2022 WM AUGUST-SEPTEMBER

A group of winemakers create eight wines from the same grapes to explore the impact of each process.

by Kristen Shubert

38 2022 WINEMAKER MAGAZINE CONFERENCE

Hundreds of home winemakers gathered in San Luis Obispo, California for WineMaker’s conference, where they took part in educational seminars, hands-on workshops, and shared their passion for wine.

40 RIPENESS

An overview of this year’s wine competition, which received 1,772 entries from 48 U.S. states, 4 Canadian provinces, and as far away as Sweden. 32

No matter how much you plan, the grapes received at harvest are not always as expected. It’s time to adjust on the y, and there’s also a plan for that

by Ken and Leah Stafford

Though often described in terms of °Brix, a grape’s sugar level is not the best indicator of ripeness. Get a better understanding of the sensory and numerical indicators you should look for when determining to pull the trigger on harvest.

by Clark Smith

THE BEST VINTAGE IS YOUR OWN

Whether it’s a decadent red, crisp white, or robust rosé, Master Vintner® Sommelier Select® brings you grapes from the world’s best wine regions, that you’ll be proud to share with family & friends.

departments

8 MAIL

Readers share their excitement and appreciation for WineMaker’s annual wine competition and conference, while looking forward to next year’s conference in Eugene, Oregon.

10 CELLAR DWELLERS

It’s a dirty phrase in most winemaking circles, but volatile acidity is found in all wine and having a little can actually add complexity to a wine. Get the scoop on volatile acidity, learn about Aglianico wine grapes, and catch up on the latest news, products, and upcoming events.

14 TIPS FROM THE PROS

Do you whole-cluster press? Separate free-run juice and press fractions? Maximize juice collection through high pressure? There are a lot of decisions to make while pressing that will have a big impact on the final outcome of your wine. We put the squeeze on three pro winemakers to share their pressing tips.

16 WINE WIZARD

Bottling is typically the final step towards producing wine where a winemaker can foul things up. Get some recommendations from the Wizard on when and how to bottle your wines. Also get some pointers on proper etiquette of being a wine judge.

20 VARIETAL FOCUS

Some people have called Zinfandel “America’s grape,” others say it should be Concord. Chik Brenneman is here to make the case for the first true North American wine grape variety: Catawba.

47 TECHNIQUES

Why make harvest crush day more stressful than it needs to be? With a solid game plan things should run smoothly. One of the best ways to get all your ducks in a row is to create a checklist so that no small details are overlooked.

50 ADVANCED WINEMAKING

Wine was made for millennia with little intervention from humans. But let’s be honest, we have no idea how those wines tasted. Today we know that yeast create the wine and keeping them happy is crucial for producing good wine. Learn how nitrogen plays a pivotal role.

56 DRY FINISH

When a young hobby winemaker finds out it is illegal to make wine at home in her city and county, she takes the next obvious step: She gets laws changed and starts her own commercial winery.

DESTEMMER CRUSHERS

HARVEST & CRUSH

BLADDER PRESSES FROM SPEIDEL

GLYCOL CHILLERS

PUMPS FOR MUST & WINE

BOTTLE FILLERS

STAINLESS TANKS FROM SPEIDEL

OAK BARRELS

CellarScience™ Wine Yeast & Additives

CellarScience™ adds complexity and flavor to your wine with our carefully curated set of wine yeasts. Designed to work directly with CellarScience™ yeast nutrients FermStart™, Fermfed™, and Fermfed™ DAP Free. As with all CellarScience™ products, the value is the best in the industry.

Top quality oak from one of The most respected hungarian coopers, balazs nagy. Sizes from 1 to 225 liters.

Glycol chillers from 1 to 30 tons for commercial wineries... or really serious home winemakers!

Whether you are bottling a 5 gallon carboy or a 600 gallon tank, MoreWine! has the bottle filler for you!

EDITOR

Dawson Raspuzzi

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Dave Green

DESIGN

Open Look

TECHNICAL EDITOR

Bob Peak

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Dwayne Bershaw, Chik Brenneman, Alison Crowe, Wes Hagen, Maureen Macdonald, Bob Peak, Phil Plummer, Dominick Profaci

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Jim Woodward, Chris Champine

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Charles A. Parker, Les Jörgensen

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD

Steve Bader Bader Beer and Wine Supply

Chik Brenneman Baker Family Wines

John Buechsenstein Wine Education & Consultation

Mark Chandler Chandler & Company

Wine Consultancy

Kevin Donato Cultured Solutions

Pat Henderson About Wine Consulting

Ed Kraus EC Kraus

Maureen Macdonald Hawk Ridge Winery

Christina Musto-Quick Musto Wine

Grape Co.

Phil Plummer Montezuma Winery

Gene Spaziani American Wine Society

Jef Stebben Stebben Wine Co.

Gail Tufford Global Vintners Inc.

Anne Whyte Vermont Homebrew Supply

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Yes! All the helpers who show up early to pick grapes then go out together for a late lunch of Mexican food at one of the best restaurants around here. We always start with an order of queso fundido, plenty of Modelo Especial, and a few margaritas.

Since I’m making wine with students in my lab classes, one of my favorite harvest rituals is repeating the phrase “Hey, it’s harvest!” whenever students complain about endless berry sampling, daily punchdowns, pressing a rosé on the weekend, fortifying a dessert wine in the middle of the night, etc. I also really enjoy walking the vineyard rows to collect cluster samples. It reminds me of one of my first internships, and it’s exciting to watch the grapes, hopefully, reach maturity.

Cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. Maybe not fun, but it’s the reality of harvest. I make sure we have enough Band-Aids, buckets, and “emergency beer” on hand. Finally, I watch the Matrix every year after my last drain and press to signify the end of harvest season.

PUBLISHER

Brad Ring

QASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Kiev Rattee

ADVERTISING SALES

COORDINATOR

Dave Green

EVENTS MANAGER

Jannell Kristiansen

BOOKKEEPER

Faith Alberti

SUBSCRIPTION CUSTOMER

SERVICE MANAGER

Anita Draper

Using Yeast Nutrients

One of the most important conditions for your yeast to thrive is a sufficient amount of nutrients. If the must doesn’t provide enough naturally, it’s time to add yeast nutrients. https:// winemakermag.com/technique/1603yeast-nutrients-techniques

MEMBERS ONLY

Tips For A Successful Harvest Day

For the home vineyardist, harvest day is the most important — or at least the busiest — day of the year. Planning and preparation is critical. Get some pointers. https:// winemakermag.com/technique/79010-tips-for-a-successful-harvest-day

Creating A Balanced Must

There are three elements that are critical to have balanced in a must: pH/ TA, structure, and sugar. Each of these elements has a direct in uence on the quality of the finished wine. https: winemakermag.com/article/1013creating-a-balanced-must

All contents of WineMaker are Copyright © 2022 by Battenkill Communications, unless otherwise noted. WineMaker is a registered trademark owned by Battenkill Communications, a Vermont corporation. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned, and no responsibility can be assumed for such material. All “Letters to the Editor” should be sent to the editor at the ermont office address. All rights in letters sent to WineMaker will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and subject to WineMaker’s unrestricted right to edit. Although all reasonable attempts are made to ensure accuracy, the publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions anywhere in the publication. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in whole without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed in the United States of America. Volume 25, Number 4: August-September 2022.

MEMBERS ONLY

Separating Press Runs

Are press cuts scientific or subjective? Do different cuts get different treatments? If you’ve ever wondered about concerns like these, take some advice some professional winemakers. https://winemakermag.com/article/ 627-separating-press-runs-tips-fromthe-pros

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* For full access to members’ only content and hundreds of pages of winemaking articles, techniques and troubleshooting, sign up for a 14-day free trial membership at winemakermag.com

Do you have any harvest time rituals you always look forward to?

K1

71B

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Kristen Shubert is a wine professional living in Los Angeles, California. She’s a Certified Sommelier with WSET evel three, French Wine Scholar, and Spanish Wine Scholar certifications. She is a novice winemaker, sourcing grapes from all over California for her wine club, Cellarmasters of Los Angeles. Kristen was the first woman to represent the United States in blind wine tasting at the La Review du Vin de France International Championships in 2016, where Team USA placed third. She was the Captain in 2018, with the highest score ever in U.S. Open Competition history, and recently named Captain and team manager for 2022.

Starting on page 24, Kristen shares details of a group project she and three other members of the Cellarmasters of Los Angeles took part in making eight different wines from the same lot of Graciano grapes.

WINE COMPETITION APPRECIATION

I just wanted to take a moment to thank Jannell (Kristiansen, Events Manager), Brad (Ring, Publisher), and the entire WineMaker staff for all of the effort that must go into the WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition! It’s awesome! On behalf of the “growing” D’Amico Family (wife, sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren) our annual harvest, crush, fermentation, racking, aging, bottling, corking, capping, and labeling has become a true family affair! Your staff recognition of our efforts is appreciated beyond our words!

Jim D’Amico and Family • via email

Congratulations on the medal, D’Amico Family! What a pleasure it is to hear from winners each year and learn a little about the people who put the time and passion into the wine poured at our competition. Medaling is quite an accomplishment, as only the top one-third of entrants receive medals. And we hope that everyone who entered whether they medaled or not find the eedback rom our e pert panel o judges beneficial come the harvest

SEE YA IN EUGENE!

Congrats to the WineMaker staff on another gold medal-deserving conference. The staff of WineMaker continues to produce a professional, fun conference where we can learn more about winemaking, meet up with old friends, meet new friends, and taste some spectacular wines. Looking forward to Eugene!

Larry Roux • Syracuse, New York

Thanks for the kind words, Larry! It is always so much fun for all of us at WineMaker to see attendees, from new faces to those who have attended conferences for years like yourself! Looking forward to doing it again une to , in ugene, regon

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO WINEMAKER

Do you have a question or comment about something you’ve read in the pages of WineMaker magazine or online at winemakermag.com, or a story or idea to share? Send your letters, photos, story ideas, and projects to edit@winemakermag.com, post them on WineMaker’s acebook page https www. acebook.com Wine aker aga ine , find us on Twitter: @WineMakerMag, or share your winemaking photos and videos with us on Instagram: @WineMakerMag.

Ken and Leah Stafford are awardwinning amateur winemakers who have been around the wine industry for most of their lives. Having grown up on a Delano, California winery, Ken began making wines in 2011. Leah has worked in the industry since 1990, servicing and managing tasting rooms and providing wine education. She’s a certified American Wine ExpertTM, WSET 1, 2, 3 educated, a wine judge, and holds other certifications within the wine industry. The couple grows and makes estate wines from Zinfandel, Barbera, Petite Sirah, Grenache Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. Their Sauvignon Blanc won Best of Show Estate Grown and Best of Show White in the 2021 and 2022 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition, respectively.

Beginning on page 32, Ken and Leah explain how to prepare for the unexpected and adjust on the y when grapes at harvest don’t line up with expectations.

Clark Smith is one of California’s most widely respected winemakers. In addition to his own WineSmith wines, he has built many successful brands and consults for hundreds of wineries on five continents. His popular course, Fun-damentals of Winemaking Made Easy, has graduated over 4,500 winemakers to rave reviews. Winemaker, inventor, author, musician, and teacher, Smith was named the Innovator of the Year at the 2016 Innovation + Quality conference (presented by Wine Business Monthly), was named among Wine Business Monthly’s 201 list of the Most In uential People, and is considered among the world’s foremost experts on pairing wine and music. His revolutionary Postmodern Winemaking was Wine and Spirits magazine’s 2013 Book of the Year.

Clark makes his WineMaker writing debut beginning on page 0, offering scientific advice on how to determine when grapes are ripe and ready for harvest.

RECENT NEWS UPCOMING EVENTS

Hope For California Grape Growers

For over two decades the glassy winged sharpshooter (GWSS) has been near the top of the list of pests that California grape growers fear most. A native to the southeastern part of the United States, it was brought to California in the 1990s and with it the ability to infect grape vines with Pierce’s Disease. While various species of sharpshooters existed in California prior to the arrival of the GWSS, none had the capacity to infect grape vines with Pierce’s Disease at even moderate levels.

Now, thanks to CRISPR technology, scientists at UC-Riverside are looking at ways to control this agricultural pest from California through genetic manipulation. In their initial research they looked at altering the eye color of the GWSS to see what effect it would have. They found it was passed down to three or more generations. The team was very excited by these results as it means changes could stick around for a while. The next step would be to look at altering the mouth of the GWSS so that it is more like the native sharpshooters, incapable of spreading Pierce’s Disease. As a bonus, this would mean that the use of chemical sprays for these insects can be shelved. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-09990-4

New Products

Mosti Mondiale Vinifera AllGrape Edition

A new line of juice kits from Mosti Mondiale brings two elements of their current lineup into one package. Starting with a 10-L (2.6-gallon) concentrate, a 4-kg (8.8-lb.) AllGrape pack is included to provide the depth that comes with the grape pulp and skins. The grape packs are crushed, destemmed, and pasteurized. The Vinifera AllGrape Edition is made to produce 2 (6 gal.) of finished wine in as little as six weeks. This aging time can be extended to achieve a more balanced wine. They will be starting with six different varietals, including Chilean Carmenere, South African Pinotage, and Australian Merlot to name a few. https://mostimondiale.com/

Winexpert Limited Release Kits

A pair of limited release kits from Winexpert are being offered through their vendors; a Spanish Albariño and an Australian Mataro Shiraz blend. Both of these are part of their Reserve line of kits that inlcude 10 L (2.6 gal.) of concentrate to produce 23 (6 gal.) of finished wine. The wines will be ready to drink in as little as 6 weeks, but the Australian blend will benefit from a more extended aging. Each kit comes with all the necessary ingredients and a set of instructions. https://winexpert.com/product/?brand%5 B%5D=reserve&brand-desc=1

AUGUST 19, 2022

Sonoma County Harvest Fair Amateur Wine Competition deadline for entries is 5 p.m. on Friday, August 19. Wines can be received, either via mail or dropped off in-person, at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Entries are accepted starting August 1 and delivered wines are accepted the week of August 15–19. Judging takes place on September 10. For more visit http:// harvestfair.org/amateur-wine/

JUNE 1-4, 2023

Save The Date for our 14th annual WineMaker Conference, which will be located in beautiful Eugene, Oregon. Join us in Oregon’s world-famous Willamette Valley wine region for four days of winemaking learning and fun. Don’t miss dozens of winemaking and grape growing workshops, seminars, and special events all geared for home winemakers. https://winemakerconference.com

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

AWARD-WINNING KITS

Here is a list of medal-winning kits for the Other Red Vinifera Blends categories chosen by a blind-tasting judging panel at the 2022 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition in West Dover, Vermont:

Other Red Vinifera Blends

GOLD

Master Vintner Winemaker’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

RJS Craft Winemaking En Primeur

Italian Super Tuscan

RJS Craft Winemaking RQ Chilean

Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Syrah

Winexpert Limited Edition Black

Cab

Winexpert Limited Edition

Grenache Tannat Shiraz

Winexpert imited Edition Pacific

Quartet

Winexpert Selection Luna Rossa

SILVER

RJS Craft Winemaking En Primeur

Winery Series Italian Valpola

RJS Craft Winemaking En Primeur

Winery Series Spanish Grenache

Syrah

VineCo Estate Series Italian Primo

Rosso

Winexpert Reserve Boomerang Red

BRONZE

RJS Craft Winemaking Cru International Okanagan

Meritage

VineCo Signature Amarone

Winexpert Eclipse Lodi Ranch

Cabernet Sauvignon Zinfandel

Winexpert Limited Edition South

African Blend

Winexpert Selection Italian Estate

Brunello

AGLIANICO

onsidered by some to be one of the three great red wine grapes of Italy (along with Sangiovese and Nebbiolo), this ancient wine grape was highly regarded among Romans and is mentioned in the writings of Pliny the Elder. Its name in those times was Elenico, meaning Greek, which indicates that its origins are from across the Adriatic Sea and date well beyond the rise of Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire. Nowadays its most well-known home lies in the Tuarasi DOCG in the Campari region of Italy — just north of the boot on the western shores of the Mediterranean Sea — but finds success in a few other regions of the world as well.

Aglianico appreciates especially dry and sunny climates as it is late ripening. In its homeland the wines are often full-bodied and highly tannic due to its thick skin. This polyphenolic load often needs several years aging to bring balance to the palate. But there are many New World examples of Aglianico coming out of places like the Central Valley and Paso Robles regions of California that have depth and complexity without the need for a long cellaring period to bring that balance. While its acreage here in North America is quite small and limited to just a handful of places in California and Texas, there is reason to give this grape a try, whether you find it available from a grape grower or when establishing a vineyard in a dry and sunny microclimate.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

BEGINNER’S BLOCK

BY DAVE GREEN

Volatile Acidity W

hen winemakers talk about volatile acidity (VA), the acid that springs to the top of our collective minds is acetic acid. We all know it as vinegar, and we all know it’s volatile, in other words, we smell it well before we taste. But that is not the only acid found in wine that will cause VA. And while VA is generally considered a fault when it is apparent, it can actually lift a wine’s body and character when kept at low levels. So today we’ll try to delve into its roots and ways to control it in your wine.

As stated in the last paragraph, there is more to VA than just acetic acid. Ethyl acetate is a much more potent spoiler of wine compared to vinegar. While it is not actually an acid, its presence is indicative of acetic acid as it is commonly produced by acetic acid bacteria and smells like nail polish remover. Other true acids that contribute to measured VA include compounds like carbonic, sulfurous, butyric, lactic, and propionic acids. But in a typical wine, acetic acid makes up over 90% of VA compounds.

VOLATILE ACIDITY CAUSES

For the most part, this can be summed up with one word . . . oxygen. Too much oxygen in your wine and the bacterial strain Acetobacter will start to turn your alcohol into acetic acid. Minimize this interaction and you are a lot less likely to see VA pop up in your wine. Common events that can create VA are as follows: Poor fruit quality, cold soaking or extended macerations, natural fermentations, stuck fermentations, improper sulfiting of wine (especially just prior to bottling), barrel aging and/or not topping up your aging vessels. You may be able to recover when one or two of these events occur, but as more get checked off the more likely you are to see VA issues arise.

