Guess what? Harvest is starting to sneak up on us. Although there is probably TONS of work to be done in the vineyard, it’s also time to start preparing the winery for harvest. Do not let harvest preparation get away from you. Any good winemaking team will tell you that one of the key methods […]
Want to Taste Wines with Denise?
Have you wanted an opportunity to sit alongside Denise and taste a series of wines with her? Well now is your chance! Starting in July 2023, Denise Gardner Winemaking is launching the first ever virtual tasting group, “Taste Wine with a Pro!” Here’s how it works: Who Should Sign Up? While these tasting groups are […]
Wine Fault Series: Oxidation
One of the wine faults I’ve been finding more frequently in commercial wines is the presence of oxidation. Truthfully, I find this most commonly in bottled white wines. However, a few times a year I’ve been tasked with the challenge to fix oxidized red wines that are still in tank or barrel. Thus, I thought […]
Wine Fault Series: Volatile Acidity (VA)
Volatile acidity (commonly abbreviated as “VA”) is the concentration of accumulated volatile acids, or those acids that can be separated through distillation. In wine, acetic acid is the primary volatile acid. Acetic acid is also the primary acid associated with vinegar. This is why high VA is associated with the detection and potential perception of […]
Fining Agent Refinement
In the world of winemaking, fining agents are what are known as “processing aids.” Unlike ingredients or additives, which stay in the wine after their addition, processing aids do not remain in the wine. Or, if they do, it is at such negligible concentrations that they may be unmeasurable. Nonetheless, the use of certain fining […]
Does it take 12 weeks to bottle a wine?
If you ordered “Everything You Wanted to Know about Wine Bottling,” a 3-part webinar series presented by winemaking and wine QA/QC expert, Zoran Ljepović, you may have noted that he indicates it takes at least 8 to 12 weeks to bottle a wine. How can that be?! What is “Pre-Bottling?” Pre-bottling, the set of operations […]
