The post-harvest lull, for many, can feel like a short reprieve in the cellar. However, post-processing is when real winemaking operations begins! There are many requirements in the cellar that still demand the winemaker’s attention. Today, I’m going to review a few key operations that require focus between November and December. 1. Ensure MLF is […]
5 Tips for MLF Success
Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is tricky! The biological conversion of malic acid (naturally found in grapes) to lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is a finicky process that can resort in off-flavors, a sluggish process, or even spoilage. It’s up to the winemaker to really pay attention to several parameters to ensure that MLF completes […]
A Harvest Season of… Hope?
Most of my conversations with winery owners and winemakers this year have circled around the recognition of decreased sales. If you read the daily Wine Industry Insight headlines, you are probably getting the same picture I am of doom and gloom for the industry. But the most recent issue of Wine Business Monthly (WBM, August […]
Back to Enology, Part 5: “Wine is Made in the Vineyard”
And the Argument for a Wine Quality Focus: Part 2 “Folklore has it in America that quality and production are incompatible: that you can not have both. A plant manager will usually tell you that it is either or. In his experience, if he pushes quality, he falls behind in production. If he pushes production, […]
Back to Enology, Part 4: “Wine is Made in the Vineyard”
And the Myth that Winemaking is More Art than Science: 1 of 2 Posts With the start of the 2024 harvest, I felt it prudent to address one of my least favorite phrases echoed across the wine industry, “Wine is made in the vineyard.” Taken literally, and one would think that filled wine bottles sprout […]
Back to Enology: Part 3, Use of Copper Sulfate
(Heads Up! I’m Sneaking in a YAN and Aroma/Flavor Discussion Here) This post is a part of the ongoing “Back to Enology” series in which I, Denise Gardner, take time to explain the science behind concepts misunderstood (or mythological) in winemaking practices. A full reasoning behind this “Back to Enology” series can be found at […]