We need to make one thing clear: VA is part of all wine. Whether you

want a little or not, there is no way to completely eliminate its presence. It’s a natural by-product of a healthy fermentation, but in very low concentrations.

The key is that winemakers can take steps to minimize it. For grape winemakers, the first step in controlling its presence is to minimize damaged fruit. If a winemaker starts with a high percentage of grapes that have seen a high level of pest or disease stress, then that winemaker is probably starting with high levels of VA already in the grapes. So be sure to cull out, as best you can, poor looking grapes; but don’t feel like you need to go overboard. And if, overall, your grapes don’t seem in great condition, add more sulfite to them pre-fermentation. 50 ppm sulfite will help suppress microbial spoilage critters early in fermentation. For more on this concept, check out: https:// winemakermag.com/article/cherrypicking-grapes

VA MITIGATION

Next, it’s all about following sound winemaking practices. If you are planning on either a cold-soak or extended maceration period, then regularly layering the must with inert gas is needed to prevent oxygen ingression. Inoculating your must with a commercial strain of yeast will also minimize the risks associated with VA. That said, some winemakers may actually allow an abbreviated period prior to inoculation to allow the native yeast to work their magic since, as noted earlier, a small amount of VA can be a wine enhancer.

During active fermentation your wine is protected from oxygen and, in fact, benefits from some oxygen. But as fermentation slows down, that once again swings the other direction and oxygen can again become your enemy. After fermentation is complete (as well as malolactic fermentation), then winemakers’ knight in shining armor is sulfite salts, either potassium metabi-

sulfite ( MBS) or sodium metabisulfite (SMS, or commonly sold as Campden tablets). Sulfite salts will release a little sulfur dioxide that can scavenge any oxygen in the wine. How much sulfur salts to add is highly dependent upon several factors and is best done with a sulfite calculator like the one found at: https:// winemakermag.com sulfite-calculator

A final note about sulfite is that these additions should be done on a regular basis in order to maintain a steady and safe level of the oxygen-scavenging sulfur. And the addition of sulfite salts just prior to bottling is the most important addition of all. This will allow the wines to age properly.

Making sure your wine fermenter or barrel is properly topped up during its aging period is a key step in managing VA. Despite what some winemakers may think, oxygen does diffuse past silicone bungs. This means that the best way to mitigate the inevitable exposure to oxygen is to reduce the wine-to-air surface area. This is true in carboys, demijohns, and barrels. Bring the wine all the way up the neck of the carboy to its thinnest point. Barrels need to be regularly topped up since water and alcohol will vaporize from the barrel. Aging wine should be checked about once a month to make sure it’s properly topped up. If the liquid is more than an inch (2.5 cm) below the barrel’s bunghole, it should be topped up. For more on topping up, check out: https://winemakermag.com/ article/topping-up-your-wine

TREATMENTS FOR VA

As already alluded to, the best treatment for VA is prevention. But if it is caught early, then it can be minimized. Racking a wine out of its current vessel and into a fully topped up container, then hitting it with MBS is one way to minimize its growth. Once it’s apparent but controlled, blending with a much cleaner wine is good, but only for wine with a subtle case of VA.

BY DAWSON RASPUZZI

PRESSING LIKE THE PROS

Sure, most home winemakers don’t have the fancy, large-scale presses the pros use, but a lot can still be gleaned from how they do things. We asked three pros to share their pressing practices and best pressing advice for hobbyists.

For most of our wine production we use a 1,320-gallon (50-hL) pneumatic bladder press, although we continue to use a small basket press for experimental lots. We do a programmed press run that is a bit different for our reds versus our rosé or white wines. For reds, the program starts by allowing free-run juice through, eventually assisted by tumbling the lot. Once this cycle is complete, we slowly ramp up pressure in increments of 0.2 bar, tumbling between each cycle. We will press a typical red lot until 0.8/1.0 bar depending mainly on taste, but also based on familiarity with the vineyard, our anticipated oak regimen, and the varietal. Our rosé/ white process is similar, but dealing with whole clusters and looking to produce a lighter style of wine, we use a slightly different program that runs lighter press cycles. We typically run this program up to 0.4/0.6 bar. Originally, we kept our free run and press lot separate, but we quickly realized blended wine helped develop a more complete and balanced wine than the separated lots. We find that our free-run juice on its own will miss this added structure, especially in the mid-palate. As a result, we now taste throughout the pressing, especially as pressure increases and make a decision as to whether this will be included with our final blend. This allows us to ensure that no overly tannic or astringent wine makes it into our blend as later pressing will eventually bring in astringency from the pips. Blending the wine early on allows us to bring individual elements together to develop a balance of fruit and structure before elevage. There are obvious logistical benefits to keeping the lot homogenized as well.

We whole-cluster press our rosé (while we haven’t made a white yet, we will whole cluster press them as well and we’re hopeful 2022 will be the year!) to give them a lightness and freshness. Our style has always been to make lighter, acid-driven rosé and whole cluster pressing within hours of the pick allows us to accomplish this. Looking forward, we may implement some light foot treading to add color and body to our whites/rosés, but we very much like the clean style that results from the vin gris method of rosé production.

Pressing for a home winemaker is not all that different — the most important part of pressing is to constantly taste and evaluate the juice. With anything in winemaking, the more you’ve tasted, the better you understand what to look for. This is true no matter the size of your production. A basket press will build up more pressure than a bladder press, so the evaluative step is even more critical in ensuring any undesirable pressed wine doesn’t make it into your final blend.

Tasting throughout and making notes will help you during the press cycle as much as any stage in winemaking. Evaluative decisions made at the press may ultimately have the biggest impact on the final wine (pick timing being a possible exception). This will also help to be a barometer for future pressings, especially if working with the same lots. When tasting, be sure to observe avor profile, structure (looking out for astringency), color, acid, and residual sugar.

A final thing to remember is that wood is porous so it’s less than ideal from a sanitation perspective. Ensure that you are keeping an organized cleaning and sanitation program, making sure the press is dry when you place it into storage.

Pressing for a home winemaker is not all that di erent — the most important part of pressing is to constantly taste and evaluate the juice.

John Musto is the Winemaker for Drive Wines in Santa Rosa, California. Launched in 2017, Drive Wines started as a home winemaking project in a vintage car garage before turning pro. Drive focuses on single-vineyard wines representing small vineyards in key regions of Sonoma County.

The style of each particular wine determines how we will press grapes in our Diemme AR50 bladder press, which is 1,320 gallons (50 hL) in size. Our white/ red whole cluster grape press program starts by in ating to 0.2 bar, where it will hold pressure for 4–5 minutes before it will de ate the bladder and rotate the drum to break up the cake. It will continue to repeat the same steps but each stage will increase pressure by 0.2 bar until we reach the final pressure of 1.4 bar. In general for our red lots we will use a similar program but the final pressure can range from 1.6–1.8 bar. Our press cycles can go anywhere from 100 minutes to two hours.

We do separate free run and pressed juice on certain occasions at the winery. We will do this for our high-end red lots that we want to make certain stay soft, delicate, and approachable. The free run will be low in tannin and very fruity vs. the pressed juice, which will show more tannins, lower acids, and elevated potassium levels. By separating the free run and pressed juice it gives us more exibility down the road when finishing the wine. A portion of the pressed juice can be blended back with the free run in order to achieve a more balanced

At Purgatory Cellars

Winery we use a 3-ton press and for sediment a 53-gallon (200-L) bladder press. For some red wines we destem the grapes and try to move the whole berries into fermenters to get carbonic maceration using closed-top, stainless steel fermenters. Our primary fermentation is about 25–30 days, and then we will press the grapes. At pressing, we do not separate free-run and pressed juice for our wines, instead opting to collect all of the juice together. The reason for doing so is to keep the entire batch consistent, use less space in the winery, and because we are not producing wines where separating the runs would be so important (fresh wine with as little air contact as possible). These wines are then aged in 132-gallon (500-L) oak barrels and we put a

wine. Separating press cuts is also very important to our sparkling wine program. The main reason we do it is so we are able to later adjust and use different fining and barrel aging techniques on the harder press fractions. In some cases certain cuts won’t make the final blend and can be used in a different wine or just as a blending component.

When to make a press cut is often best determined by taste. However, during harvest when things are busy around the winery it’s not always possible, so in those cases we will separate based on the pressure points. Once it hits our desired pressure we will collect what’s in the juice pan and switch tanks for the next fraction.

We do whole cluster presses for our white winemaking protocol and our rosé program. It is a gentle process that will extract less phenolics, will produce a less bitter and less astringent wine, and will show brighter aromatics.

Obviously home winemakers will be using significantly different equipment than we use. As the size of the pressing lots increase so will the equipment, but the concepts remain the same. My best advice to home winemakers when it comes to pressing is to constantly be tasting as the lots are pressing and document everything.

focus on the fermentation process and aging by using supplements (such as Opti-White and Opti-Red, fermentation, cellaring and finishing tannins, and Glutastar), choosing the right yeast, strictly monitoring fermentation, and aging wine on the lees, all in an attempt to maximize extraction and preserving avors.

We also use Georgian clay pots to make some red wines, which is the oldest winemaking technique in the world, probably started around 6000 B.C. After grapes are fermented and aged on the skins up to eight months, we empty the pots and drain without any pressing at all, using only the free-run wine.

My biggest suggestion for home winemakers regarding pressing is to use macerating enzymes for white grapes, such as Lallzyme Cuvée Blanc, as that will enhance pressing and release avors.

Edward Cholakian caught the winemaking bug while attending Sonoma State University and eventually went back to school for winemaking at UC-Davis. He’s worked at wineries in Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles. Since 2019 he has been making wine for Wolfe Heights Estates in Sacramento, California.

Marko Copic is the Owner and Winemaker at Purgatory Cellars Winery in Parker, Colorado. He utilizes Old World winemaking techniques and equipment like those used in his home country of Croatia to make wine from grapes mostly grown in Colorado.

WINE WIZARD

BY ALISON CROWE

BOTTLING TIPS

Also: Wine judge etiquette

QI THINK IT’S ALMOST TIME TO BOTTLE MY WINE ( A 2021 CHARDONNAY THAT HAS COMPLETED MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION ALTHOUGH THIS IS MY FIRST WINE EVER, SO I’M NOT TOTALLY SURE ) AND I HAVE TO ADMIT I’M A LITTLE INTIMIDATED BY THE PROCESS. I’M PLANNING TO RENT A HAND CORKER AND HAVE MY BOTTLES AND CORKS READY TO GO. I ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF FRIENDS WHO ARE WILLING TO COME OVER TO HELP. HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME? THE DAY- OF BIT IS ALSO WHAT I’M WORRIED ABOUT. CAN YOU GIVE ME A CHECKLIST OF THINGS I SHOULD DO LEADING UP TO MY “BOTTLING RUN” TO HELP ME GET READY?

EMILY RODGERS WENATCHEE, WASHINGTON

AI totally get it! There are some great articles about bottling in the WineMaker article archives at www.winemakermag.com. Though it’s a topic my fellow authors have covered before, I certainly can still give you some of my own insights as well as a checklist which is based on what I use when I’m prepping to bottle my own wines at Plata Wine Partners in Napa, California.

The first step is to determine when it’s time to bottle. Sometimes the wine just has to “do its thing” and you just have to pay attention. Since you’re dealing with a white wine like Chardonnay and it’s vintage 2021 (as I’m writing this, it’s the end of May 2022), chances are that it’s ready to go. Whites and rosés almost always need less aging time than reds, with unoaked styles (like Pinot Grigio) needing the least time.

ALL FERMENTATIONS ARE COMPLETE

Unless you want bubbles appearing in the bottle later, make sure your wine is dry (I usually go with less than 0.2% residual sugar as the benchmark) and your malolactic fermentation (MLF) is either complete or has been arrested by adding a good dose of potassium metabisulfite (sulfite).

A LACK OF FLAWS

It should go without saying that the time to deal with any aws or issues is before bottling. Wine that is too tannic needs more time or a protein-fining agent. Wine that is too sour needs to either a) finish M F or b) be deacidified with potassium bicarbonate or potassium carbonate. Sometimes you can hide minor aws by bringing in some other wine to blend. However, be careful of trying to hide a truly awed wine by adding too much of your good stuff; I always say, “Never blend a loser.”

THE WINE IS CLEAR

Has the wine “fallen bright,” i.e. it’s not cloudy or turbid? If your Chardonnay is still hazy, try adding some bentonite or another fining agent to help drop out the solids. More on this later in this reply.

FLAVORS AND AROMAS ARE DEVELOPED

Wine that is bottle ready “smells like wine” (sorry, I know that sounds obvious) and not like an active fermentation. The oak that you may or may not have added should be smelling and tasting integrated, like it’s a natural part of the wine and not just “laying on top.”

Bottling day gets easier with equipment upgrades and practice. ut whether your first or fi tieth bottle run, certain undamentals need to always be ollowed.

It should go without saying that the time to deal with any flaws or issues is before bottling.

Photo by Brett Cook

Winemaking Treatments and Steps Before Bottling Day

rent your corker (if you don't own one). Check in with friends to see who can help you the day of.

Do a “virtual bottling” walk through on paper, choosing your bottling location (kitchen? garage?), mapping out where your equipment will go, ensuring you'll have access to lots of water, your sanitizing material of choice, and good drainage.

If doing traditional cold stability, run trials for KHTA addition

For whites or rosés only, and only if possible/desired — traditional chilling and seeding for tartrate stability. Plan enough time for your particular wine set-up to achieve this. (Chilling takes time)

Note: Steps in green font are optional or are more style-driven and won’t be appropriate for every bottling project. When in doubt, plan more time than you think you’ll need. “Often N/A” = step may not be appropriate or common for this type of wine.

Bottling Day and Post-Bottling Day Steps

Done?Timeframe Below Items Apply To All Wines

Bottling Day

Sanitize all equipment, hoses, bottles, etc.

Bottling Day Gas bottles with argon or CO2 gas (if you have any)

Bottling Day Run a small amount of wine through filler hose or filler manifold system, to run out any water that would dilute your first bottle

Bottling Day Fill bottles with minimal splashing/aeration

Bottling Day Cork carefully with the corker (or use other closure) as soon after filling if possible. It helps to have a friend do the filling while you cork. Leave the bottles upright in the cases for a day or two before laying down or inverting. This allows the corks time to conform to the bottle neck.

Bottling Day Store in a cool dry place (55–65 °F/13–18 °C is a good target)

Bottling Day or LaterSpin or heat-shrink capsules on (if using — they fulfill decorative purposes only)

Bottling Day or LaterLabel bottles

Post-Bottling If you want to, taste a bottle within a couple of weeks of bottling. If you made multiple cases, I always think it's cool to try a bottle a month to see how a wine develops.

WINE WIZARD

THE WINE IS STABLE

“Stable” may be somewhat subjective and is a term that definitely exists on a spectrum. For reds, what I mean by stable is that fermentation and microbial activities are all complete, the wine is clear, the avors and aromas have developed as mentioned earlier, and importantly, no more solids are falling out of solution. Presumably the wines have been racked off heavy solids at least twice within the first six months of life or so. eep in mind most commercial fine red wines are bottled with at least one year of aging, often with a good 18 months in barrel. White and blush wine bottling dates are a lot more subjective and their timelines vary quite a bit. Unoaked styles that rely on their freshness for their charm, like Pinot Grigio and most rosés, can be bottled very soon after dryness. With added fining to drop out lees and filtration for clarity, it’s possible to have bottle-ready dry white wine within three months or so of harvest. Chardonnays, I tend to find, take more time. They rely on time on lees and often on oak in order to get to a satisfying style that is varietally and traditionally correct, but we are still only talking about a matter of months.

For whites and rosés, especially, stability also means heat and cold stability. I won’t get into it a ton here (because you can look up further references in my The Winemaker’s Answer Book, availableat winemakermag.com /product-category/ books) but a wine is considered heat stable (in rough parlance) if it doesn’t throw a haze when heated. A wine is considered cold stable if it doesn’t throw a precipitate of potassium bitartrate crystals when chilled. Different wineries have different chemical analysis standards for how they test and measure this,

and for home winemakers it can be difficult to achieve. Getting a wine heat stable involves adding bentonite clay and racking the wine off of it. It may not be necessary if you are happy with the appearance of your wine, and you know that you’ll be able to store it in a cool environment.

In the past, it’s been especially difficult for home winemakers to achieve a level of commercial cold stability by chilling/ freezing wine. Typical procedures include chilling a wine to 2 F (0 C) for hours, seeding with cream of tartar, and then filtering the wine. It’s quite an involved process. uckily there is a relatively new tool on the market that naturally inhibits crystallization in white wines, carboxymethylcellulose, or CMC. Now it might sound chemical-jargony but so does deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). CMC is a food-grade, water-soluble polysaccharide derived from cellulose that doesn’t change the pH, avor, or aroma of wines. It blocks the nucleation site of seed crystals and restricts further crystal growth. It’s available in dried or liquid form from winery supply companies like affort or Scott abs and is added at a standard rate of 1 m (as with any winemaking tool, please read up on a supplier’s website for more detailed information). ust mix into wine that’s bottle ready and the chance that you’ll have crystals formed in wines later in its lifetime are dramatically reduced. A couple of caveats: It’s important for the wine to be heat stable (proteins removed with bentonite) before the addition of CMC or it may throw a haze. Similarly, CMC is not for use in pink or ros wines because the colored compounds can create a haze.

I ran on way more about stability than I meant to but indeed, it is a huge topic Good luck with your first bottling run.

ACongrats on getting invited to your first ever wine judging I’ve been judging wine competitions, both for home and commercial winemakers, for over 15 years now and they’re always a great way to keep your palate fresh. ou’re right to assume that there is some protocol involved, as well as some “to do’s” and some “not to do’s.” Following are some of my favorite informational tidbits to help you know what to expect, how to have a good day-of, as well as to increase your chances of getting asked back next time.

