shares her own experiences and advice for crafting a Frontenac Gris of any style in her first “Varietal Focus” column.

Most red and some white wines are put through a secondary malolactic fermentation (MLF). The process converts malic acid to lactic acid, which smooths out harsh flavors while adding a richness on the palate, as well as contributing to the stability and aging potential of the wine. Learn when a wine should go through MLF, how to do it, and ways to test for it.

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

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

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 other fruits often have complementary characteristics that lend themselves as a key ingredient in the other.

Vitis vinifera grapes are often thought to be the species used to make wine in the premier wine regions, while French-American hybrid grapes are those used in regions vinifera grapes can’t be grown. However, each species brings something unique to the bottle and it may just be that blending grapes of both species will result in just what your wines need.

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

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, just lacking a desired characteristic. That’s when it is time to intervene. Qualities like flavor, aroma, body, color, or even tannins can all be improved with a little help.

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

Whether it is just the basics (Brix, pH, etc.) or more advanced (free SO2, yeast assimilable nitrogen, etc.) all home winemakers should perform some tests to monitor their wines.