Wine Quality Consultants Within the next thirty years there will be a significant increase in the earth's temperature.
"La Jota's current history harkens back to 1974, when Bill Smith acquired the winery and 40 acres of surrounding land. In 1978 Bill married Joan and as part of their honeymoon they planted the first vines consisting of 2 acres of Zinfandel."
Loftie Ellis from Wine Quality Consultants recently evaluated the use of the Seret Cross Flow Filtration system with some interesting results.
Mistakes happen in the best of wineries. This article tracks a large list of winery mistakes that sometimes end up for the better. There is no escaping Murphy's law.
Zoecklein explains different tannin management techniques during fermentation.
A Nevada winery has recently released a wine without sulphites called, “Our Daily Red,” in a 1,5 litre bag-in-box.
Professor Considene from the University of Western Australia wrote this interesting draft on the subject of vine balance and wine quality.
French researchers have developed a white wine that has the same health benefits as red wine.
A Romanian man mistakenly drank wine from a bottle with a dead mouse in it.
Volker Eisele shares some of his philosophy, views and ideas.
"Twenty-seven years ago, Colorado oil man Raymond Duncan and former Christian Brothers monk, Justin Meyer, embarked upon a unique partnership to establish a single product winery -- a concept which was virtually unheard of at the time."
Research is underway to determine the effect of shrivelled berries on Shiraz quality. Various factors that could lead berry shrivel in Shiraz is being investigated.
There are many factors that have to be considered when you evaluate the efficiency of your pumpover regime. This article asks allot of questions and makes you think about it again.
Recent health concerns are leading to a rethinking of traditional fining and filtration techniques.
In this survey by Wines and Vines, they found that the biggest factor influencing the cellar door sales is the staff.
On this website you can download the mouth-feel wheel and an olive oil tasting wheel. The company's main product is the Wine Aroma Dictionary 'rub and release' aroma pads.
Ben Brown and Trevor Sluggett explain the importance of the irrigation schedule during the spring months.
Police in the USA are looking for a shoplifter who specialises in Moët & Chandon White Star champagne.
Under a new French law lesser Burgundy wines could be blended with any of the other grape varieties from any region in France.
A Romanian firm was banned from advertising it's Pasarica wines on the grounds that the wine was offensive.
Wineries are tinkering with the idea to sell wine-by-the-glass in big plastic bags to restaurants.
"In 1910 the name was changed to Spottswoode by the Spotts family who grew grapes until Prohibition and then phased into raising frogs and growing mushrooms in the mansion's basement."
In this article the complicated process of calculating refrigeration capacity is made simple.
During this seminar good spraying practices, ripeness determination, cellar hygiene and good laboratory practices where discussed.
Small wineries or wineries that want to keep small batches separate, now have the option to ferment in plastic bags and small plastic tanks.
The consumer is noticing the effect of high alcohol wines. Winemakers now try to tame the beast while still getting flavour.
The effect of the wrong fertilizers and sprays in the vineyard on the microbial life in the soil, is not often taken into account. Dr. Melanie Weckert shows how soil health affects grape quality.
It seems like some cultivars are more susceptible to cork taint than others.
Novice wine tasters seem to be just as good as professionals when it comes to describing a wine.
Enologix seems to have the art of winemaking down to an exact science.
A Chardonnay based disinfectant is being developed to protect against E.coli and other pathogens.
"While there was always an illegal market for their production, Fred stubbornly refused to sell any of the stored Simi wine. That stubbornness paid off when Repeal came in 1933 and Fred and Isabelle found themselves in the enviable position of having over half a million gallons of wine that had remained untouched from 1919 to 1933."
A computer system that gives winemakers the ability to see what their fermentations are doing continuously, is being devised in Australia. The sensors are built into the tank and can be sterilised with the rest of the tank.
The WSA cork study featured in August is hugely flawed according to Harpers.
For every movement in winemaking different pumps can be used. In this article the different types of pumps are looked at in detail.
Malolactic fermentation can have a huge effect on the style of white wine and should be managed.
Randall Grahm form Bonny Doon will perform the last rites for the cork stopper at a dinner in New York. Only close friends and family will attend.
Also read Jancis Robinson's eulogy for the occasion.
Porn actress Savannah Samson spends half of her time doing wine reviews and the rest of her time working on wine descriptors.
Dr. Thomas Truelsen, senior research epidemiologist at the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen, found that flavonoids protect against Alzheimer's disease or stroke-cause mental deterioration.