Wine competitions are usually either run by local wine clubs, as part of a fair, or by various publications. Entrants pay the organization a fee per bottle, which helps pay for the venue, supplies, and logistics. Panels of judges then taste the wines blind (i.e. they don’t know the producer or the A A, etc.). It’s almost always an unpaid, volunteer activity. The folks who organize and put it on are also almost always volunteers too

and these things take a lot of time to put on, so it’s important to always treat them with the utmost respect. ou’ll see that many of the items on the list below are about being respectful — a key to becoming a respected wine judge yourself.

• Know where you’re supposed to go well ahead of time: ne of the keys is to show up slightly early, or on time. To do that, make sure you know your destination, the parking situation, if you need a permit and the traffic patterns in the area the day you’ll be traveling.

• Keep your scents to a minimum: Bathe with unscented products the morning of and definitely don’t wear any perfume or cologne. Be careful of wearing a jacket or sweater that may contain scent or tobacco smoke from previous days. These smells can linger and disrupt your palate and that of others.

• Eat a good breakfast with lots of protein: ou want to be well-fortified, but no garlic or onions. Even though you’ll be spitting, you’ll still be absorbing some alcohol during

the course of the day. Avoiding onions and garlic makes sure you won’t be bringing anything malodorous to the judging table.

• Show up on time: This is obviously critical and leaves an impression.

• While others are judging, minimize noise: You’re likely to know other folks who are also judging. There’s definitely a time for socializing and networking, but not when your table or others are “on the job.” Even though there will always be a low buzz of chit chat in the room, it’s never done to be boisterous or interrupt a group of judges mid- ight. If you need to approach someone during judging time, do it quietly after a ight is complete. Otherwise wait until lunch or other judging breaks for catching up with friends.

• Be respectful of volunteers/clerks: Every competition I’ve judged has been set up so that ights of anywhere from 6–14 wines in a class will be set before a team of three to five judges. Each judge quietly evaluates his or her wines, taking enough time to spend time with each, but moving at a professionally quick clip. Often, each table has an assigned clerk who records score or rank of each wine in the set (and sometimes the award). There may also be other assistants in the room who will bring the ights out to the tables, clear the tables, and empty the dump buckets. These folks are almost always unpaid volunteers so please be polite and cheerful with them — they’re doing it as a labor of love!

• Eat a good lunch: I’ve never been to a wine competition where lunch isn’t served. Having something in the stomach, as well as staying hydrated, is key to happy judges and to getting good results from the judges (which is the ultimate goal of the competition, after all). Some “old school” competitions serve beer during lunch as a palate cleanser . . . definitely not necessary, even if somewhat traditional.

• Spit, stay hydrated, and stay focused: If you finish your ight before your fellow panelists, it’s to check your Instagram account. Just be sure you’re ready to focus when it’s time to focus. Always spit using the cups provided and drink plenty of the provided water throughout the day. Slipping under the table at your

first wine competition is never a pretty look and is guaranteed to make sure you don’t get a return invite.

• Ask questions: Not sure how the scoring system works? Not sure if you’re supposed to rank the samples or award “medals” like bronze, silver or gold? Not sure what Brianna varietal wine should taste like? Be sure to ask your table clerk or the organizers if you’re unsure. Often, it’s important to think with your “consumer hat” and even if you don’t

personally like a wine style presented, try to evaluate it against its peers on its own merits.

• Send a thank-you note to the organizer: Your mom was right. Even if it’s an email, a kind thank-you note is always appreciated by the organizers! But . . . most of all, take your time and have fun. There’s so much camaraderie to be had in the world of wine judging, it’s always one of the things I enjoy most about my job.

VARIETAL FOCUS

BY CHIK BRENNEMAN

CATAWBA

America’s first true wine grape

Winemaking in North America did not start out the way we know of it in modern times. In fact, over the four hundred years or so that the continent has been occupied by European immigrants, winemaking has morphed so much it is hard to pin down if there was ever an origin.

The short story is as the European settlers arrived, they did not take a keen interest in the grapes native to the land. Being accustomed to the Vitis vinifera species of grape, on subsequent journeys across the Atlantic Ocean the Europeans carried with them cuttings from their favorite vinifera varieties from their home country.

The longer, more intriguing story is their trials and tribulations with the varieties they found here, how they came and went, and, to some extent, still linger on. Today we discuss a grape with historically synonymous names such as Arkansas, Michigan, Cherokee, and incoln. Surely this conjures up an image of what could truly be called America’s grape. So when it was officially named, it was for one of the original places it was grown and that title has stuck to this day we know of it as Catawba.

CATAWBA’S ORIGINS

This light-bodied red grape is viticulturally limited to North America. It had its heyday from 1825 to around 1850 as North America’s most widely planted grape variety. In 1 5 , the hio wine industry produced more than 56 ,000 gallons (21,500 h ) of wine that was grown on about 2,000 acres. In the 1 60s a powdery mildew outbreak and the American Civil War led to somewhat of a decline. Over the years, it has fallen

into less favor due to its late ripening and unsuitability for high-quality, dry red wines. Nonetheless, it has an interesting backstory.

While the historical record of Catawba does not go back to the May ower, the 220 or so years of viticultural documentation in North America is pretty significant. In 1 01, Samuel Murray had an inn just south of Asheville, North Carolina, somewhere within Henderson County near the South Carolina border. Mr. Murray had found several grapevines growing in the woods and as he cleared trees, he noticed over time that one of them had developed exceptionally well when it started receiving more sunlight. He took cuttings of this vine and planted them on his farm.

A few years later, in 1 0 , former Governor of North Carolina General William . Davie, transplanted some of these vines to his residence along the Catawba iver near ock Hill, South Carolina. This was not too far from where Mr. Murray lived. Sometime between 1 0 and 1 16, the General took the variety and started to propagate it with friends in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. It was there he named it Catawba after the river it was brought from.

The first wines made from Catawba were recorded in 1 22 in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. by Major ohn Adlum. Major Adlum sent cuttings to Cincinnati, hio, where Nicholas ongworth developed and popularized Catawba’s cultivation in the “West,” as it was known then, since the frontier did not go much further past there at the time.

The story of how Catawba came to be in North America is pretty interesting, but as with most varieties, teasing the actual origins of it has proved to be problematic over the years. In ancis obinson’s Wine Grapes (2012), she

While the historical record of Catawba does not go back to the Mayflower, the 220 or so years of viticultural documentation in North America is pretty significant.

Photo courtesy of Double A. Vineyards, Inc.

CATAWBA ROSÉ STYLE

INGREDIENTS

125 pounds (57 kg) fresh Catawba fruit

Distilled water

10 potassium metabisulfite ( MBS) solution (Weigh 10 g MBS, dissolve into about 50 mL of distilled water. When completely dissolved, make up to 100 mL total with distilled water.)

5 g alvin 1-B yeast ( alvin 1V1116 or EC-1118 can be used as a substitute)

10 g Diammonium phosphate (DAP)

10 g Fermaid (or equivalent yeast nutrient)

Rice hulls

EQUIPMENT

15-gallon (57-L) food-grade plastic bucket for fermentation

6-gallon (23-L) bucket

6-gallon (23-L) carboy

5-gallon (19-L) carboy

1–2 one-gallon (3.8-L) jugs

Racking hoses

Destemmer/crusher

Wine press

Inert gas (nitrogen, argon, or carbon dioxide)

Ability to maintain a fermentation temperature of 55–60 °F (13–16

C) TIP: Prior to harvest, buy several one-liter bottles of water, drink the water, replace with distilled water, and freeze. This will be your refrigeration system for peak fermentation. If you have other means to keep things cool, of course use that.

Thermometer capable of measuring between 40–110 °F (4–43 °C) in one degree increments

Pipettes with the ability to add in increments of 1 mL

STEP BY STEP

1. Clean and sanitize all your winemaking tools, supplies, and equipment.

2. Crush and destem the grapes. Transfer the must to your fermenter.

3. During the transfer, add 15 m of 10 MBS solution. This addition is the equivalent of 50 ppm S . Mix well into solution.

4. Layer the headspace with inert gas and monitor every 2–3 hours for color development. When the desired color is achieved, press the must. Use the rice hulls (about 30% of the total

Yield 5 gallons (19 L)

volume) to aid in pressing and make the process go faster. You will be discarding the skins, seeds and hulls, then proceed with the juice as follows.

5. Press the grapes, collecting the juice in the 6-gallon (23-L) bucket. Add m of 10 MBS solution. This addition is the equivalent of 20 mg S 2. Move the juice to the refrigerator.

6. Let the juice settle at least overnight. Layer the headspace with inert gas and keep covered. (Place dry ice in and cover.)

7. When sufficiently settled, rack the juice off of the solids into the 6-gallon (23-L) carboy.

8. Prepare yeast. Heat about 50 mL distilled water to 104 °F (42 °C). Sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the water and gently mix so that no clumps exist. Let sit for 15 minutes undisturbed. Measure the temperature of the yeast suspension. Measure the temperature of the juice. You do not want to add the yeast to your cool juice if the temperature of the yeast and the must temperature difference exceeds 15 °F (8 °C). To avoid temperature shock, acclimate your yeast by taking about 10 mL of the juice and adding it to the yeast suspension. Wait 15 minutes and measure the temperature again. Do this until you are within the specified temperature range. Do not let the yeast sit in the original water suspension for longer than 20 minutes. When the yeast is ready, add it to the fermenter.

9. Add Fermaid or equivalent yeast nutrient.

10. Initiate the fermentation at room temperature ~(65–68 °F/18–20 °C) and once fermentation is noticed, 2 hours, move to a location where the temperature can be maintained at 55 °F (13 °C).

11. Two days after fermentation starts, dissolve the DAP in as little distilled water required to completely go into solution (usually ~ 20 mL). Add the DAP solution directly to the carboy. Do not add the DAP crystals to the juice unless you want to recreate those volcano experiments from elementary school days.

12. Normally you would monitor the progress of the fermentation by

measuring Brix. ne of the biggest problems with making rosé or white wines at home is maintaining a clean fermentation. Entering the carboy to measure the sugar is a prime way to infect the fermentation with undesirable microbes. So at this point, the presence of noticeable fermentation is good enough. If your airlock becomes dirty by foaming over, remove it, clean and sanitize it, and replace as quickly and cleanly as possible. As a general rule, sanitize anything that will come in contact with the juice.

13. Leave alone until bubbles in the airlock are about one bubble per minute. Usually about two to three weeks.

14. Measure the Brix. The wine is considered dry, or nearly dry, when the Brix reaches -1.5 Brix or less.

15. When the fermentation is complete, add m of fresh MBS (10 ) solution per gallon (3.8 L) of wine.

16. Transfer the wine off of the lees to the 5-gallon (19-L) carboy and lower the temperature to 38–40 °F (3–4 °C). Make sure there is no headspace. Fill the carboy to the very top! If you have leftover wine, you might as well have this for dinner if there is not enough to fill a 1-gallon (3.8-L) jug.

17. After two weeks, test for pH and S 2 adjust as necessary to attain 0.8 ppm molecular S 2. (There is a simple S 2 calculator on the Web at www. winemakermag.com/guide/sulfite). Check the S 2 in another two weeks, prior to the next racking and adjust while racking. HINT: Rack to another sanitized 5-gallon (19-L) carboy or your bucket. In the case of the latter, clean the original carboy and transfer the wine back to it. This is done at about 6 weeks after the first S 2 addition. nce the free S 2 is adjusted, maintain at the target level by monitoring every 3–4 weeks.

18. Consult winemakermag.com for tips on fining and filtration if a cloudiness is apparent.

19. At about three months you are ready to bottle. Consider making it into a sparkling wine. Be sure to maintain sanitary conditions while bottling. nce bottled, you’ll need to periodically check your work by opening a bottle to enjoy with friends.

VARIETAL FOCUS

proposes three possible scenarios: 1) It is a pure, wild Vitis labrusca variety 2) It is a natural hybrid of V. labrusca and V. aestivalis and 3) It is a natural seedling produced by a cross between native V. labrusca and V. vinifera that had been previously imported into the United States.

ers recommend cluster thinning. It requires favorable sites with long growing seasons and may ripen too late for some areas. Bloom to harvest is reported as about 120 days.

Walkers Qrtr-pg Ad.qxp_Layout 1 12/3/18 9:33 AM Page 1

In the absence of actual breeding records, she proposes this as an accidental cross by vinifera pollen being carried on the wind and pollinating a wild labrusca, where the seeds were consumed and deposited near Mr. Murray’s inn. Quite the set of stories, with the last one, almost unbelievable without some backstory that was not published.

The geneticists came through a few years later (2016) and actually corroborated Robinson’s third possibility, showing that Catawba shared one allele with Sémillon. Incidentally, the same research project confirmed previous research that found Concord to be the offspring of Catawba and another wild species.

CATAWBA IN THE VINEYARD

These cold-hardy grape vines can withstand temperatures to -15 to -20 °F (-26 to -29 °C). They are moderately vigorous and the clusters are medium to large in size, with intermediate-sized berries. The skins are rather thick, which is typical of the native American slip-skin varieties (slip-skin is a term that describes the skin of some native American grapes, that when the berry is squeezed, the skin slips off of the eshy part of the berry). They are quite productive and some grow-

It is reported to have high susceptibility to black rot, downy mildew, and Phomopsis; with moderate susceptibility to powdery mildew; and only slight vulnerability to Botrytis, crown gall, and Eutypa die back. It is not sensitive to sulfur but can be sensitive to copper treatments if applied under cool, slow-drying conditions.

CATAWBA IN THE WINERY

The grape is versatile; being made into wine, jams, juice, and is sold as a table grape. Focusing on the wine aspects, certainly all styles are possible but lighter reds and rosés finished semi-dry are the norm. Ice wines are also made in areas where the conditions are favorable. The pigmented anthocyanins are reported to be low, which is why the wines of Catawba are generally light in color. In addition, there is a mutation that is even lighter in color and aptly named Catawba Rosé.

Thermovinification is a commercial process where the must is heated prior to pressings and fermentation that can help with the color extraction, but can also have a negative effect on the avors. While not available to the home winemaking crowd, there are certainly those adventurous and experimental home winemakers who would want to break out their pressure cookers to give this method a try.

Sparkling Catawba appears to have come into production using the same techniques made famous by the French monk and winemaker Dom Perignon in the Champagne region of France. In 1842 Nicholas Longworth started producing wines in the same méthode champenoise style along the banks of the Ohio River. While this sparkling winemaking processis a little bit more complex, it is not out of reach for home winemakers. The disgorging process can be a little challenging and dangerous if not performed correctly. Search winemakermag.com for guidance on how to craft the style of sparkling wine yourself.

Commercially I know of a few modern day wineries that are producing a pét-nat, short for pétillant naturel, style of sparkling in a couple of different ways. The process involves bottling the wines under crown-cap before the end of fermentation, typically when the residual sugar levels are 10–15 g/L (read more about this technique in “Pét Projects” in the June-July 2021 issue or online at https://winemakermag.com/ article/pet-projects).

One winery I am familiar with producing pét-nat wines takes on the traditional riddling and disgorging process, whereas the other simply allows the lees to settle to the bottom of the bottle and then you decant the wine when opening to another bottle just as you would a homebrewed beer. You do need specialized glass bottles capable of holding high pressures without exploding. This style seems a good fit if making a sparkling Catawba wine.

For me, I have to think that this is the oldest North American wine grape variety I have researched. As I re ect on the history of this grape, I picture a whole bunch of home winemakers aspiring to go commercial and getting this grape first and foremost in the early American wine industry. Catawba morphed to Concord, which took over in more ways than imagined. But in the end there is the right variety for the right site and it was Catawba that set the tone and helped shape the United States’ history in grape growing and wine production. While not as lengthy a history as you find in the ld Country . . . we had to start somewhere.

when you register now. We look forward to seeing you in Oregon in 2023!

Eight wines from the same grapes

by Kristen Shubert

Photo by Kristen Shubert

t takes a village” is not just a cliché here in the hamlet of Los Angeles, California, but the way we prefer to share our tasks amongst our group of home winemakers. After staying at home due to the pandemic in 2020, we decided in 2021 to put together a group purchase of grapes through our home winemaking club, Cellarmasters of Los Angeles. Members of the club fulfilled the necessary roles of a negociant, driver, crusher, presser, and vigneron. Not so di erent from a medieval harvest!

However, this story really begins with inspiration drawn a year earlier. During the height of the pandemic our club hosted Zoom tastings with local wineries. When we tasted Angeleno Wine Company’s The Meadow Rosé, a flavorful wine made with 100% Graciano grapes, I knew immediately where those grapes had been grown, and by whom. I had carried Bokisch Vineyards wines at my wine bar, Vin-

tura, for several years, and knew them to produce some of the most reputable Spanish-style wines in the country with grapes grown in their vineyards. I asked Amy Luftig Viste, Co-Owner of Angeleno Wine Company, if the Graciano was fruit from Bokisch in Lodi, California, which she and partner Jasper Dickson confirmed. The Cellarmasters loved The Meadow Rosé; in fact, it made such an impression that a few of us were determined to try our hands at making a similar wine.

I was excited for others to experience a love for the Graciano grape that I have long admired. Graciano is a dark, thick-skinned grape that is primarily grown in Rioja and Navarre, Spain, where it thrives in the warm and dry climate. According to the Spanish Wine Scholar textbook, Spain produces 93% of the world’s Graciano. It is rarely used to create a varietal wine — most often used as a blending component in Tempranillo or Garnacha wines because of its dark color, the acidic and tannic backbone, spicy

notes, and the ability to age. It is intensely perfumed with aromas of violets, blackberry, cocoa, even a touch of menthol, with flavors of black currant and blackberry, and in certain locations a trace of black pepper. American oak is the traditional treatment in Spain, imparting flavors of vanilla and baking spice.

