In the wake of a National Emergency, I was hesitant to write about the spread of Coronavirus and how wineries can manage during this crisis. However, in the past 48 hours, the number of questions I have been asked made me think it may be more appropriate to provide some assistance during this time of […]
New Wine Packages = New Problems
As many in the wine industry transition from packaging wine in traditional 750-mL bottles to trying out alternative packages like cans, pouches, and Tetra packs, new stability problems emerge. It’s easy to assume that the package has no real impact on the wine other than potential quality characteristics (e.g., aromatic intensity, aromatic profiles, shelf-life or […]
What’s in that wine? Taking a closer look at wine protein stability.
Wine contains a number of soluble proteins that are derived from grapes. In fact, several processes that enhance skin exposure or extraction time during harvest and fermentation can increase protein concentrations of wine. This includes basic harvest operations like mechanical harvesting, crush and destemming (as opposed to whole cluster pressing), and maintaining late press fractions. […]
Acetic Acid Bacteria Growth in New Vintage Red Wine
A Case Study The Problem A freshly fermented batch of red wine, wine pH above 3.65, was put into a variable capacity tank (VCT). Following the completion of malolactic fermentation, approximately 50 ppm sulfur dioxide was added to the wine. The lid to the tank was floated on the surface of the wine and sealed. […]
Set Your 2020 Winemaking Ambitions
Do you get to the end of the calendar year and feel desperate for a little time off? Unless you get to complete your winemaking season by September, physically, the end of the year can be grueling in the cellar. There’s a general rush to get as much completed as possible and stored away in […]
Time to Get ‘Darn Good’ at Making Wine!
“Can I cold stabilize my wines outside?” “I apply a nitrogen blanket to my wines. How long can I leave this inert gas blanket on the wine before I need to apply nitrogen again?” “Which bentonite is best for protein stability?” “I cold stabilized my wines, but after blending and bottling, tartrates formed in the […]
