And the Argument for a Wine Quality Focus: Part 2 “Folklore has it in America that quality and production are incompatible: that you can not have both. A plant manager will usually tell you that it is either or. In his experience, if he pushes quality, he falls behind in production. If he pushes production, […]
Fermentation
Back to Enology, Part 4: “Wine is Made in the Vineyard”
And the Myth that Winemaking is More Art than Science: 1 of 2 Posts With the start of the 2024 harvest, I felt it prudent to address one of my least favorite phrases echoed across the wine industry, “Wine is made in the vineyard.” Taken literally, and one would think that filled wine bottles sprout […]
Back to Enology, Part 2: Formula Wines are Sophisticated Wines
This post is a part of the “Back to Enology” series in which I, Denise Gardner, take time to explain the science behind concepts misunderstood (or mythological) in winemaking practices. Part 1 discussed Misconceptions around sulfur dioxide additions to wine. A full reasoning behind this “Back to Enology” series can be found at the end […]
4 Tips to Post-Fermentation Success
While many of us are likely in the middle of harvest, it’s important to remember those post-fermentation processes that have a profound impact on wine quality. Below, I’ll review 4 tips that ensure the maintenance of wine quality as fermentation ends. For Whites and Rosés, Rack Once, Off of Gross Lees, 24-Hours After Fermentation is […]
The Sensory Effects of Green Juice vs. Brown Juice
In the pre-fermentation juice stages of white wine production, winemakers are provided the option to add sulfur dioxide (or not). Do you know why you would (or wouldn’t) add sulfur dioxide to a white juice pre-fermentation? When sulfur dioxide is added to most white juice, the browning enzyme polyphenol oxidase or PPO is inactivated. The […]
Red Wine Color and the Processes that Change It
A winemaker’s desire to produce a deeply colored, concentrated red wine can be a strong driving force behind winemaking operational decisions. Processes like cold soak, extended maceration, or even the use of saignée become the norm when winemakers hear other winemakers employ these techniques to enhance red wine color. But sometimes our use of a […]
