Did the 2018 vintage leave you with wines that are less than desirable? If so, you’re not alone. Winemakers in hot, consistently dry climates get adjusted to the routine of making wine. But if you’re a winemaker in a region that experiences vintage variation, routine winemaking practices can be your worst enemy. In years that […]
Harvest
Maintaining Post-Harvest Momentum
Whether you had the harvest season you’ve always waited for, or you’re just now stabilizing those wines from an unideal vintage, maintaining post-harvest momentum is a challenging thing. The crunch time of harvest is draining: physically tiring and emotionally taxing. If you didn’t take good notes through the harvest season, it can be difficult to […]
Producing Quality Red Wines with Unripe Fruit
When a vintage goes less than planned, it can often produce hardship in producing high quality red wine. There are several issues that are concerning with regards to red wines: Lack of color intensity Excessive astringency or bitterness High acid (sourness) Lack of alcohol Incidence of green flavors, many that may smell like “green bell […]
Winemaking Strategies for Rainy Vintages: Remembering 2011 and Preparing for 2018
With Hurricane Florence threatening most of the Eastern seaboard and Mid-Atlantic, I think it’s an important time to take a moment and communicate a practical plan for your winery staff. There’s a few days left to get organized, and not a moment to waste. Remember that keeping your family, employees, and families safe is the […]
Harvest Must-Haves: Having the Right Plan Can Set You Ahead of the Winemaking Curve
Planning, though time consuming, can be your best friend during the hectic harvest season. Taking the appropriate action steps to think through your winemaking production process is a game changer. As head winemaker or general manager, writing down and documenting your winemaking process for cellar employees can Improve your management practices Enhance communication Get everyone […]
YAN… to the Rescue!
It’s impossible to talk about the pending harvest without talking about YAN. Every year, I run into winemakers asking me what nutrient additions to make when they do not know their starting YAN, or yeast assimilable nitrogen (aka yeast available nitrogen). Not knowing the must’s YAN concentration when treating fermentation with nutrient supplements is equivalent […]