In 2021, Bokisch Vineyards produced almost 70 tons of Graciano out of the 7,500 tons of grapes they harvested. In 2019, according to the California Department of Food & Agriculture’s Crush Report, 795 tons of Graciano was crushed in California — nearly a 400% increase from the prior year.

THE GRACIANO GANG

Deciding to go in on a group purchase of Graciano, the “Graciano Gang” was formed. The gang included four members: Michael Holland, President of Cellarmasters and professional scribe that imbibes; Gregg Ogorzelec, our “Knight of Whites,” saving many

Four home winemakers each created a rosé and a table wine from 1,000 lbs. (450 kg) of Graciano grapes from Lodi, California to compare against commercial examples from the same vineyard.

Photo by Alie Lustig

a muscat from a feeble life of flat flavor; Dave Lustig, our professional winemaker of 30 years and owner at Old Oak Cellars, as well as Cellarmaster’s town crier; and myself, who played negociant and cart-driver. Jasper Dickson, the winemaker at Angeleno Wine Co., was also critical in our venture having created our muse and o ering his advice on our journey. Our goal was to make di erent styles of wine from the same bin of Graciano grapes — with each of us creating one batch of rosé, as well as a second varietal wine.

We had our village, so we took inventory of our equipment and divided tasks. Operating as negociant for the gang, I used my industry connections to purchase grapes from Bokisch Vineyards. During my years of owning a wine bar I fell in love with the value of Spanish-varietal wines, including Graciano. I purchased Garnacha, Graciano, and Tempranillo wines from Bokisch, which my guests loved. Fast forward to 2020 and the invention of Zoom wine tastings. I had participated in Bokisch’s Educational Wine Series on Zoom and afterwards had emailed Markus Bokisch to inquire about purchasing hundreds of pounds of those Graciano grapes. He agreed, and I set up a contract with Jennifer Daniel, Business Manager at Bokisch, for 1,000 lbs. (450 kg) of Graciano at $1 per pound. I started thinking about how those grapes would travel 350 miles from Lodi to SoCal.

Inching along SoCal freeways, bins

secure, I felt a donkey cart would have been a faster option on that Friday afternoon than a Dodge Ram. The harvest was a night pick to give relief to the pickers and grapes, as the average September temperature in Lodi is in the high 80s to low 90s °F (low 30s °C). The 2021 harvest presented some labor issues for wineries, resulting in picking later than usual when a crew was available. The delay in picking resulted in grapes of around 25–27 °Brix, which is a bit higher than we had hoped for, but the fruit still looked tremendous. The bin of fruit was weighed, I picked up my tag, and pointed my truck toward Pasadena, California before sunrise.

Gregg Ogorzelec, who is known to experiment with weird and wonderful grapes and processes, arranged for us to use the crush pad at Villa Laural Winery, owned by Will and Debra Regan in Pasadena.

PROCESSING THE GRAPES

Village communications were facilitated by Dave Lustig. In his role as town crier, we were summoned to meet at 4 p.m. to begin. The discussion ensued as to how each person preferred their grapes to be processed and what style of wine was to be achieved. We were stunned at the deep purple color and questioned how The Meadow Rosé was such a beautiful pinkish-salmon color.

“The color is a surprise, even though there was only 1–2 hours of skin contact.” Gregg noted. We agreed that a traditional rosé was not possible with such dark juice.

Bucket after bucket we unloaded the deep purple, aromatic fruit from the bin and into the destemmer/ crusher. Everyone had crushed their 250 lbs. (115 kg), and more discussion was had as to how much time we had to press. While darkness approached, we assembled the old Italian ratchet press with some di culty. Michael and Dave repaired the medieval mechanism so we could start pressing out the juice for rosé. The first 100 lbs. (45 kg) were pressed by hand to the point of dry cake for my version of rosé. We discussed additives and settled on pectic enzyme to help

produce a better yield, prevent pectic hazes, and produce a faster settling of the juice, as well as SO2 to protect the juice. With a laugh, we agreed that we did not need any more color extraction or aromatics!

Gregg pressed his rosé next in the dark, aware that the skin contact would create a much darker wine if left until the next day. He saved the skins and added them to the red wine must. Dave decided to take his must home to press; he collected the free-run juice within four hours, also known as the saignée method of bleeding o the juice that has been in contact with the skins for his rosé. He then added those skins to the red wine ferment for a more concentrated wine. This was a technique decided a bit on the fly, Dave admitted. “The high Brix made me reduce my rosé amount a bit (knowing that some water would be added to lower the Brix) and my red portion is a bit higher (in volume) than I was aiming for, but there are worse problems to have!”

Michael also took his must home to be pressed after 12–18 hours of skin contact the next day for his rosé and prepped his French oak barrel for his version of a fruity Graciano red wine. “Having not worked with Graciano before, the 25 °Brix benefitted the red ferment. I tend to use a new rosé ferment as a baseline; I believe in bottle aging and try to hold o drinking until year two,” remarked Michael.

From this point forward, the winemaking process was up to each individual villager.

EVALUATING THE WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES/RESULTS

Six months later, the gang met on March 12 at Angeleno Wine Company to discuss our successes and challenges, and taste through our concoctions together. Unfortunately, Michael was not able to attend in person, but was on Zoom with us for the afternoon. We started our tasting with our muse, the 2020 The Meadow Rosé. The aromas were strawberry, cranberry, and cream with a grapefruit finish with flavors of tart cranberry, strawberry, grapefruit, and a touch of cinnamon. We asked Jasper

Spanish Graciano grapes are known for their deep color, tannins, and balanced acids.

Photo by Kristen Shubert

about his recipe compared to ours; he started with whole-cluster pressing the Graciano that was at 18.35 °Brix and used indigenous yeast. The wine was racked to barrel to add texture, no MLF, no fining, no cold stabilizing, but a secret ingredient for mouthfeel. Jasper said of his winemaking style, “I am curious and playful; I respect the craft of winemaking, but love to try new things every year and explore.”

My Rookie Rosé must began at 27.5 °Brix, which was higher than ideal, and was the only problematic wine of the day. I watered back to 13.3% alcohol and added tartaric acid. I chose to let the fermentation kick o naturally, then add QA23 yeast because it will ferment at a lower temperature in my fridge fermenter. My pH went from 4.0 at crush to 3.22 at time of testing on March 10. I read about lysozyme in WineMaker magazine, and I added it to prohibit MLF in February and in March. The wine did not clear, and the consensus was to try Super-Kleer K.C. This wine was a conundrum for the group as it tested at 0.47 g/100 mL titratable acidity (TA) with final pH at 3.22, in addition to some volatile acidity (VA) at 0.65 g/L. It had a minty nose, good fruit flavors, but a chemical aftertaste. The minty nose can be attributed to the Alavesa, Rioja clone of Graciano that can present menthol and/or minty flavors. A fun fact, but not what I was going for in my rosé.

Gregg had better success with his rosé. He started at 25 °Brix with a pH of 4.0, watering back to 24 °Brix and adding tartaric acid. He chose Cross Evolution yeast for 10 days to address the high sugar in one batch, and QA23 for 16 days in another batch, which did result in a bit of a citrus finish. His rosé had the most earth, mushroom, and bramble nose and had a soft and round mouthfeel, also a trait of Cross Evolution, with black and red fruits. Gregg said he wanted to get away from the fruit-forward wine that Rhône 4600 yeast produces, so he tried two strains that were new to him.

Dave used free-run juice and he also added tartaric acid. Starting with 25 °Brix, he used QA23 yeast to produce better aromatics. The juice was at a cool fermentation for close to two

weeks to retain the fruit aromas. Dave was able to use the breeze in Pasadena to bring down the fermentation temperature to 50 °F (10 °C) at night, with an average temperature of 70 °F (21 °C). The wine had a slight haze and is now in a keg under CO2. The nose expressed young red fruit and candied fruit, with flavors of cranberry and a slightly acidic finish.

Michael chose Rhône 4600 yeast for his 25 °Brix, 3.8 pH must, which resulted in exactly what the yeast promises of a rosé — strawberries! The primary flavors were red fruit and strawberries with a nice full finish. His rosé had the most skin contact, and it was evident in the candy-apple red color.

After tasting through and discussing the rosés, we moved on to the Graciano reds next. My result was a formidable 15.5% ABV table wine, which did not interfere with the dark fruit, dried fruit, and dusty tannin flavors. I used D20 yeast, created for DAOU

Vineyards in Paso Robles, California, for higher-temperature ferments. This wine was the most drinkable for its age and felt like it had some of the markers of an older, aged wine. When I had this tested at Camarillo Custom Crush by Winemaker Shaun Frohn, it was hard for us to believe the numbers, but we knew we liked the taste.

Gregg and Dave added the rosé skins into the must of their red table wines and cold soaked from 2–4 days to enhance the flavor and color; they worked with the 25–27 °Brix and did not water back. Gregg added Noblesse and CLOS yeasts to add body and counter the tannins. Dave added Assmanshausen yeast to enhance the fruity flavors. Dave and I were thinking longer fermentations/macerations of 12–16 days, while Michael and Gregg had shorter fermentations of one week. Michael used the same yeast as he did with the rosé, Rhône 4600, for fruit-forward flavors. Michael’s wine is now in neutral French

The Graciano Gang gathered after six months to taste through the eight different wines made.

Photo by Alie Lustig

oak, Gregg’s wine is going into Hungarian oak for aging, while Dave’s wine didn’t touch any oak and is under gas in a keg. My wine is in glass carboys with oak staves for now.

Gregg’s wine had big red and black fruit with bramble, licorice, and a hint of sweetness. Dave had the most balanced wine for its age, with distinct Jolly Rancher aromas and young black fruits and tannin. Michael’s wine had a candied fruit nose, powerful black

and red fruit flavors with tannin, and a slight meaty finish. Our wines are beginning to show markers of Graciano. It will be interesting when we judge the Cellermaster’s 49th Annual Amateur Wine Making Competition in November. Will we be able to identify Graciano in a blind tasting? The Graciano we tasted in March 2022 will have more balance by the fall but will still be very young.

Our tasting revealed that all our

young wines had a Jolly Rancher/candied fruit component to them, especially the aromas. We did not get that trait from the two bottles of Bokisch Graciano we opened for comparison. The 2018, Estate Grown, Terra Alta Vineyard Graciano presented us with aromas of lavender blossom, blueberry jam, and anise. It featured flavors of black and blue fruits that enhanced the smooth, well-rounded finish, which earned it 92 points from Wine Enthusiast. And the 2018 Family Estate, Las Cerezas Vineyard Graciano had a color that is described as “dark, inky, and serious.” It had savory, meaty aromas that combined with baking spices, cedar, blueberry jam, and lavender. Flavors of dark berries, blueberry syrup, violet, and crushed earth, with a long finish that clashed against our younger wines. The age di erence is three years from our wines to the Bokisch wines, so we are very hopeful!

When asked about the winery philosophy, Markus Bokisch remarked, “Here at Bokisch, our entire approach centers around innovation. We pioneered Spanish varieties in California, being amongst the first to grow Albariño, Graciano, Verdejo, Monastrell, and many other varieties. We also are extremely non-interventionist, allowing the fruit, the terroir, and essence of each variety to express itself naturally. We like to experiment with di erent wood regimes that have included new, lightly toasted oak on whites, as well as Acacia barrels with Verdejos. So, perhaps ‘scientifically adventurous’ might be the best description of what we’re trying to achieve!”

What did our merry band achieve? Most importantly, we had FUN! As Michael said, “Many hands make the work light. Spreading the work also spreads the wealth.” The project also blossomed into fundraisers, a millennial DIY workshop, and field trips to wineries. This village considers itself prosperous . . . and expanding! Our town crier announced our exploits, and we have new villagers joining the Graciano Gang, with three Bokisch Spanish varieties to occupy the hamlet for the 2022 harvest.

1,772 entries judged April 22-24 at the Mount Snow Grand Summit Lodge in West Dover, Vermont

From April 22-24, 2022, a total of 1,772 di erent wines were judged at the Mount Snow Grand Summit Lodge in West Dover, Vermont. This year’s competition was again the largest wine competition of its kind in the world. The 1,772 entries were submitted by hobby winemakers living throughout North America in 48 American states and 4 Canadian provinces and as far away as Sweden. It continues to be the single largest and most diverse collection of hobby wines assembled annually under one roof. Over the course of three days, experienced judging panels worked

through 355 flights, examining each wine using the UC-Davis 20-point wine scale evaluating appearance, aroma, taste, aftertaste, and overall impression. The wines were entered in 50 di erent categories and included an astonishing array of varietals and wine styles. Kit wines competed alongside fresh-grape entries in this blind tasting. Entries were awarded gold, silver, bronze, and best of show medals based on the average score given by the judging panel.

The Gene Spaziani Grand Champion Wine award was the top overall scoring wine across all categories. The Club of the Year was given to the club whose members won the

most medals and the Retailer of the Year and U-Vint of the Year awards were given to the winemaking supply stores whose customers outperformed other similar shops. Finally, the Winemaker of the Year award was given to the individual entrant who had the highest average score across their top 5 scoring wines in the competition.

Congratulations to everyone who won a medal, and a sincere thanks to our sponsors, Competition Director Ric Quental, Events Manager Jannell Kristiansen, our judges, competition volunteers, and of course everyone who took time to enter. Cheers and thanks for entering your wines!

GENE SPAZIANI GRAND CHAMPION WINE

Carmen Pietroniro • Stoney Creek, Ontario

100% Estate Niagara Ontario Cabernet

Franc Ice Wine 2020

SPONSOR:

WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR

Brian Cline • Monroe, Wisconsin

SPONSOR:

BEST OF SHOW RED

Jim Todd and P.J. Rodrigues

Manteca, California

69% Merlot, 31% Syrah

SPONSOR:

BEST OF SHOW WHITE

Ken Stafford • Plymouth, California

100% Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2021

SPONSOR:

BEST OF SHOW DESSERT

Mike Dault • Edgewood, Kentucky

95% Winexpert Aprés Raspberry

Chocolate, 5% Brandy 2019

SPONSOR:

BEST OF SHOW COUNTRY FRUIT

Robert Joakimson and Rex Johnston

Concord, California

85% Red Raspberry, 15% Milano Chocolate 2021

SPONSOR:

BEST OF SHOW ESTATE GROWN

Kai Martinez • Barnesville, Minnesota

75% Estate Petite Pearl, 20% Estate

Crimson Pearl, 5% Estate Marquette 2021

SPONSOR:

BEST OF SHOW KIT/ CONCENTRATE

Jeff Kulp • Canton, Michigan

100% Winexpert Aprés Riesling Ice Wine

Style 2021

SPONSOR:

CLUB OF THE YEAR

Cincinnati Vintners Club • Ohio

SPONSOR:

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

MoreWine! • Concord, California

SPONSOR:

BEST OF SHOW SPARKLING

Timothy Valdez

Colorado Springs, Colorado

100% Sangiovese 2020

SPONSOR:

BEST OF SHOW MEAD

Stephen Shannon

Charlotte, North Carolina

45% Honey, 45% Apple, 4% Raisin,

3% Date, 3% Brown Sugar 2021

SPONSOR:

U-VINT OF THE YEAR

Tin Lizzie Wineworks

Clarksville, Maryland

SPONSOR:

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

When Grapes Throw You for a Curve Adjusting plans based on your fruit

by Ken and Leah Stafford

By now harvest is right around the corner or you are perhaps already into your winemaking e orts. This comes after several months of planning and anxieties of how this year’s vintage will turn out. But, as anyone who has been making wine over several vintages knows, the grapes you obtain for winemaking may not be what you had hoped for.

Winemakers that obtain their grapes from a grower are dependent on what the grower provides and the considerations of harvest timing, grape quality and/or condition. Even if you grow your own grapes like us, the unexpected still happens in the vineyard that is beyond your control but will play a big role in what you do during the winemaking process. Just remember that the unexpected will likely happen and you may have to change your game plan once grapes arrive and the winemaking process begins. Anticipating these unexpected events is the epitome of planning.

We’ve rarely had a growing year, harvest, or vintage that did not have some unexpected condition come up to require a modification to our planning. In our very first vintage where we sourced grapes from a local grower we made arrangements to pick up the grapes the day they were being picked. Upon our arrival to the vineyard the grower completely forgot our order and also noted that the variety we requested was picked the previous day. We were fortunate that something else was being picked the day we showed up. We still made a very successful wine that year.

We had one year in which the Barbera we were processing had extremely bright and clear juice with a small touch of color coming out of the crusher/destemmer. It was unexpected, but we immediately changed our game plan and took part of that juice/ must straight to the press and made preparations for fermentation of a vin gris-style rosé. The resulting rosé was delicious, but always mistaken-

ly judged as oxidized due to its deep salmon color.

The last couple of vintages experienced rains in the last month preceding harvest. Temperature levels between several rains made the condition for bunch rot optimum, so cluster damage was severe and widespread. The later ripening varieties were more a ected, as they needed more time on the vine to ripen and reach their Brix/pH objectives. We ultimately made an on the fly decision in the vineyard to pick a higher quantity of grapes earlier at a lower Brix level for our rosé production, thus minimizing the bunch rot condition.

Our 2021 harvest experienced a catastrophic wildfire (the Caldor Fire) that required us to evacuate our home and property where the vineyard also sits. We had smoke in the immediate area of the vineyard for several days, but it was not severe due to winds predominantly blowing away from us. Our concerns of smoke damage were reduced based on information

that had come out of UC-Davis about smoke taint so we did not do any remediation to change any previous harvest and production planning. The 2021 wines, some currently in barrel and some in bottle, do not show any evidence of smoke taint and are expected to be a wonderful vintage. That said, we still came up with a plan in case we had to change course.

Even at the writing of this article in mid-April of 2022 we find ourselves in the midst of a hard freeze with sustained temperatures of 27 °F (-3 °C) in the vineyard for more than five hours. We did a late pruning the first week of April to minimize early bud break but new growth was already evident. Crop yields will obviously be a ected, so we already know that adjustments to wine production will need to be made even before we get fruit harvested. Such is the nature for us winemakers.

