Chinese Wine Production: Part II

Chinese Acquisitions and Trade Disputes As we reported in Chinese Wine Production, China is quickly becoming a major player in the world-wide wine market.  While vineyard owners and managers are struggling to bring high-quality wine to …Read More

Properly Store Your Wine

Most wines, red and white, are meant to be consumed within 24 hours of their purchase. However, fine wines can be stored for consumption at a later date.  Historically wine storage was the sole responsibility …Read More

Wine Collecting

Regardless of your motives for collecting wine, it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t need a fortune to do so.  However, like all hobbies, wine collecting does require a significant investment of time. …Read More

Counterfeit Wine

Counterfeit wine has existed for centuries and sometimes makes a big splash in the news. Take, for instance, the lawsuit against Hardy Rodenstock.  Once respected in the wine industry as an acclaimed connoisseur, Hardy was …Read More

Global Warming and Wine Production: Serious Implications?

As we wrote in the  grape varietal information section, weather, soil, and topography all play a major role in wine production.  Combined they are called “terroir” and when balanced well can result in great wines.  Around …Read More

Chinese Wine Production

These days what isn’t China producing?  Well, you can cross wine off that list.  While wineries and vineyards in the U.S. and Europe don’t have anything to fear, the same can’t be said for Chile, …Read More

Wine Making Techniques (Red vs White)

If you were to look at the free-run juice from red and white grapes you wouldn’t see much difference.  In both cases the free-run juice would be similar in color and consistency.  Red wine is …Read More

Pressing Wine Grapes

Pressing grapes is not the same as crushing grapes.  Pressing grapes extracts the juice from the grape.  Pressing grapes has an influence on the color of the wine you make.  Therefore, when making red or …Read More

Crushing Wine Grapes

Crushing your grapes before you press them purposefully bursts the skin of each individual grape.  That way the juice is released from the pulp and your resulting wine can reach its full potential.  Once your …Read More

How To Sanitize Wine Making Equipment

Have you ever produced wine that you refused to drink?  The good news is that your not alone.  The bad news is that it is most likely your fault.  The most common problem in poor …Read More

How to Rack Your Wine

There is often confusion around “what is” and “what isn’t” racking.  Racking “is” the process by which you move wine must from one carboy to another in order to leave the sediment behind.  The sole …Read More

How to Bottle Your Wine

Now that your wine has fermented and is clear of sediment (racked) it’s time for the final step; bottling!  Your first task is to find the type of bottle that will best suit your wine.  …Read More

Cleaning and Sanitizing Carboys

Carboys, also called demijohns, are the primary tool for the first stage of fermentation.  Sometimes a secondary carboy can be employed for conditioning but usually the wine is transferred directly into clean bottles for final …Read More

Cleaning and Sanitizing Wine Bottles

From start to finish every piece of equipment used in the wine making process needs to be cleaned and sanitized.  Regardless of the type of bottle you use there is no exception for skipping this …Read More

Cleaning and Sanitizing Barrels

If your barrel is clean does that means it’s sanitary?  Unfortunately, no.  Clean only means free of visible grit, grease and grime.  Sanitary speaks to a microscopic level of clean.  Sanitary means free from bacteria. …Read More

United States Vineyards That Produce Organic Grapes

Originally, farming and organic practices were one in the same.  Over time, production demands caused those two practices to differ widely.  Recently, there has been a steady movement back towards organic wine production.  Vineyards across the …Read More

California Vineyards the Produce Organic Grapes

Originally, farming and organic practices were one in the same.  Over time, production demands caused those two practices to differ widely.  Recently, there has been a steady movement back towards organic wine production.  Vineyards across the globe …Read More

What is Organic Wine?

Many consumers don’t spend a lot of time showing interest in how their wine(s) came to be.  After the quick question of red or white is answered, the next consideration before purchase is the points …Read More

Decanting Wine, Is it worth it?

To answer the questions simply; yes and no.  Experts throughout the wine industry disagree on a myriad of points about the need to decant wine.  Thus depending upon who you talk to decanting is a …Read More

Bottle Me This, Bottle Me That

While less impactful than the type of wood a barrel is made from, the type of bottle chosen for any variety of wine is not a decision taken lightly.  When you purchase a bottle of wine, …Read More

The Role of Grape Sugars in Wine Development

There is no doubt that the quality of wines produced today has vastly improved over the wines of yesteryear.  This refinement of wine production, much like the understanding of Barrel Types, has been a direct …Read More

Hip-Hop Culture and Moscato – A Perfect Fit?

If you listen to chart topping hip-hop it might seem like even those artists are struggling in this depressed economy.  How else would you explain the latest trend of singing about sipping on Moscato D’Asti …Read More

Wine on Tap

While wine on tap is nothing brand new here in the United States, our first loves of beer and liquor have made us reluctant adopters of this trend.  Wine from kegs is old hat in …Read More

Sweet Red Wines on the Rise?

The next time you walk into your favorite local restaurant don’t be surprised to find more and more 21-34 year-olds drinking wine, and enjoying it too.  New wine drinkers are popping up all the time …Read More

Alaska Home Wine Making Laws

State Law: Legal Amounts of Homemade Wine Alaska laws regarding homemade wine are pursuant to the federal law which states the following: The aggregate amount of wine exempt from tax under this subsection with respect …Read More