Winemakers often get overly ambitious at the start of a harvest season. It’s an opportunity to try new techniques, alter wine additions, and create something they previously imagined. However, conquering the fundamentals associated with winemaking often provides a solid foundation for crafting really great wines. This includes things like: Having sound sanitation practices. Receiving and […]
Create the Wine You Want
While each vintage is sure to deliver unexpected challenges, there are tried and true processes that can help winemakers craft the wine styles they desire with more success. What is wine style? The style of wine defines the overall body/mouthfeel and aroma of the wine produced. While several wine experts have a few different wine […]
Harvest is Coming: Are You Ready?
One of the benefits of working with a winemaking consultant is having someone readily available reminding you to prepare for harvest. Harvest sneaks up on all of us. Every year! Without fail. The time is now to prepare the cellar for the 2021 harvest season. Here are some suggestions, tools, and resources to get you […]
A-Behind-the-Scenes Look at Winemaking
What happens when two winemaking consultants get together to chat about winemaking? In February, winemaking consultant, Luke Holcombe, and I met on his podcast, “Between Two Buds.” We talk about all things associated with our winemaking journeys: from how we decided to consult in the wine industry, to perspectives associated with winemaking, and our experiences […]
Getting Stabilization and Bottling to Work for You!
Another quarterly update here! This past quarter, the biggest struggle I have seen among wineries is getting wine stabilization order or winemaking techniques correct, as well as general bottling order. Winemakers that wear multiple hats at a winery (think: needing to prune vines while also stabilizing those past vintage wines left in the cellar) often […]
The Free SO2 Bottling Dilemma
As bottling season is in full swing, I can see that many winemakers continue to struggle with free sulfur dioxide concentrations in their wines. That’s why, for the month of April, I’ve released a new Production Guide on handling free sulfur dioxide adjustments prior to bottling. This document supplements the Pre-Bottling Prep Checklists (Red, White, […]
