Winemaking - free information
See left... "Being a judge at a winemaking competition can be such a hardship!!!"
Winemaking can be divided into four key stages. First, fruit is harvested in optimum condition. Second, the fruit is fermented. In the third step, the new wine is clarified and stabilised. In the last step, the wine is aged to enhance its sensory qualities.
All four steps contribute to the quality of the finished wine. This section is dedicate to covering these winemaking stages in detail (and lots more!) so we hope you will find this a useful
resource. But remember as long as you do the basics right; sterilisation, quantities, timing and temperatures, you shouldn't go too far wrong. Nevertheless as all those of you who enter wine making competitions will know, ultimately the quality of your ingredients is key and there's always something new to learn and try out. That's the true pleasure and challenge of making your own wine. Enjoy it!
A brief history of wine making
Wine making dates way back to prebiblical times. It is understood that
wine making started in the Soviet Georgia region of modern-day Russia. At that
point in time, winemaking was very primitive indeed. Basic winemaking consisted
of picking the grapes according to taste...
View article... A brief history of winemaking
Winemaking - FAQ
- What's the single biggest reason home-made wine doesn't turn out right?
- What's the basic process to making wine?
- When is wine ready to drink?
- What's the difference in making wine from a kit versus making wine from fresh grapes?
- What are finings?
- What happens during fermentation?
- Why is acid balance important?
- What's sulphite?
- How do I determine the alcohol content?
- What should I look for in bottles and corks?
- Is it necessary to filter wine?
- My wine smells like vinegar?
- I get headaches from my wine, ahhh. Why?
- Why should I use glass bottles?
- Why does my wine have a yeasty taste?
- What's cold stabilisation?
- What's the difference between oak chips and oak extract?