Redemption for a Grape Harvest

Harvesting grapes may seem romantic, but it’s work. Our first harvest was at a Maryland winery. It was a hot day and the sun was beating down on the vineyard as we began around 9:00 am. It took Kathy and me about an hour and a half to fill two lugs. Then we were put […]

Winemaking Helps Break the Language Barrier

On our recent trip to Croatia for the International Wine Tourism Conference we visited ten wineries. At the wineries we visited, we spoke with someone that could speak English. Most of the time it was the winemaker. On a few visits, the winemaker was a little apprehensive about their ability to speak English. I noticed […]

A White Cabernet Sauvignon

It smells like wine. We must have done something correct. A couple small carboys, in the refrigerator for a few months, were filled with a white Cabernet Sauvignon. Meanwhile a couple larger carboys with another white Cabernet Sauvignon needed racking. So it was time to move things around. Starting with the refrigerated carboys of wine, […]

Turning Customers into Brand Ambassadors

I would like to thank those who attended the session M01: Turning Customers into Brand Ambassadors at the Eastern Winery Exposition. I wish we had time for questions and answers. There are many additional things, than those mentioned, that wineries can do to cultivate brand ambassadors. My wife, Kathy, and I are presenting a much […]

Eastern Winery Exposition’s Trade Show

2013 Eastern Winery Exposition Trade Show

On Thursday, the day after Terry’s presentation at the Eastern Winery Exposition, in Lancaster Pennsylvania, we attended the trade show. The exhibit was designed with winemakers, winery owners, viticulturists and tasting room managers in mind.

Winemakers may be interested in the variety of oak barrels available. Or at […]

Recap of Day 1 at the Eastern Winery Exposition

This is the second year for the Eastern Winery Exposition and the first year I attended. According to Richard Leahy, Conference Manager, in just two years the conference has grown to become the second largest wine and trade show conference in the country. On Tuesday evening, a wine reception was held. Many of the winemakers […]

Avoiding Oxidation

I attended a session at the Eastern Winery Exposition titled Avoiding Oxidation in Small Wineries. Tom Payette was the presenter and used PowerPoint slides during the presentation. He mentioned several variables that influence oxygen reacting with the wine. Some variables can be controlled while other can not. Tom was especially wary of the use of […]

Atlas Peak AVA – 2012 Cab Sav Wow!

Vintners crafting a 2012 wine at Tin Lizzie Wineworks in Howard County, Maryland spent Saturday and Sunday racking their wine from one barrel to another. I decided to check the progress of my Atlas Peak AVA Cabernet Sauvignon. Prior to putting the wine in a Taransaud barrel last November, the wine exhibited a bit of […]

Discovering an Aging Wine

Wine that can age continues to surprise. Last night we had dinner with family at The Hill in Grosse Point. My brother likes this restaurant in part because he can bring his own wine to the restaurant. While in his cellar I spied a bottle of the 2009 Illuminatus Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot that Kathy and I […]

2012 Winemaking Resolutions – How Well did I Do?

I had four winemaking resolutions for 2012. They were:

1. Use the filter Kathy gave me for a Christmas present. 2. Make a raspberry melomel. 3. Monitor the weather in California and determine if I should make another barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon. 4. Make another very high end kit white wine.

Ouch! only two of […]