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, […]
Wine Flaws
3 Hot Winemaking Topics! An Update
Hello everyone! This month I’m checking in via an alternative media: a video! Some of you may recall I tried to do this in 2020, but obvious circumstances quickly changed my direction for the remainder of the year. So now I’m back! With a short new video talking about some changes coming for 2021, new […]
Four Virtual Winemaking Lessons You’ll Want Before Harvest!
For many of us, harvest is at the edge of beginning. As I am a firm believer in preparing for a successful harvest, I want to review a few tools available through dgwinemaking.com as à la carte purchases. Details for purchasing these lessons is at the bottom of this post. Creative Wine Styles for Hybrid […]
2020 Quarter One Winemaking Updates
Authors Note: This blog post and vlog were created prior to the U.S. outbreak of COVID-19. The material covered here is based on observations, projects, and interactions with wineries prior to the various state orders to address the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. For more information pertaining strictly to COVID-19, please see past blog posts. Hello! Welcome […]
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. […]
Don’t Forget! “Creatively Perfecting Wines in Challenging Vintage Years” Webinar on March 26th
Early in March, I presented options for how to use wines produced from disease-heavy fruit at the annual Grape Expectations conference in New Jersey. However, given many winemakers could not attend this conference, I’m going to review some of these core concepts in the March Darn Good Winemakers session. If you need help getting something […]