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS

This article provides options to help you pivot with your winemaking decisions at the crush pad to mitigate issues with the grapes that you have received. Some important points start with the planning process well before your grapes arrive. Proper planning will give a sense of relief that you are ready for the worst case and positioned to change your game plan once the winemaking process starts.

The most obvious factor for success is identifying your source of grapes, must, or juice well ahead of harvest. If your sourcing e orts start anytime after veraison there is a possibility there might not be any grapes available at all. Even with the best e ort things may go awry and winemakers may find themselves scrambling to find an alternate source.

Start discussions with your grape source early in the growing season. Commercial growers are going to estimate total grape production based on early season crop load planning and line up buyers. Even though you might only purchase 100 lbs. (45 kg) of grapes, the grower still needs to account for all orders to allocate their harvest. The same thing applies if you get your grapes or must/juice directly from a winery. They have to plan their

own wine production too. If you are getting your grapes from a non-commercial grower, then you might be dealing with an inexperienced supplier that does not plan e ectively for harvest volumes — even more reason to get your order in early.

Other hobby winemakers in your immediate area or a wine club can pool grape purchases to obtain a larger quantity of grapes to be distributed to the entire group. This will improve your chances in securing your order. In all cases, make sure you have a plan to get your grapes, must, or juice from your supplier to your winemaking location. Each will have their own unique requirements for pick-ups, containers, and transportation.

Stay informed of the climate conditions where you are sourcing your grapes throughout the growing season. Adverse weather (excessive heat, cold, rain, etc.) are going to ultimately a ect harvest date, harvest volume, and grape quality. If you are aware of a di cult growing season, mitigate climate issues by planning for an alternative source, making wine with a di erent varietal that might have less impact from these negative conditions, or deciding on a di erent style of wine. It is OK to check in with the grower when the concern level is high, although don’t overburden the grower. The point being, it is better to plan for these situations ahead of time rather than when you pick up your grapes and start the crush/ fermentation process.

Be prepared for possible changes or impacts to harvest with respect to your winemaking supplies. Don’t scramble at the last minute to get transport containers necessary for the volume of production. The same thing applies to fermentation and storage vessels. Plan ahead of time with extra supplies of SO2, acid, tannins, enzymes, yeasts, etc. One of the decisions at the start of the winemaking process might be to make a di erent style of wine, such as a rosé instead of a red wine. You should plan on di erent containers and perhaps other considerations like a cool fermentation for this decision as well as di erent yeast and additives.

WINEMAKING ON THE FLY: ISSUES AND OPTIONS

While much of the winemaking options in this article are targeted towards the production of red wines, many of the same considerations apply to white wines as well. White wines may be somewhat less susceptible to the following conditions, but the unexpected can still happen. The same remediation of quality issues, acid adjustments, etc. will apply.

Your grapes, must, or juice have arrived but you discover they are not what you expected. There are several recurring issues that might influence an immediate change in your winemaking process. These “winemaking on the fly” tips will hopefully help you recover from the unexpected and “stretch your numbers” to achieve the best possible outcome for your wine.

Damaged Fruit/Quality Issues

Making a quality wine requires quality grapes. Mother Nature is probably the primary influence of grape damage. The most severe cause of damage may be rains at the end of the growing season, which result in Botrytis bunch rot. Severe cases of bunch rot are visible and will hopefully be left in the vineyard by those harvesting the grapes. There may, however, be bunch rot that is less visible, in which case you may receive these as part of your allocation from the grower. To mitigate this, inspect your grapes at the crush pad. This might involve extensive and detailed inspection and sorting, thus removing the damaged fruit from the grape clusters that will be used to produce wine. To take extra precaution if you suspect damaged fruit, add a stronger dose of SO2 after the crush, which will help diminish mold impacts to the juice. SO2, however, will not “fix” the sensory and quality issues that bunch rot has created.

Bird damage is another common quality issue. As part of previous planning e orts, determine if your grower nets their vineyard or what else they might do to limit bird damage. If the grower nets their vineyard then you can be better assured that bird damage will be minimized.

A small amount of bird damage will not have a substantial impact on fruit quality and finished wine, but obviously using pristine fruit is preferred. If you find extensive damage, sort these clusters out of the batch or take the time to clip out the damaged areas. It is again advisable to give a stronger dose of SO2 after crush if you suspect excessive damage to eliminate bacterial issues within the juice.

Uneven ripening may also occur. There is little the grower can do to prevent this from happening. Visible signs are where some berries in the clusters are very dark (and therefore ripe), while other berries in the same cluster are a lighter shade of color or even green or underdeveloped (underripe). The underripe berries will impart a harshness to the finished wine. The resulting must will also be lower in sugar and higher in acidity than you may have expected. Uneven ripening is common with all harvests and a minimal amount does not necessarily require intervention. You could consider sorting out these clusters. Excessive ripening issues may need more extensive intervention where, in addition to sorting, Brix and acid remediation actions will be needed. (More on how to handle a lower-than-expected Brix or a higher-than-expected acid level later.)

With the exception of bunch rot, quality issues might be somewhat

mitigated by changing your wine style and making a rosé out of your red grapes. Minimizing skin contact and eliminating fermentation on the skins will limit contact with damaged areas and reduce o flavors and bacterial impacts to the wine.

The take-home message here is don’t pass damaged fruit into the winemaking process. If you are trying to “make your numbers” for wine volume, consider seeing if more of that varietal is available from that grower or another grower, or get a second varietal that can be processed and used later as a blend. Including bad grapes should never be the solution to meet an expected volume.

Not the Varietal You Expected

You arrive at the vineyard to pick up the grapes you ordered, but instead of that variety being available the grower has something else picked. This is not a common condition, but it does happen despite previous arrangements with the grower to purchase a specific variety (let’s face it, home winemakers purchasing small quantities will be at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to supply). Previous planning e orts can come into play if you’ve identified a second source for your grapes as a potential backup. If you wind up with a di erent variety than what you planned for, make sure you have a yeast on hand that will

provide you the expected fermentation and sensory qualities for the new variety. Keeping some more universal types of yeast in supply is never a bad idea.

Not the Volume You Expected

Although you ordered a specific amount of grapes, sometimes the grower may have to change allocations and can only give you a reduced volume. Final harvest volumes can have some level of unpredictability. Check to see if the grower has a di erent variety they can substitute for you so you can meet your desired numbers. Your planning e orts to identify a second source of grapes will also help. If you have grouped grape purchases with other winemakers in your area a larger order with the grower will improve odds of order fulfillment.

Not the Brix You Expected

With uneven ripening, your grapes will likely be at a lower sugar level than what you expected. To make the best wine possible out of this situation you might decide at this point to increase sugar levels artificially, which is certainly an option. However, it isn’t the only option. Consider these alternatives: Blend with another wine of higher Brix or do a dry rosé. A rosé wine will not have the skin and unripe seed contact through fermentation that would otherwise create a harsh and astringent red wine. With a rosé you will get all of the aromatics of the varietal and a nice crisp wine for summer consumption.

If you find that your grapes are of good quality but not at the level of ripeness desired for your finished wine, perhaps you just do nothing. A small delta between harvest expectation of Brix and delivered grapes does not necessitate cause for action. Accept that you will have a lighter style wine this vintage. A large delta between expected vs. delivered Brix might have consequences that require remediation.

For high Brix, make sure you understand the capabilities of the yeast you plan to use for fermentation. If you have a yeast that “tops out” at

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Uneven ripening can cause the resulting must to come in with a lower Brix and higher acid than may have been expected. Look for grapes uniform in size and color.

15% alcohol and your must has a Brix level that will produce a 16% ABV wine, you may get a stuck fermentation and have to remediate that. From your planning e orts you can opt to have a yeast on hand that has a higher alcohol capability, or prior to fermentation add water at the appropriate volume to your must to reduce the overall sugar percentage.

Not the Acid You Expected

A serious grower will know the characteristics of the varieties they have planted and the farming practices that produce the best fruit and therefore the best wine. Some commercial growers work with the vintner to provide grapes that meet the parameters designated for that winery. Some growers and winemakers just rely on Brix to determine harvest date. Others will also consider pH levels and color of the seeds as an indicator for harvest. If you are deciding on a particular variety to produce for this vintage, understand its general characteristics in terms of acidity, and whether it is a low- or high-acid varietal.

Although each variety has its own typical acid characteristics, winemakers will still want to know the specific pH/titratable acidity (TA) levels before the winemaking process starts. This is because the growing conditions during the year and when har-

vest occurs ultimately influence the pH/TA levels at the time of harvest. Always be prepared to adjust acid levels at the point when the winemaking process starts, before the start of fermentation.

Be sure to have plenty of tartaric acid on hand to make adjustments for a low acid wine at the crush pad. Anything more than a 1.0 g/L addition should definitely occur prior to fermentation, which will allow the increased acidity to “blend” into the wine more gracefully. Another on the fly decision may be to make a dry rosé, which benefits from the higher acid condition as long as the acid level is in the appropriate range for a white/ rosé wine.

There are several other acid remediation options, but these are in later stages of winemaking. Refer to the article “Mastering Wine Acid Balance” from the February-March 2016 issue of WineMaker for more comprehensive details (available online for digital members at: https://winemaker mag.com/technique/mastering-wine -acid-balance).

Smoke Taint Concerns

With the seemingly ever-present threat of wildfires across the globe, impacts to grape growing and wine production are occurring more often. Every vintage seems to be at risk in

certain geographic areas and cause for concern is justified. The science behind smoke taint on wine is still evolving within the scientific community, with the Australian Wine Institute and UC-Davis in California being at the forefront of research. The information provided in this article comes from these researchers in relation, as we know it today, to how it occurs and how to correct or minimize the impact to wine production and quality.

Sensory evaluations describe smoke taint as a distinctive lingering retro-nasal ashtray character. Addressing smoke taint in a wine after fermentation is expensive and only wineries with lots of resources and money can justify the work necessary to remove the smoke components from a finished wine. Research has determined a few things, however, that can be considered at the home winemaking level if you think your grapes might have been exposed.

Smoke taint takes place on the skin of the grapes in which volatile phenols react with grape sugars. If you minimize skin contact with the wine juice then the smoke components are less likely to transfer into the juice and finished wine.

The fresher the smoke (less than 24 hours) the greater the risk of smoke tainting the finished wine.

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Wildfires close to vineyards can cause smoke taint to grapes. As a home winemaker, the best way to mitigate the impact is to limit the time juice is in contact with the skins.

On the other hand, the density of the smoke does not necessarily equate to increased smoke taint risk.

Smoke in your source vineyard is not necessarily cause for concern. Heavy smoke blown into the vineyard from a wildfire that is 50 miles away and took more than a day to blow in is not likely to a ect the grapes and wine quality. Even if smoke persists in the vineyard for several days there is minimal impact. However, a wildfire that is very near the vineyard where smoke and ash is coming directly from the fire will likely have a significant impact on wine quality.

Although the timing of wildfires more often occur in the later stages of grape ripening, smoke taint can take place when grapes are pea sized and impacts may increase after veraison.

Rinsing o the grapes with water does not eliminate the smoke taint and only waters down the juice. However, if grapes have visible ash on their surface the recommendation is to wash o the ash at the winery before the winemaking process starts.

So what can the home winemaker do? The best choice according to the research community is to make a rosé wine. Rosé wine production minimizes or completely eliminates skin contact. If you suspect the worst case exposure it might be best to completely eliminate skin contact and make a vin

gris-style rosé. The same considerations apply to white wines as well. Sensory evaluations by researchers note that there still may be subthreshold impacts to wine quality.

ROSÉ TO THE RESCUE

It should be obvious by now that making a rosé wine is an option that can be made on the fly at the crush pad to address many factors that might otherwise result in an inferior red wine. This article will not go into further detail on the making of Rosé wines, as the April-May 2022 issue had a cover story on the subject with extensive information (digital members can read it at: https://winemakermag.com/ article/la-vie-en-dry-rose). If you plan to have this option in your back pocket, make sure you have the yeast, additives, and fermentation vessels on hand. Your rosé will benefit from a yeast selection that will bring out the aromatics of the variety. For the last several vintages we include plans to make a rosé out of two of the varieties in our vineyard, adjusting the volume of production based on grape quality and conditions in the vineyard.

At the end of the day, you can’t completely control what you receive at the crush pad and need to be ready to adjust your plans when grapes throw you a curve. As the saying goes, when o ered lemons, make lemonade.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Whether it is red grapes that are damaged or underripe, changing your plans to make a rosé is often a suitable solution.

After two long years of postponements and waiting, hundreds of home winemakers came to San Luis Obispo, California from June 2-5 for our 2022 WineMaker Magazine Conference. The conference featured local professional Central Coast winemakers, WineMaker writers, industry experts, and top hobbyists leading over two dozen different seminars over the two main days covering the full spectrum of the hobby. The attendees came from 30 di erent states and provinces to enjoy the chance to trade advice and stories with fellow winemakers in person.

This year we again ran our pre-and post-conference boot camps with full-day, hands-on classes, which allowed attendees to take advantage of four full days of learning about making wine. We also ran full-day tours both before and after the conference for attendees and guests to wineries in the Paso Robles and Edna Valley wine regions.

The main conference featured workshops including WineMaker’s Technical Editor Bob Peak leading a tasting of four Sauvignon Blancs he made with di erent treatments to boost aromatics. Our Friday lunch keynote speaker was local Rhône varietal pioneer Jason Haas from Tablas Creek Winery in Paso Robles. We held several question and answer seminars including Alison Crowe in a live, in-person version of her popular “Wine Wizard” magazine column answering troubleshooting questions from the audience. The conference continued o ering a selection of different seminar choices for attendees to choose from across a broad variety of topics several times each day. From kits to grape growing to techniques for the fresh grape winemaker, there were subjects for every level and style of winemaker.

After Friday’s seminars ended, a tasting party kicked o with attendees bringing hundreds of their own bottles of wine to share with other hobbyists. Local wineries from Cal-

ifornia’s Central Coast also poured samples late into the night as attendees tasted wines and shared winemaking stories.

Saturday evening attendees found out first who won medals in the 2022 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition and hundreds of medals were handed out in person to winners in attendance as they came forward to some well-deserved applause from the audience.

The 2023 WineMaker Magazine Conference will head to Oregon’s Willamette Valley in the classic college town of Eugene, Oregon. We will be located in downtown Eugene at The Graduate Hotel a short walk from the town’s dozen urban wineries and a short drive to explore wineries in the world-famous Willamette Valley wine country. We are already working hard on next year’s program. You can lock in your spot for next year and save right now by visiting winemakermag.com. Full program details will be posted on winemakermag.com in early November.

Determining Ripeness in

A closer look at the most critical harvest decision

by Clark Smith

There is no more critical step in winemaking than picking at the often-fleeting correct moment. Yet ripeness determination is poorly understood and the associated picking logistics are often incompetently executed.

If you think satisfying artistic winemaking should be easy, you’ll find making marshmallow crispy treats a more rewarding endeavor. If you’re prepared to roll up your sleeves in pursuit of greatness, continue reading.

One thing for sure — Brix has nothing to do with ripeness. Sorry to contradict what you may have been told previously, but it just doesn’t.

A highly informative collection of papers aimed at grasping the sexuality of the grape can be found in the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, Vol 6, No. 2: “Proceedings of Symposium on Reproductive Biology in Grapevines.” In its pages can be found a fascinating tour of the evolutionary history of the grape’s struggle to propagate and thrive that goes back to the dinosaur age and provides a window on the grapevine’s puppet strings that we can tug. One important finding was that sugar accumulation and acid respiration (primary metabolite changes) are strongly linked to climatic and seasonal variation, particularly nighttime temperature, humidity, and autumnal rainfall. In contrast, color and aroma synthesis and tannin evolution (secondary metabolite changes) occur in a time frame nearly independent of climate.

Before we had refractometers and hydrometers, the harvest dates for the vineyards of European antiquity were controlled by the Saints’ Days. The calendar was used to determine how many days into the season the fruit would be ripe for a given variety planted in a particular location. Though still flawed, this is actually a much better system than the must density system used today.

GOING IN STYLE

There is no standard optimum condition for picking except with reference to the intended style you wish to make. Pinot Noir will be picked at a much earlier maturity for sparkling wine than for serious red wine. Chenin Blanc for a fresh Vouvray style will be picked earlier than for a barrel-fermented sur lie Savennières style.

If working with a vineyard for the first time, there is much to recommend multiple ripeness experiments to zero in on a style the vineyard is capable of and that you find pleasing.

A battle for the minds of New World red winemakers has raged for over half a century. The post-WWII advent of a suite of new technologies — refrigeration, electric pumps, stainless steel, inert gas, and sterile filtration — introduced by the Germans and imitated in Bordeaux resulted in the abandon-

ment of traditional practices, turning the old guys into the street and ushering in a young generation of high-tech professionals who often didn’t understand how red wine works and made highly reductive, undrinkably tannic wines throughout the ‘60s. A long series of corrections has left us with several schools of thought:

• The Australian “flying winemaker” system uses extra hang time to field-oxidize fruit and break the wine’s reductive strength. This method works well in the huge factory wineries of Australia. Less skill is required in the winery and the wine makes itself into a fruit-forward, yummy style with little distinctive character and a shorter shelf life.

• The French reserve style, which harvest at maximum reductive strength and works the wine in the cellar with a series of élevage tools including copigmentation, sacrificial tannins, a variety of oak regimens, alcohol adjustment, enological oxygen, lees stirring, and others. The goal is vins de garde with distinctive character and great longevity potential.

• “Coastal” styles (almost never grown near the coast) that stress soft tannins and rich fruit result in a ordable wines released young.

• The California “impact” style uses extended hang time to result in wines built to impress rather than please, with jammy aromatics, lots of oak, brutal tannins, high alcohol, often Port-like and commonly sweetened, commanding high price tags but aging poorly. You can tell I’m no fan of this style, but it pays the bills for a lot of wineries so clearly my tastes don’t align with everyone’s.

