WineMaker Staff

Wine-wizard

Are there basic rules when it comes to choosing bottle color and shape for different styles of wines?

Wine-wizard

I added grape concentrate to boost the sweetness of a dry wine at bottling and added sorbate. The flavor is good, but there is some kind of gas in the wine. Any thoughts on what happened?

I made a Muscadine wine this year that ended up very dry with harsh flavor. I wanted it to have more of a grape flavor so I added some grape

Wine-wizard

Is it possible for a plastic fermenter to impact the effectiveness of isinglass as a fining agent?

Wine-wizard

I’ve noticed crystals forming inside my Zinfandel bottles. Do you have an explanation?

Wine-wizard

Can Lambrusco wine be refrigerated for several months and then safely kept on a wine rack?

Wine-wizard

Is it possible for the potassium metabisulfite powder I use for sanitizing to lose its strength over time?

Wine-wizard

Can I use a fish aquarium as a fermenter?

Wine-wizard

Can I add yeast to Mountain Dew or Sprite to make it into a “wine”?

Wine-wizard

What is your opinion of enzymes added to wine to improve color, mouthfeel, and flavor?

Technique

Picking the Proper Wine Yeast: Tips from the Pros

Article

Making Blueberry Wine: Tips from the Pros

Two pros offer advice to make a great blueberry wine at home.

Wine-wizard

How can I keep my fermenters cool during hot weather?

Wine-wizard

What can I do to improve the aroma of my mead?

Wine-wizard

My finished wine has the aroma and taste of burnt rubber. What did I do wrong?

Wine-wizard

Can I have some advice on malo-lactic fermentation and its impact on acidity?

Wine-wizard

I want to drip a wax coating on the top of my bottles to add that special touch. Can you advise me on how to do this?

Wine-wizard

Are the lumbrusca riparia grapes I’m growing the same kind of grapes used to make lambrusco wine?

Wine-wizard

I added oak beans to several different batches of wine at the same time. Only my Chardonnay turned milky and hazy while the other wines were clear. Do you have any idea what happened?

Technique

Spring Cleaning for Winemakers: Tips from the Pros

Wine-wizard

Can I use my copper immersion wort chiller from brewing with my mead or other wines?

Article

2000 WineMaker Label Contest Winners

The winning amateur and professional winemaking labels from WineMaker’s 2000 Label Contest.

Wine-wizard

Is it better to separate free-run wine from the pressed wine during fermentation and should they be blended before bottling if you are making Zinfandel?

Our Zinfandel wine is now in secondary fermenters, with free-run wine separate from the pressed. Do you have advice on allowing the free and

Wine-wizard

I did not rehydrate my yeast before I pitched it. How do I do this and what happens if I don’t?

Wine-wizard

What does toasting add to oak flavor? Can I use a blowtorch on an oak plank to toast it, cut it in thin strips and add to my wine?

Even More Practical Wine Terms