A Winter Day at the Winery

We had an opportunity to help winemaker Dave Zuchero at Tine Lizzie Wineworks in Clarksville, Maryland yesterday. The sun was radiant which helped melt the several feet of snow. Yesterday was one of the first days since the back-to-back blizzards hit the area earlier this month, which Dave was able to drive to the winery. […]

Barrel Tasting a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon: Grapes from Paso Robles

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon made with grapes from Arciero Vineyard in Paso Robles has been aging in French oak since it was racked to the barrel last November. Recent data from Virginia Tech indicated that malolactic fermentation is complete. At present the wine has a slight dark berry aroma and taste. There are oak nuances […]

Sensory Evaluation Online Class, Lesson One at WSU

Winter seems like a good time to take another online class at Washington State University. These classes are a good value. You have until December 31st to complete access to the class. This class is Sensory Evaluation taught by Dr. Carolyn Ross. The class format includes a video and PowerPoint presentation. You can print the […]

Winter Task May Take Longer than Fermentation, Part 1

You make a barrel or two of wine and are asked to design the label. Little did I realize that the label is going to take longer to create than the wine took to ferment. The wine I made and bottled at home during 2009 had no labels. However, now that I am making more […]

Will Plans to Put Foil on the Bottled Wine Get Foiled

The wine I bottle at home does not have foil or wax covering the opening. It is easy to observe the cork for mold or seepage of wine through the cork. At wine stores and wineries since most wines are covered in foil, one cannot observe the cork. A wine with mold on the cork […]

While the Wine Ages

Most wineries in the Northern Hemisphere have wine aging in tanks and barrels. Many home winemakers have wine aging in carboys and occasionally tanks or barrels. So what is there to do for winemakers and cellar masters during these cold winter days? Hibernation come to mind, however there are always winery tasks to attend. Generally […]