BEING THERE

As Woody Allen put it, “80% of success is showing up.” There is no substitute for being there when the grapes are approaching readiness and with the means to pick on a dime. Winemaking is the art of intelligent compromise, and you may be better o establishing a relationship with that Chambourcin vineyard down the road than your dream Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon attended by someone who has you low on their priority list. On the other

hand, you may be lucky enough to find a reliable communicator who shares your philosophy to act as your proxy in the area. In my experience, growers in regions with established reputations are less likely to work studiously with small fry from distant areas. A progressive grower in an unproven area or a consultant who can regularly visit the vineyard is a pearl of great price.

When you visit a vineyard, you want to do three things. The first is to obtain a sample to take to your lab and analyze. This sample should be at least 100 berries selected at random into a Ziploc sandwich bag. Vary your plucking from both sides of the canopy, different parts of the vineyard, near and far from the head, and from the cluster shoulder, tip, belly, and wing. Carefully count the berries (200 is really best) and immediately seal the bag.

Before you analyze the juice, you’re going to weigh the sample and divide by the number of berries so you can record your berry weight. You’ll multiply the Brix by berry weight to give you sugar-per-berry. If you get raisining, the Brix will go up, but the berry weight will go down, so the sugar-per-berry remains constant. The opposite happens when it rains — berries swell but the Brix goes down. When your sugar-per-berry flattens out, your vines are no longer transporting sugar into the fruit.

Another marker you’ll look for is the flattening of acid-per-berry. This is calculated as the titratable acidity of the juice multiplied by berry weight. Grapes contain tartaric acid, which doesn’t change, and malic acid, which is respired (metabolically burned) to create energy that the berry uses to pump sugar in. When the berry stops transporting, acid stops dropping.

Another way of looking at acidity is pH — the free, ionized portion of the acidity. This always rises during ripening and is a reflection of the bu ering capacity of the must. Juices from cold climate varieties can be high in malic acid, which is a weaker acid (stronger bu er) than tartaric, and end up with high pHs even though they are not ripe. California vinifera can have high pHs correlated with high potassium, an entirely di erent situation. Thus

the use of pH to monitor ripeness is tricky and situation-specific.

If you have access to a spectrophotometer, you can look directly at a number of phenolic measures in your juice sample: A280 gives you total phenolics, A420 gives you oxidative dimers, a measure of field oxidation. A520 when measured at low pH gives you total anthocyanins, and measured at high pH gives you polymeric pigment, which you subtract to give you monomeric anthocyanins. These will increase to a maximum and then start to decline approaching ripeness as they polymerize. Called “bleachable pigment” in the Adams-Harbertson assay, this is the only sign post that does this. Finally, A365 gives you your super-cofactor, antioxidant quercetin content.

Your second task is to taste some berries. A vital element of maturity determination is visual, tactile, aromatic, and taste and textural evaluation of the grapes themselves. Inexperienced practitioners seem allergic to acquiring the self-confidence of personal skill. Too many hobbyists as well as professionals want to look at numbers like so many insurance adjusters peering at actuarial tables. But great winemakers, like great chefs and great musicians, rely more and more on their senses than any numbers, and these senses can be trained and strengthened with practice.

The definitive guide to sensory determination of grape maturity, originally created by Jacques Rousseau of the Institut Cooperatif du Vin in Montpellier, France, was translated into English by Erika Winter and John Whiting of the Department of Primary Industries Victoria, Australia and entitled Winegrape Berry Sensory Assessment in Australia. Any serious student of ripeness should own this book. If you are privileged to attend a training led by Gianni Trioli of VinIdea.com, usually sponsored by Enartis in California, by all means do so.

The system doesn’t tell you what to do. It is a language that can allow teams to communicate at distance concerning the progress of a couple dozen sensory parameters of maturity in a given vineyard at a given time and

to compare vineyards and seasons in a systematic way.

My own method is to walk the vineyard and, in several spots, stop and take a five-berry random sample. I inspect the berries visually for coloring up, tactile turgidity and other physical features, then pop them in my mouth. I burst the berries, taste the juice, noting sweetness, acidity, fruitiness, and vegetal character. I push the skins into one cheek and the seeds into the other. I expel the seeds and note the pectin coating, seed color, and seed number, dividing by five for seed number-per-berry, an important driver of berry size and free anthocyanin content. Then I chew the skins 20 times, noting the crispness and degree of breakdown achieved as well as their acidity and tannic intensity. Lastly, I take the masticated skins between thumb and forefinger, looking for the color intensity of the bloodlike droplet that exudes. I note all these on a field evaluation sheet. I will repeat this in several spots in the vineyard, at least five times and more if vineyard variability in soil, slope, soil depth, or aspect is apparent.

Your third task is simply to look around and report anything you see: Broken irrigation lines, nutrient deficiencies, disease and pest pressures, flopped canopies, out of control weeds, and so on. As they say, “the best manure is the farmer’s footsteps.”

BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME

Now the really tricky part. You may have meticulously monitored your vineyard and determined the perfect moment to pick, but you have accomplished nothing if you cannot organize resources to make it happen. Labor or machinery must be on site. One of the most challenging issues for those who don’t grow their own grapes is delivery of lugs, bins, or gondolas. Between delivery of these empties prior to picking and trucking of the loaded containers is a time lag that may require two trips. Every situation has di erent situational logistics.

Developing a smooth, simple system makes for control over maturity. Here again, proximity to the vineyard pays dividends. Arrangements must

be solidified regarding scheduling of crush processing capability and fermentation vessel availability. Yeast, acid, sulfur dioxide, adjuncts such as oak chips and tannins must be on site.

Dwight Eisenhower, who planned D-Day, the largest troop movement in history, remarked “Planning is essential. Plans are useless.” This is the essence of crush. Plan well ahead but settle for the reality that unfolds. Be prepared to pivot.

If all of this seems daunting, take heart. Mastering these intricacies is exceptionally rewarding. Don’t miss all the fun!

Few winemakers are also great writers, but Steven Kent Mirassou tops my list. I recommend strolling through the delicious pages of his Lineage for a glimpse of what it looks like to fully embrace your craft. To make wine or cook by recipes alone is to completely miss both the potential for excellence and the experience that makes it all worth doing.

STRICTLY FOR THE BIRDS

Asking other winemakers for this article, one response to when to pick was, “That’s easy. Just pick the day before the birds take them.” Indeed, the grapevine uses avian vectors to spread its mature seed at distance. The seed needs to be viable to make new plants. At veraison, grapes are already 12 °Brix — about twice the sugar of a ripe tomato, thus pretty nutritious. But at this stage the grape needs to repel the birds until the seeds mature. So the berry is hard, green in color, high in vegetal flavors that trick birds into thinking it’s a leaf or stem, and very sour with harsh tannins. Then in just six or eight weeks, the berry needs to color up, swell and soften, sweeten up, lower acidity, and fill itself with flavor and round, soft tannins.

Birds know when this process is complete. They also can spot the best quality grapes. Particularly if you are growing high quality red grapes in an isolated area, birds are a huge threat, and the vines will do everything they can to o er up their babies to these angels of procreation. To win this battle of wits, you must learn to think like a grape.

PORTUGAL WINERY TOUR WITH WINEMAKER

August

From the sun-kissed plains of the Alentejo wine region to the terraced hillside vineyards of the Douro River valley to the charm of Porto, what’s

about Portugal? Join WineMaker Magazine for a comprehensive Portugal wine vacation visiting remarkable wineries and port wine lodges with in-depth wine tastings and winery tours geared towards our group of home winemakers. We will visit the Vinho Verde DOC, Douro River valley, and Porto in the north, and the Alentejo wine country further south outside of Lisbon. Along the way we’ll visit a cork forest, delight in vineyard picnics, take a local cooking class, enjoy a Rabelo boat ride down the Douro River, explore several historic cities, and stay in luxurious hotels each night. Join us for an immersion in a rich wine experience in Portugal!

For more details visit: winemakermag.com/trip

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– drew horton , Enology Specialist, University of Minnesota Grape Breeding & Enology Project

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TECHNIQUES

BY BOB PEAK

HARVEST CHECKLIST

Pre-planning for success

As harvest approaches, have a checklist on hand to make sure the details will all be covered. Today’s column explains each point of one such list as we go along. Throughout wine growing and winemaking, there are periods of concentrated activity and other times of relative quiet. For harvest, I have divided the time into three blocks: Two to four months before harvest, two to four weeks pre-harvest, and finally the last seven days.

Two to four months before harvest ESTABLISH YOUR PROJECT GOALS

You need to decide if you will make red, white, orange, or rosé wine. Each style requires different equipment and supply decisions. An early estimate is also needed for how much wine you intend to make. The volume affects every stage of your winemaking. Also, as well as you can at this point, estimate your timing. If you are purchasing grapes from a distributor or winemaking shop, they should have some prior harvest history to help you. If you are growing grapes, ask other growers in your area how the current season appears relative to “normal” harvest dates.

CHECK ON YOUR GRAPES

If you have your own vineyard, get out among the vines frequently as harvest closes in. One industry estimate is that harvest will be about 35 days following the completion of veraison. During the final months of the growing season you should be treating for pests and mildew, removing suckers, keeping weeds under control, and monitoring uniformity of the crop. After veraison

is mostly complete, remove green or underdeveloped clusters. As soon as you are done with the green harvest, cover the fruit with bird netting.

If instead you are purchasing local grapes, ask if you can visit the vineyard during this time. Look for a reasonable crop load—there should be around 14 or 15 leaves for each cluster. Also check for factors like those for growing your own fruit. Are weeds being managed? Are suckers kept clear? If you have any concerns, talk to the grower. Record anything you noticed. Depending on how your wine turns out, those observations can improve your success with that grower or with others in future vintages.

Purchased grapes from a remote location are more difficult to check on. To do so, you will need to depend more on the reputation and statements of the supplier. Talk to other people who have purchased from the same source and whether they have gone back for repeat harvests. If buying directly from a remote grower, you may be able to ask for photos of the vines and fruit as it develops. Often you can ask the grape supplier for examples of wines made from those grapes or commercial bottles that may be comparable from that particular vineyard or region.

ARRANGE YOUR SPACE

After you have decided the scope and size of your fermentation project, you need to make sure your “winery” is ready for it. Get any construction or remodeling done well before harvest. If you are using the same space as last year, go through it and give it a deep cleaning. Sodium percarbonate or soda ash are suitable cleaning materials, but avoid chlorine bleach. If winery spaces have filled up with

Having a checklist that takes you through the planning process step-by-step will help bolster your chances of success with this year’s harvest.

Throughout wine growing and winemaking, there are periods of concentrated activity and other times of relative quiet.

Photo by Charles A. Parker/Images Plus

other objects, put everything back in its place and clear room for harvest and crush activities.

PLAN YOUR FERMENTATION

This task goes hand-in-hand with planning your space. You need sufficient food-grade bin capacity for the amount of grapes you will be processing. I haul purchased grapes home in 32-gallon (145-L), food-grade square polyethylene trash cans. Each bin will hold about 125 lbs. (57 kg) of grape clusters or as much as 200 lbs. (91 kg) of crushed must. For cold-soaking white grapes on the skins or fermenting red grapes, I only need to assure that I have one more bin than used for grape transport. That extra bin is the first one I crush into, then I wash a transport bin and continue. If making white or rosé wine, you will then need closed vessels for your juice volume, counting on filling the tanks, carboys, or demijohns only ¾ full while fermenting to allow for foaming. Once again, you need one extra vessel to rack into when fermentation is over and you can wash and reuse the others.

Plan for temperature control. This is especially important if you will be making white wines, which are most often fermented at 55 to 65 °F (13 to 18 °C). If a red must needs cooling, you can add sanitized jugs of frozen water to the open fermenter and change them out from time to time. White wines, though, should remain untouched in closed, fermentation-lock-equipped containers and protected from air exposure. That means cooling cannot involve putting in ice jugs. For carboys or demijohns, you can place the fermenter in a wash tub and fill the tub with water. Use ice jugs in the water to maintain temperature. If your production is small enough, you can take the shelves out of a refrigerator to put in a carboy. You may need an override controller, as refrigerators do not usually adjust up to the temperatures needed for fermentation. You can also use a wine cellar cooling unit to cool an entire room to fermentation temperature. The most advanced temperature control is through use of a glycol chiller. A reservoir of thermostat-controlled glycol cooling uid is housed in a refrigeration unit and circulated with a pump to the fermenters and back. arious cold fingers and jackets can be used with multiple fermenters.

LINE UP HELP

It’s never too early in the harvest year to start on this project. ou can probably find friends and family members who will be happy to help with harvest and crush. Since the exact date may be unknown until it is at hand, your

helpers need to be exible (or you need to have more lined up than you absolutely need on harvest day). Keep a list of people who express interest in helping and begin an email update program a few weeks before harvest. Let your helpers know of your preparations and plans. If you want to avoid using volunteers, consider hiring some helpers for the day. Once again, make these arrangements early as casual harvest labor is in high demand in the more popular wine grape growing regions.

Two to four weeks before harvest SET UP YOUR FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT

If you have stored anything in the basement, garage, or rafters, get it out now. Check again that space that you cleared a month or so earlier. Clean and organize the area. Get it all ready just like harvest is tomorrow so there will be no surprises when grapes arrive.

Clean and operate your crusher or crusher/destemmer. When I was a partner in a home winemaking shop, every year we had a couple of customers come in and say the electric crusher/destemmer would only hum, it wouldn’t turn. The problem was almost always grape sugar that had not been adequately washed off the gears and rollers at the end of last year’s harvest. If your pre-harvest check reveals this problem, pour a bucket of hot water over the gears and rollers, being careful to keep the motor dry. Try again and it will probably run. Use food-grade silicone grease to lubricate gears and bearings.

Check your press. If it has a wood slat basket, replace any missing bolts or nuts. Make sure you have the four or six rods that fasten the basket halves together. Also make sure you have the pawls that ride in the press head to make the ratcheting function work. If you have a bladder press, remove the cage and closely inspect the rubber bladder. Put the cage back on and partially in ate the bladder with a garden hose to check for leaks. Do not completely fill the bladder as that will cause more stress on it than when the cage is full of grapes or must. Lubricate moving parts of any press with the same food-grade grease as you used on your crusher.

BUY CHEMICALS AND FERMENTATION SUPPLIES

Get out, clean, and organize your laboratory equipment. The most important tests will be Brix, pH, and titratable acidity (TA). If you grow grapes, you probably have a refractometer. In any case, you will also need a hydrometer during fer-

Most important will be yeast, choosing strains that suit your grape varieties and fermentation goals.

mentation. Make sure you can find yours since last year and that it did not get broken. Buy new pH buffers and calibrate your pH meter. Calibrate again on harvest day.

In addition to the pH buffers just mentioned, replace your SO2 solution. If you have powdered potassium metabisulfite on hand that has been kept sealed in a cool, dry environment you can make a new 10 solution with that. If not, buy new sulfite. Also buy new titrant for your TA test kit or titration setup. If using a refractometer, buy fresh 20 Brix standard solution. This sugar-water solution is perishable, but using it will give you a more useful calibration than calibrating at 0 Brix with distilled water.

Buy your fermentation supplies. Check your crop estimates one more time and buy accordingly. Most important will be yeast, choosing strains that suit your grape varieties and fermentation goals. Also buy new malolactic bacteria if there is any possibility you will be using some. Store yeast refrigerated or in a cool cellar space, store freeze-dried bacteria in the freezer. Check the freshness and quantity on hand for nutrients, enzymes, oak additives, and so forth. Buy any that need to be replaced.

Last seven days

GET THE GRAPES

ou are at the final steps. Depending on your source, you may need to coordinate with a hauler to deliver your

grapes. If buying locally, double check with the grower and outfit your truck, van, or SU with necessary bins or tubs.

If instead the grower is letting you borrow a half-ton (500-kg) bin, make sure you are set up to get the grapes out of it back home. This may involve pitchforking out of your truck into smaller bins or directly into the crusher. If your grapes are arriving in crates, they can be dumped directly into the crusher’s hopper. Depending on what materials your crates are made from, plan to recycle or reuse them responsibly.

If harvesting your own grapes, start early in the day so the fruit is cool. Give your pickers a safety lesson those shears are very sharp. Provide water, picking bins or buckets, and transport for the grapes to your crush pad.

PROCESS THE GRAPES

In line with your objectives, crush, destem, and press the grapes as they arrive at the crush pad. To keep fruit cool, process promptly and put containers indoors or in the shade. Sulfite as needed and cold soak as desired. Take samples of must or juice and keep cool or put in the refrigerator for later testing.

TEST THE MUST

As soon as feasible, run your Brix, pH, and TA tests. Calculate and make adjustments. our harvest checklist is done Now make wine.

BY JEF STEBBEN

ADVANCED WINEMAKING A NITRO BOOST

Nitrogen’s role in primary fermentation

Nitrogen is one of the most vital components for a successful primary fermentation. Along with several co-factors, it can dramatically impact the complexity and organoleptic character of a wine. Deficient nitrogen is one of the main causes of sluggish and stuck fermentations. This article will cover a primer on why nitrogen is important to a fermentation, the timing of additions, and some possible outcomes of nitrogen supplementation.

Nitrogen is naturally found in grape juice in two forms: Ammonia (NH3) and amino nitrogen (nitrogen attached to amino acids). Yeast can metabolize all 20 naturally occurring alpha amino acids but struggles with proline due to its unique fivebody pyrrolidine ring that binds the nitrogen group. As a rough average, the nitrogen in grape juice contains about one-third ammonia and twothirds amino acids. Yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) is a measure of the nitrogen available to yeast to use in fermentation. It is the combination of the available nitrogen contributed from free alpha amino acids (excluding proline), free ammonia, ammonium (ionized ammonia), and small peptides found in the grape juice.

