In winemaking, as in wine itself, the best results come from the perfect blend of tradition, innovation, and expert guidance. The 2025 vintage has shown me that winemaking tradition is colliding with technological innovation and marketing trends… and it’s not a moment too soon. Regardless of location, today’s winemakers face unprecedented challenges every vintage: The […]
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Solving Wineries’ Analytical Challenges
The winemaking world is buzzing with shiny new analytical gadgets that promise to revolutionize how we understand our wines—but do they actually deliver, or are they just expensive lab toys? I’ve been tracking analytical feedback from winemakers who’ve actually invested in some of these new tools, and the real-world feedback might surprise you. Some of […]
Inside Vintage 2025: What Every Winemaker Needs to Know
Spoiler: Every Winemaking Operation Can Do These Things The 2025 vintage is shattering assumptions and rewrote the rules – giving some regions a reminder what a good harvest feels like, and other regions struggled under accelerated conditions. While some producers clung to outdated practices (yes, that means you if you still think 65°F counts as […]
From Hope to Despair: Recouping Soured Vintages
It may take one moment – one large rainstorm, a hurricane, a few hours of gusty wind – to complete turn a crop from hopeful to despair. Let’s review a few tactics that have high impact value in saving the wine’s quality from lower quality fruit. For All Ferments: Harvest Actions For any variety, red […]
Maximize Beauty in White Wine Making
Tips for Improving White Winemaking Processes I can tell a lot about the quality of a winery’s wines by tasting three white wines on their tasting menu. Why? While there are some exceptions to this generalization, most white wines are straightforward in whether they taste “good” or “bad.” If a winery has issues selling their […]
Free Virtual Event: What Our Grapevine Leaves Are Telling Us
Diagnosing & Treating Grapevine Symptoms with Fritz Westover’s Virtual Viticulture Academy FREE Virtual Event Date: August 26, 2025, 5 – 6:30 PM (CST) Learn what your grape leaves are telling you! In this FREE virtual event, Fritz will review how to identify common leaf symptoms and how to determine which leaf symptoms are indicative of disease, nutrient […]