Wine yeast has a natural preference for ammonia. “Gate proteins” in the cell wall will prevent amino acids from entering the cell in the presence of ammonia. Therefore, the natural ammonia contribution of YAN from the juice will usually be consumed during the logarithmic growth stage of the yeast. During this phase of growth, the yeast will rapidly reproduce and consume very little sugar. Once the population stabilizes, yeast will begin to break down sugars and produce alcohol. This is called the stationary

phase (a reference to the stable population size).

At this point nitrogen is consumed to help synthesize proteins and vital factors for yeast health. Winemakers can use the behavior of yeast to help in uence aromatic profiles of the final wine. When yeast consume the nitrogen sourced from amino acids, the remainder of the molecule may be used to create interesting aromatic compounds like esters and thiols if the correct conditions exist. The active yeast needs to be able to produce the correct enzymes for this type of syntheses, so the levels of thiol and ester production can be very yeast strain specific. Each unique strain has varied capabilities to produce these compounds, so yeast selection is essential.

TESTING FOR YAN

Levels of nitrogen compounds that develop in grapes are in uenced by weather, cultivation practices, vineyard sprays, irrigation, and factors from the natural environment like predation from birds and the spotted lanterny. Testing of the AN is vital to the success of a fermentation. Some fruit suppliers will provide chemical grape analysis for purchased fruit. Often, they will be able to provide pH, TA (titratable acidity), and other info as well. It is important that lab information is obtained from fruit sampled within three days of harvest. Variance of more than three days can have a big impact on all the vital information.

Testing for YAN can be completed by wet chemistry, enzymatic analysis, and HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography). There are many commercial labs that can provide a juice analysis that will include at a minimum YAN, pH, and TA. Testing can also be provided by any university with a wine program. These lab tests

Adding scheduled nitrogen additions to your wine’s must will provide the necessary nutrients for a healthy fermentation.

When yeast consume the nitrogen sourced from amino acids, the remainder of the molecule may be used to create interesting aromatic compounds like esters and thiols if the correct conditions exist.

Photo by Michael Amigoni

involve the use and subsequent disposal of formaldehyde. It is much safer and more reliable to have a wine lab or trained professional perform this analysis. Home testing is not recommended.

Once you have the starting Brix and YAN, the state of nutrition of the must can be assessed. Under normal fermentation conditions with sugars from 22 to 24 °Brix, must with a AN under 100 ppm is considered deficient and should be supplemented to complete a healthy fermentation. Must in the range of 150 to 250 ppm YAN is at moderate risk, and supplementation should be considered to enhance the quality of the final product. Must with AN over 250 ppm may need to be supplemented to accommodate a higher biomass from the yeast. In this case, the natural balance of resources and factors needed for growth like magnesium, zinc, and thiamin can become rapidly depleted due to the higher cell counts of yeast.

High nitrogen fermentations tend to become stressed and produce sulfides toward the end of fermentation. Musts with sugar levels over 24 °Brix generally need some nutrient additions to maintain the health of the yeast and complete fermentation. The higher level of alcohol that comes along with high sugar can often require nutrients that include yeast hulls, sterols, and vitamins, which will help support the yeast in these stressful conditions.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

The timing of nitrogen additions is almost as critical as the addition itself. At one time, it was believed that the nitrogen could be supplemented with one addition of DAP (diammonium phosphate) at the onset of fermentation. This often created a huge cell population of yeast and would cause a stressed fermentation.

The development of more complex nutrients for yeast also led to a greater understanding of how the nutrients are used by yeast. In the growth stage of fermentation, a large portion of the nutrients are consumed in the process of yeast reproduction. Amino acids are critical to this stage of growth to build healthy and robust cells. If the only available source of nitrogen is ammonia, the yeast may

become stressed and start producing reductive aromas like hydrogen sulfide.

Many manufacturers of yeast nutrients recommend breaking the addition into two or more feedings often using a combination of organically derived nitrogen and DAP. Dividing the feeding of the fermentation into stages provides an additional level of control. More nitrogen can be added if the fermentation is too slow, less can be added if the fermentation is too fast or hot. When this action is chosen, the feeding can be divided into further parts (if needed) to make sure the entire required amount of nitrogen is added.

For the purpose of supplementation, fermentations are divided into the following stages:

Inoculation — The time when the yeast that will be conducting the actual fermentation is added to the must. If using a non-Saccharomyces yeast as a pre-fermentation treatment, it is important to wait for the addition of the fermentation yeast before any nutrient supplementation. Feeding before an active yeast strain is added may cause unwanted bacteria and spoilage yeast to grow. In a natural (uninoculated) fermentation, inoculation should be considered the point at which fermentation is observable, but there has been no real drop of Brix.

End of Growth Stage — This stage is marked by a decrease of Brix by two to four degrees. By this point, the yeast has reached its full population density, and reproduction has slowed to maintain a steady cell count. Active fermentation in the form of bubbling or cap formation should be present. A large portion of the nitrogen will have been consumed by this point. At this stage of growth, nitrogen is primarily used for protein synthesis and helps maintain vital cell functions.

Mid Fermentation — When the must reaches about 10 to 12 °Brix, the fermentation has different needs. This is one of the most critical feedings as it will be the last opportunity for yeast to take on nitrogen vital to finishing a healthy fermentation. At this stage, a blend of DAP and amino acids is especially useful. The DAP will keep the ferment moving and the amino acids will provide essential building blocks to help finish clean and strong. Alcohol becomes a factor at this stage of the fermentation and the nutrients at this stage will help fortify the yeast against toxicity. After this point the alcohol level in the must will begin to interfere with nutrient intake. Nitrogen left in wine after fermentation is complete can dull the perception of fruit, may become food for unwanted microbes, and has the potential to bind with ethanol to develop unwanted compounds.

End of Fermentation — Though not a nitrogen addition, it is often recommended to add yeast hulls at the end of fermentation when the must drops to 5 °Brix or below. Because the phospholipid bilayer that makes up the hull or husks of the yeast is incredibly absorptive, this addition helps to remove toxins from the must and create a better environment for yeast to finish fermentation. It is important to use yeast

Figure 1:Ammonia, leucine (a common amino acid), and proline, showing the nitrogen locked in place by carbon bonding. should be available for under $100 and are well worth the money. It is common to observe variations in the YAN every year with fruit sourced from the same vineyard and under similar conditions. This is something that should be tested every year and for every lot. Note: The wet chemistry methods for measuring YAN

ADVANCED WINEMAKING

hulls that are grown specifically for this purpose. This should add no nitrogen to the fermentation.

There are several other times to consider supplementation of your must. Products like Startup and Go-Ferm can be added to the rehydration water for yeast. These add peptides, vitamins, minerals, and sterols, which potentially help build strong yeast. They also can help develop more stable color and aromas.

FORMS OF NITROGEN ADDITIONS

Inactivated and autolyzed specialized yeasts are relatively new innovations that can be added to fermentations. These inactive yeasts are grown to possess a specific trait that

The nitrogen content and addition recommendations should be included on all the technical sheets. Many will also include information as to the timing of addition for the best results. Several of the complex nutrient blends will include recommended dosages based on the AN content of the must and total required nitrogen addition.

ften a small addition of DAP (0.06 g ) will help stop a fermentation from creating reductive aromas by “jump starting” the sulfur reductase pathway. In stressed conditions, yeast will stop using this process and excess hydrogen sulfide will be released into the must. This technique can only be used if the must has not dropped more than 12 Brix or the nitrogen may not be utilized.

The Australian Wine esearch Institute has shown that

can be utilized to enhance wine including added enzymes, glutathione for protection against oxidation, polysaccharides that can increase mouthfeel, compounds that reduce green and underripe characteristics, precursors for thiol and ester creation, and other qualities. There are many of these additives and they are widely available from the producers and distributors of yeast nutrients.

Unless they are specifically formulated to act as a nutrient, most of these additives do not add a significant amount of nitrogen to a fermentation and can be used without altering a nutrient supplication program. To achieve the desired goal of the additive, timing of the addition is critical. The choice of yeast will also impact the effectiveness of many of these additions. This is especially true for characteristics like ester and thiol creation, which largely happen during the processes of fermentation.

Nutrients are commercially available as single ingredients like autolyzed yeast, DAP, yeast extract, minerals, vitamins, and yeast hulls. These component ingredients will need to be combined with at least one or more other fundamental ingredient to create the nutrition needed for a balanced fermentation.

Base ingredients offer the advantage of fine-tuning the supplementation of a fermentation. Many suppliers have created proprietary nutrient blends. Because these complex blends differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, it is important to read the technical sheets prepared for each product. It is possible to supplement with products from different suppliers, but it is important to make sure you are not over or under feeding in your total additions. This is especially true with factors like thiamin, which is high in some complex blends and low or absent in others.

an increase of as little as 50 ppm nitrogen can greatly increase the aromatics of a wine when compared to an unsupplemented sample of the same juice. Whether using a complex nutrient or creating a custom nutrient blend, most fermentations and wines will benefit from balanced nitrogen additions.

To learn more about the theory and practice of these topics, here is a list of webpages that I recommend for my fellow winemakers:

• https: waterhouse.ucdavis.edu whats-in-wine

• https: psuwineandgrapes.wordpress.com 2020 0 2 why-when-and-how-to-measure-yan

• https: www.awri.com.au industry support wine making resources wine fermentation yan : :text Nitrogen 20is 20a 20critical 20grape,sulfur 20 compounds 20and 20’reduction’.

• https: www.lallemandwine.com wp-content uploads 2015 0 WE -The-many-roles-ofnitrogen-in-alcoholic-fermentation.pdf

• https: www.frontiersin.org articles 10. fmicb.201 .0255 full

• https: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc articles

PMC652 6 2

Finally, at the end of this paragraph is a list of vendors that sell many of the products mentioned above. This list is not a recommendation or endorsement but is only provided as resources to explore. Incidentally, they are also great sources of information. They all have online shops where these products can be purchased: Scott abs, BSG Wine, affort, Enartis, and amothe-Abiet.

Because these complex blends di er from manufacturer to manufacturer, it is important to read the technical sheets prepared for each product.

WINEMAKER DIRECTORY

ALABAMA

THE WINE SMITH

6800 AMoffett Rd. (US 98) Mobile 36618

(251) 645-5554

e-mail: winesmith@bellsouth.net

www.thewinesmith.biz

Home Winemaking and Brewing Supplies.

CALIFORNIA

THE BEVERAGE PEOPLE

1800 Empire Industrial Ct., Ste. A Santa Rosa 95403 (707) 544-2520

www.thebeveragepeople.com

Fast Shipping, Great Service, Cheesemaking & Brewing too.

BREHM VINEYARDS®

www.brehmvineyards.com

grapes@brehmvineyards.com

Phone: (510) 527.3675

Fresh grape pick-up in Petaluma, CA

Frozen grapes in Richmond, CA

Ultra-premium grapes for home winemakers for over 40 years! Sold at harvest or shipped frozen across N. America year-round. Over 30 varieties from Carneros, Napa, Sonoma, Washington and Oregon.

CURDS AND WINE, LLC

7194 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego 92111 (858) 384-6566

www.curdsandwine.com

Winemaking &cheesemaking supplies, make wine on site!

DELTA PACKING CO. OF LODI, INC.

6021 E. Kettleman Lane

Lodi 95240 (209) 334-1023

fax: (209) 334-0811

bcostamagna@deltapacking.com

www.grapesofgold.com

We offer premium California wine grapes & juice. Please call for a supplier near you.

MOREBEER! & MOREWINE!

995 Detroit Ave., Unit G Concord 94518

(925) 771-7107

fax: (925) 671-4978

srconcord more avor.com

www.morewinemaking.com/ showrooms

Absolutely Everything! for Wine-Making

MOREBEER! & MOREWINE!

991 N. San Antonio Rd. Los Altos 94022 (650) 949-BREW (2739)

srlosaltos more avor.com

www.morewinemaking.com/

showrooms

Absolutely Everything! for Wine-Making

MOREBEER! & MOREWINE!

1506 Columbia Ave. #12

Riverside 92507

(951) 779-9971

fax: (951) 779-9972

srriverside more avor.com

www.morewinemaking.com/

showrooms

Absolutely Everything! for Wine-Making

MOREBEER! & MOREWINE!

2315 Verna Court

San Leandro 94577 (510) 351-3517

srsanleandro more avor.com

www.morewinemaking.com/ showrooms

Absolutely Everything! for Wine-Making

NORCAL BREWING SOLUTIONS

1768 Churn Creek Rd. Redding 96002 (530) 243-BEER (2337) or (530)-221-WINE (9463)

www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com

Full line of wine, beer, & distilling supplies, hardware, and ingredients. Manufacturers of lees filters, punchdown tools, and custom solutions.

VALLEYVINTNER, LLC (925) 217-0058 or (866) 812 WINE (9463) Toll Free info@valleyvintner.com

www.valleyvintner.com

75+ years wine making expertise!

Owned & Operated by winemakers serving the winemaking community. “The Vine, The Time, The Wine”

COLORADO

THE BREW HUT

15120 East Hampden Ave. Aurora 80014 (303) 680-8898

www.thebrewhut.com

Complete Winexpert line! Fresh fruit, equipment & chemicals! We Rent Equipment Too!

LIL’ OLE’ WINEMAKER

516 Main Street Grand Junction 81501 (970) 242-3754

Serving Colorado & Utah winemakers since 1978

CONNECTICUT

BREW & WINE HOBBY

Featuring Winexpert & RJ Spagnolskits. Area’s widest selection of wine kits, beer making supplies & equipment

12 Cedar St. East Hartford 06108 (860) 528-0592 or 1-800-352-4238

www.brew-wine.com

Specializing in world-wide juice varietals.

MUSTO WINE GRAPE CO., LLC

101 Reserve Road Hartford 06114

1-877-812-1137

sales@juicegrape.com

www.juicegrape.com

www.winemakinginstructions.com

MWG services home winemakers, wineries, breweries, cideries, distilleries, and homebrew shops. We provide access to the best grapes, juices, equipment, supplies, and knowledge available. Let us help you make your next wine your favorite wine.

NORTHEAST WINEMAKING

10 Robert Jackson Way Plainville 06062 (860) 793-2700

www.northeastwinemaking.com

New Year-Round Showroom Open in Plainville with 2nd full service location in Hartford, CT and satellite location in Chelsea, MA. Your one stop shop for fresh grapes, juice, equipment and accessories!

FLORIDA

PARDO WINE GRAPES

3314 N. Perry Ave. Tampa 33603 (813) 340-3052

vince@pardowinegrapes.com

www.pardowinegrapes.com

Distributors of quality California (fall) and Chilean (spring) wine grapes and fresh juice to Florida winemakers for over 70 years.

ILLINOIS

CHICAGOLAND WINEMAKERS INC.

689 West North Ave. Elmhurst (630) 834-0507 info@chicagolandwinemakers.com www.chicagolandwinemakers.com

Complete line of home winemaking and brewing supplies & equipment since 1971.

INDIANA

GREAT FERMENTATIONS

INDIANAPOLIS

5127 East 65th St. Indianapolis 46220 (317) 257-WINE (9463) or toll-free 1-888-463-2739 info@greatfermentations.com www.greatfermentations.com

GREAT FERMENTATIONS WEST

7900 E US 36, Suite D Avon 46123 (317) 268-6776 info@greatfermentations.com www.greatfermentations.com

QUALITY WINE AND ALE SUPPLY/ HOMEBREWIT.COM

5127 E. 65th St. Indianapolis 46220 Phone: (574) 295-9975 customerservice@homebrewit.com

Online: www.Homebrewit.com

Quality wine making supplies for beginners AND experts. Bottles, Corks, Shrinks, Chemicals, and Professional Equipment. Largest selection of Winexpert Kits. Fast Shipping. Expert Advice.

IOWA

BLUFF STREET BREW HAUS 372 Bluff Street Dubuque (563) 582-5420

e-mail: jerry@bluffbrewhaus.com www.bluffbrewhaus.com

Complete line of wine & beermaking supplies. In operation since 2006.

KANSAS

BACCHUS & BARLEYCORN, LTD. 6633 Nieman Road

Shawnee 66203 (913) 962-2501

www.bacchus-barleycorn.com

Your one stop supply shop for home wine, cider, mead, beer and cheese makers for over 30 years.

HOMEBREW PRO SHOPPE, INC.

2061 E. Santa Fe Olathe 66062

(913) 768-1090 or

1-866-296-2739 (BYO-BREW)

Secure ordering on line:

www.homebrewproshoppe.com

Complete line of wine & beer making supplies & equipment.

KENTUCKY

WINEMAKERS & BEERMAKERS SUPPLY

9475 Westport Rd. Louisville 40241 (502) 425-1692

www.winebeersupply.com

Impeccable line of wine & beer making supplies. Superior grade of juice from Winexpert. Quality malt from Briess & Muntons. Family owned store since 1972.

MARYLAND

THE FLYING BARREL

1781 North Market St. Frederick

(301) 663-4491

fax: (301) 663-6195

www. yingbarrel.com

Maryland’s 1st Wine-On-Premise & large selection of homewine supplies! Wine judge on staff!

MARYLAND HOMEBREW

6770 Oak Hall Lane, #108 Columbia 21045

1-888-BREWNOW

www.mdhb.com

We carry the VinoSuperiore frozen Italian must along with Winexpert Kits. Everything you need to make your own wine & cheese. Visit us in-person or online. We ship everywhere

MASSACHUSETTS

BEER AND WINE HOBBY, INC.

85 Andover St.

Danvers 01923

1-800-523-5423

e-mail: bwhinfo@beer-wine.com

website: www.beer-wine.com

Brew on YOUR Premise™

For the most discriminating wine & beer hobbyist.

THE WITCHES BREW INC.

12 Maple Ave. Foxborough 02035

(508) 543-0433

steve@thewitchesbrew.com

www.thewitchesbrew.com

You’ve Got the Notion, We’ve Got the Potion

WINEMAKER DIRECTORY

MICHIGAN

MACOMB VINTNER SUPPLY

44443 Phoenix Dr. Sterling Heights (248) 495-0801

www.macombvintnersupply.com

Purveyor of grapes and grape juices for the winemaker. L’uva Bella, Mosto Bella & Chilean Bello Brands, and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.

MID-MICHIGAN VINTNER SUPPLY

Grand Rapids & South Lyon (517) 898-3203

www.Mid-Michiganvintnersupply.com info@Mid-Michiganvintnersupply.com

Purveyor of fresh grape juices for the winemaker. L’uva Bella, Mosto Bella & Chilean Bello Brands.

MORGAN VINEYARD

15775 40th Avenue

Coopersville 49404 (616) 648-3025

morgangrapes@gmail.com

MorganVineyard.com

Supplier of high quality wine grapes conveniently located in West Michigan.

SICILIANO’S MARKET

2840 Lake Michigan Dr. N.W. Grand Rapids 49504 (616) 453-9674

fax: (616) 453-9687

e-mail: sici1@sbcglobal.net

www.sicilianosmkt.com

Largest Wine Making inventory in West Michigan. Now selling beer and winemaking supplies on-line.

TAYLOR RIDGE VINEYARDS

3843 105th Ave.

Allegan 49010 (269) 521-4047 bctaylor@btc-bci.com www.taylorridgevineyard.com

18 Varieties of Wine Grapes and Juices. Vinifera, New York State, Minnesota and French hybrids. Providing wine grapes and juices for over 30 years.

MISSOURI

HOME BREWERY

1967 West Boat St. Ozark

1-800-321-BREW (2739) brewery@homebrewery.com

www.homebrewery.com

Since 1984, providing excellent Service, Equipment and Ingredients. Beer, Wine, Mead, Soda and Cheese.

NEW YORK

DOC’S HOMEBREW SUPPLIES

451 Court Street

Binghamton 13904 (607) 722-2476

www.docsbrew.com

Full-service beer & wine making shop serving NY’s Southern Tier &PA’s Northern Tier since 1991. Extensive line of Winexpert kits, supplies and equipment.

FULKERSON WINERY & JUICE PLANT

5576 State Route 14

Dundee 14837 (607) 243-7883

fax: (607) 243-8337

www.fulkersonw inery.com

Fresh Finger Lakes grape juice available during harvest. Large selection of home winemaking supplies. Visit our website to browse and order supplies. Open year round 10-5, extended seasonal hours. Find us on Facebook and follow us onTwitter @fulkersonwinery.

MAIN STREET WINES & SUPPLIES

249 Main St. Arcade 14009 (585) 492-2739

fax: (585) 492-2777

mainstwines@yahoo.com

Plenty of wine kits available to make your own wine. Full line of winemaking supplies and accessories for your convenience. Tue-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-3 or by appt. Like us on Facebook.

NIAGARA TRADITION

HOMEBREWING SUPPLIES

1296 Sheridan Drive Buffalo 14217 (800) 283-4418 or (716) 877-8767

www.nthomebrew.com

We feature a complete line of supplies for making wine, beer, mead, cider and cheese.

PANTANO’S WINE GRAPES & HOMEBREW

249 Rte 32 S. New Paltz 12561 (845) 255-5201 or (845) 706-5152 (cell) pantanowineandbeer@yahoo.com

www.pantanosbeerwine.com

Find Us On Facebook. Your source for wine & beer making supplies and equipment. Grapes and Juice from California, Italy & Chile in season, wine kits and all juice pails (6 gal) year round. Classes available. We now carry Distilling Products and Stills.

PROSPERO EQUIPMENT CORP.

123 Castleton St. Pleasantville 10570 (914) 769-6252

fax: (914) 769-6786

info@prosperocorp.biz

www.prosperocorp.biz

The source to all your winemaking equipment.

TEN THOUSAND VINES WINERY

8 South Buffalo St. Hamburg 14075

(716) 646-9979

mike@TenThousandVines.com

www.TenThousandVines.com

Wine supplies, juice and advice.

WALKER’S WINE JUICE

2860 N.Y. Route 39 – Since 1955

Forestville

(716) 679-1292

www.walkerswinejuice.com

Over 50 varieties of “Hot-Pack”

Grape, Fruit and Berry Juice, Requiring No Refrigeration, shipped by UPS all year. Supplying over 800 wineries in 37 states!

NORTH CAROLINA

ALTERNATIVE BEVERAGE (BELMONT)

1500 River D., Suite 104

Belmont 28012

Advice Line: (704) 825-8400

Order Line: 1-800-365-2739

www.ebrew.com

44 years serving all home winemakers & brewers’ needs! Come visit for a real Homebrew Super Store experience!

ALTERNATIVE BEVERAGE (CHARLOTTE)

3911 South Blvd.

Charlotte 28209

Advice Line: (704) 825-8400

Order Line: 1-800-365-2739

www.ebrew.com

44 years serving all home winemakers & brewers’ needs! Visit our stores to learn how we can help you make the best wine you can make.

ALTERNATIVE BEVERAGE (CORNELIUS)

19725 Oak St.

Cornelius 28031

Voice Line: (704) 527-2337

Fax Line: (704) 522-6427

www.ebrew.com

44 years serving all home winemakers & brewers’ needs! Visit our stores to learn how we can help you make the best wine you can make.

AMERICAN BREWMASTER

3021-5 Stony Brook Dr. Raleigh 27604 (919) 850-0095

Text: (984) 251-3030

www.americanbrewmaster.com

Wine Kits, Wine Ingredients and additives, corks and bottles since 1983! Wow. 1983!

ASHEVILLE BREWERS SUPPLY

712-B Merrimon Ave. Asheville 28804 (828) 358-3536

www.ashevillebrewers.com

Value. Quality. Service. Since 1994.

CAROLINA WINE SUPPLY

329 W. Maple St. Yadkinville 27055 (336) 677-6831

fax: (336) 677-1048

www.carolinawinesupply.com

Home Winemaking Supplies & Support.

OHIO

THE GRAPE AND GRANARY

915 Home Ave. Akron 44310 (330) 633-7223

www.grapeandgranary.com

Concentrates, Fresh juice, Wine on Premise.

LABEL PEELERS BEER & WINE MAKING SUPPLIES, INC.

211 Cherry St. Kent 44240

(330) 678-6400

info@labelpeelers.com

www.labelpeelers.com

Specializing in winemaking/ homebrew supplies &equipment. Free monthly classes.

Hours: Mon-Sun 10am-7pm

OKLAHOMA

HIGH GRAVITY

6808 S. Memorial Drive Tulsa 74133

(918) 461-2605

e-mail: store@highgravitybrew.com

www.highgravitybrew.com

Join our Frequent Fermenters Club!

OREGON

F.H. STEINBART CO.

234 SE 12th Ave.

Portland 97214

(503) 232-8793

fax: (503) 238-1649

e-mail: info@fhsteinbart.com

www.fhsteinbart.com

Brewing and Wine making supplies since 1918!

HOME FERMENTER

123 Monroe Street Eugene 97402

(541) 485-6238

www.homefermenter.com

Providing equipment, supplies and advice to winemakers and homebrewers for over 40 years.

PENNSYLVANIA

BOOTLEGGERS BREW SHOP, LLC

917 Pleasant Valley Blvd.

Altoona 16602

(814) 931-9962

http://bootleggersbrewshop.com

bootleggersbrewshop@gmail.com

Find us on Facebook! Central PA’s LARGEST homebrew supplies store! We carry seasonal cold pressed wine juices from around the world. Special orders welcome!

NITTANY VALLEY TRUE VALUE

1169 Nittany Valley Drive

Bellefonte

(814) 383-2809

fax: (814) 383-4884

Supplies - Equipment - Classes. Fresh grapes & juice in season.

PRESQUE ISLE WINE CELLARS

9440 W. Main Rd. (US Rte. 20) North East 16428

(800) 488-7492

www.piwine.com

Your one stop shop! Complete service since 1964, helping you make great wines. We specialize in small winery and amateur wine supplies and equipment. Check out our website www.piwine.com or stop by and see us. Fresh grapes and juice at harvest.

SCOTZIN BROTHERS

65 N. Fifth St.

Lemoyne 17043 (717) 737-0483 or 800-791-1464

www.scotzinbros.com

email: shop@scotzinbros.com

WINE and Beer MAKERS PARADISE!

WINEMAKER DIRECTORY

WASHINGTON

BADER BEER & WINE SUPPLY

711 Grand Blvd.

Vancouver, WA 98661

1-800-596-3610

Sign up for our free e-newsletter @ Baderbrewing.com

THE BEER ESSENTIALS

2624 South 112th St. #E-1

Lakewood 98499 (253) 581-4288

www.thebeeressentials.com

Mail order and secure on-line ordering available.

BREHM VINEYARDS®

www.brehmvineyards.com

grapes@brehmvineyards.com

Phone: (510) 527.3675

Fresh grape pick-up in Underwood, WA

Frozen grapes in Portland, OR

Ultra-premium grapes for home winemakers for over 40 years! Sold at harvest or shipped frozen across N. America year-round. Over 30 varieties from Carneros, Napa, Sonoma, Washington and Oregon.

JON’S HOMEBREW AND WINE SUPPLY

1430 E. Main Ave., #1430C Puyallup 98372 (253) 286-7607

jon@jonshomebrew.com

jonshomebrew.com

Puyallup’s home for Home Beer and Winemaking supplies!

WISCONSIN

THE CELLAR BREW SHOP

465 N. Washburn St. Oshkosh 54904 (920) 517-1601

www.thecellarhomebrew.com

cellarbrewshop@outlook.com

Beer & Wine ingredients and equipment. Extensive inventory at Competitive prices, bulk discounts. Great service and free advice from experienced staff.

HOUSE OF HOMEBREW

410 Dousman St. Green Bay (920) 435-1007

staff@houseofhomebrew.com

www.houseofhomebrew.com

Beer, Wine, Cider, Mead, Soda, Coffee, Tea, Cheese Making.

WINE & HOP SHOP

1919 Monroe St. Madison 53711 (608) 257-0099

www.wineandhop.com

wineandhop@gmail.com

Madison, WI’s locally owned homebrewing and winemaking headquarters for over 40 years. Fast, affordable shipping to anywhere. Use promo code WineMaker at checkout for discounts. Free expert advice too!

CANADA ALBERTA

BREW FOR LESS 10774 - 95th Street

Edmonton T5H 2C9 (708) 422-0488

brewforless.com

info@brewforless.com

Edmonton’s Largest Wine & Beer Making Supply Store

READER SERVICE

GRAPES TO GLASS

5308 -17th Ave. SW

Calgary T3E 6S6 (403) 243-5907

www.grapestoglass.com

Calgary’s largest selection of brewing, winemaking & distilling supplies. On-line shopping available with delivery via Canada Post.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

BOSAGRAPE WINERY & BREW SUPPLIES 6908 Palm Ave.

Burnaby V5J 4M3 (604) 473-WINE

fax: (604) 433-2810

info@bosagrape.com

www.bosagrape.com

Ingredients, equipment, labware & supplies for brew & winemaking. Still Spirits, Hanna, Stavin Oak, Brehm Vineyards, Mosti juices, Brewcraft, Marchisio, Accuvin, Chemetrics, Vintner’s Harvest, Lalvin, Buon Vino, Vintage Shop.

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO ALL OF OUR ADVERTISERS’ WEBSITES, GO TO WWW.WINEMAKERMAG.COM/RESOURCE/READER - SERVICES

BLICHMANN ENGINEERING, LLC...23 www.blichmannengineering.com

BREHM VINEYARDS ........................49 510-527-3675 www.brehmvineyards.com grapes@brehmvineyards.com

BUON VINO MANUFACTURING, INC. .................46 1-855-522-1166 www.buonvino.com orders@buonvino.com

CELLARMASTERS OF LOS ANGELES U.S. AMATEUR WINE COMPETITION .......................43 www.cellarmastersla.org

F. COLAVITA & SON ............................1 Mike Colavita –mikec1@lightspeed.net 209-601-6307 Ally Colavita –ally.colavita@gmail.com 209-400-4947 www.cawinegrapes.com

FERMENTIS BY LESAFFRE .............43 www.fermentis.com

FINER WINE KITS ...............................7 www.labelpeelers.com

GOFERMENTOR ...............................19 www.gofermentor.com

GRAINFATHER .......................Cover 2 www.grainfather.com

LALLEMAND INC. ...............................7 www.lallemandbrewing.com/wine homebrewing@lallemand.com

LD CARLSON COMPANY ....................9 1-800-321-0315 www.ldcarlson.com www.brewersbestkits.com info@brewersbestkits.com

MIDWEST SUPPLIES .........................3 www.midwestsupplies.com

MOREWINE! ........................................5 1-800-823-0010 www.morewine.com info@morewinemaking.com

MOSTI MONDIALE .................Cover 3 450-638-6380 www.mostimondiale.com info@mostimondiale.com

MUST. ...............................................11 1-888-707-MUST / 707-967-0553 www.mustfabricate.com orders@mustfabricate.com

MUSTO WINE GRAPE CO., LLC ..........9 1-877-812-1137 or 860-278-7703 www.juicegrape.com sales@juicegrape.com

NAPA FERMENTATION SUPPLIES .46 www.napafermentation.com

NOONTIME LABELS ........................22 561-699-0413 www.noontimelabels.com customerservice@ noontimelabels.com

PARDO WINE GRAPES ....................46 813-340-3052 www.pardowinegrapes.com vince@pardowinegrapes.com

PLANTRA, INC. .................................43 651-686-6688 www.plantra.com info@plantra.com

QUALITY WINE AND ALE SUPPLY/ HOMEBREWIT.COM ........................37 574-295-9975 www.homebrewit.com customerservice@homebrewit.com

VÉHICULE PRESS ............................46 514-844-6073 www.vehiculepress.com sd@vehiculepress.com

VINMETRICA ....................................12 760-494-0597 www.vinmetrica.com info@vinmetrica.com

THE VINTAGE SHOP ........................29 604-590-1911 www.thevintageshop.ca info@thevintageshop.ca

WALKER’S WINE JUICE ..................22 716-679-1292 www.walkerswinejuice.com

WATERLOO CONTAINER COMPANY ...........................................1 1-888-539-3922 www.waterloocontainer.com

WINEMAKER DIGITAL DOWNLOADS ...................................43 www.winemakermag.com/shop store@winemakermag.com

WINEMAKER MAGAZINE CONFERENCE 2023 .........................23 www.winemakermag.com/ conference

WINEMAKER PORTUGAL TRIP ......45 www.winemakermag.com/trip

WINEMAKINGINSTRUCTIONS.COM .45 www.winemakinginstructions.com

WINEXPERT ...........................Cover 4 www.winexpert.com info@winexpert.com

WINESMITH WINES & CONSULTING ...................................11 www.modernwinechemistry.com

WYEAST LABORATORIES, INC. ......28 Fermentation Cultures: Beer, Wine, Cider www.wyeastlab.com customerservice@wyeastlab.com

XPRESSFILL.....................................49 805-541-0100 www.xpressfill.com

DRY FINISH

BY NANCY BELLE HANSFORD

A PROFESSIONAL HOBBY

Making wine in a dry county

Turning 21 and ordering your first glass of wine is always a thrill, but turning 21 during the first lockdown of a global pandemic makes that quite challenging. During that time, I read William Baker’s autobiography, in which he recounts his time as an Alcatraz prisoner. What stood out to me most was his experience making wine with stolen fruit and bread yeast. I thought to myself, “If he can do this in prison, I can do it in quarantine.”

Immediately I was captivated by the process of carefully measuring ingredients and seeing how they interact. So I made more wine and stored it all in my parent’s kitchen. This may have been okay if it was temporary, but my school, Berry College, reopened, so I moved back to my dry campus and had to leave all of my new wine with my family (who rarely consume alcohol).

Months later, when my second, third, and fourth batches were ready to bottle, my parents told me it was time to find a new home for my growing collection of wines. I made an Instagram account, branding my new hobby as “Watkinsville Wine” (named for my hometown), and started sharing my wine with all of my friends and family. As long as I am not selling it, it’s legal, right?

In most places that answer would be yes. Unfortunately, Watkinsville, Georgia is a dry city and the surrounding county is also dry. My mom, the one who broke the news to me, gave me an ultimatum: I could either stop making wine or I could get licensed. To me, getting licensed seemed like the easiest option. How hard could it be? Apparently it’s very hard when you live in a dry county.

I spent months researching and talking with local government officials, hoping to learn something that would

help me in my endeavors. As part of my research, I visited wineries in northern Georgia to gain insight on starting a winery and to taste some delicious wines. I learned the most from the owner of Sweet Acre Farms, who started his farm winery in a dry county years prior. According to Georgia state law, a farm winery does not require local licensing and a winemaker can acquire all the licensing necessary to produce, sell, and distribute fruit wine, as long as a percentage of the fruits are locally sourced.

With guidance from Paula Englis, who directs the funding of entrepreneurial projects on my college campus, I entered a three-round, Shark Tank-like competition for young entrepreneurs. Because Berry College is a dry campus, I was not allowed to bring my product to the competition, so I filled my labeled wine bottles with water and purple food coloring to showcase a theoretical final product. Three rounds of competition later and I won the first place prize of $6,000 for Watkinsville Wine. This, and another $2,500 that I won from another pitch competition on campus, was enough to pay for startup costs.

With a federal permit, state license, and a growing presence on social media, Watkinsville Wine was born in December 2021 six months after graduating college. Ever since, I have been constantly learning and evolving the business to meet the needs of my customers, increasing the quality of my products, and having fun. I have a fulltime job and keep my winery very small in order to retain the artful and passionate element in everything I produce. I do not want to rely on Watkinsville Wine to pay my bills because it would become a job, losing its spark and artistic element that I fell in love with. So all profits just support winemaking endeavors.

I do not want to rely on Watkinsville Wine to pay my bills because it would become a job, losing its spark and artistic element that I fell in love with.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Belle Hansford

The author enjoying the wine and views during a dinner cruise on the Seine River while studying abroad in France.

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