"Some of this motion is motivated by sheer concern for the earth; some by the calculation that every pass not taken through a vineyard is a pass not paid for; and some no doubt by a desire to make local environmental activists shut up."
Although most of the information on this site is related to StaVin's range of products, the general principles can be applied universally. The entire information book can also be downloaded.
In this well thought through article the chemistry of oxidation is made simple.
In this well written and comprehensive article the importance of winery visits are investigated in full.
Dominique Delteil describes the pros and cons of different forms of lees and the use of SO2 after fermentation. This article is a real tour de force and shows off Monsieur Delteil's mastery of the subject.
This is a great information site on screwcaps. Best part is the step-by-step instructions on opening a screwcap bottle.
By extracting more polyphenols from the grape skin, Israeli researchers have increased the antioxidant level in white wine.
Scientists have found that by irradiating grapes with low levels of ultraviolet light the reservatol levels can be boosted. Reservatol has antioxidant and anticancer properties and is normally found in grape skins.
The Benzinger family have earned their good name with innovation and savvy.
“I’ve never had a conventional farmer show me or tell me about his soil, while organic, no-till, and biodynamic farmers want me to see it and feel it, they want to tell me about the worms, about the life in their soils."
This symposium was held in California and features input from all over the world. Although not quite as international as they claim, it is still a good read.
Larry Williams wrote an excellent article on the use of irrigation to produce high quality grapes.
For a good article on the use of the pressure bomb to determine winegrape water status, see Kay Bogart's article below.
Zoecklein adds some weight to the argument for natural fermentations. Strictly for winemakers with nerves of steel.
Enzymes can be used to make wine easier to filter and to speed up filtration.
Peter Crisp from the University of Adelaide has found that milk and whey can combat powdery mildew as effective as conventional fungicides.
Chemist Matthew Augustine of the University of California developed a machine that can detect if a sealed bottle of wine has turned into vinegar.
"It's the question of the moment - the enological equivalent of, 'Is God dead?' " says Randall Grahm, proprietor and winemaker of Bonny Doon Vineyards in Santa Cruz.
A recent study found that Jews are less likely to develop alcohol dependence while Russians are far more susceptible. Japanese on the other hand, often can't metabolise alcohol. This is all due to the presence or absence of a certain gene.
Gone are the days of the square building with the tin roof. With a little imagination a winery can be very special.
Cryo-extraction, fruit bombs and extraction monsters are all explained in this article.
Geoffrey Wright produced his second vintage of vegan Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer and is soon going to release his animal-friendly Merlot. With no animal derived substances used during his winemaking process he is can barely keep up with orders.
New ideas are rife in this article detailing the newest trends tank design in California.
When more wineries realise how much money they can make by getting the difference between retail and wholesale price, they will be giving more attention to their tasting room.
Scientists are working on determining the DNA of wines to determine which components they are constituted from.
Pending Australian laws will make it mandatory for Australian wineries to state the use of egg , egg-products, fish products, milk and milk products on their labels.
One would think that a plastic cup would not match up to a glass when tasting wine, but is it really worth it to spend your savings on good glasses to improve wine?
Some of the best wines in California are made organically, but because of an old stigma that has to be overcome, it is not labelled as such.
There are wonderful trends in winery design incorporating practicality, natural resources and simplicity - just to name a few.
The practice of making unfiltered wine, that is sometimes compared to oenological russian roulette, is tackled in this very objective article.
Agriculture, written by Austrian scientist Rudolf Steiner, is based on eight lectures delivered in 1924 and covers the basics of biodynamic farming. The principles involve amongst others earth, air, fire and water as well as the position of the moon during different stages of a particlular month.
"The homeopathic principles of treating like with like are also invoked when it comes to dealing with insect pests. Simply collect a few specimens of the troublesome pests from the vineyard; then burn them and make a homeopathic solution with their ashes, or macerate them in water and make the solution from that. Then spray the solution on the vines, and the pests stay away."
A recent study of corkiness produced some stunning figures that are very useful for comparison.
The wine aroma wheel developed by Ann Noble is available on the net.
If you have the money you can buy all sorts of gizmos to spice up your grape growing experience.
Corkwatch is an open forum for people who want to contribute to the discussions on wine bottle closures. The site was originally conceived by the British wine writer Robert Josepth and has contributions from prominent industry leaders.
An Australian winery is selling it's wines in cases of ten, because according to occupational health and safety guidelines, women should not lift more than 15kg. Women are the leading buyers of the wine, so there you have it.
When a novice wine taster stumbles onto the realms of wine the results can be quite funny.
The Canadian wine group Vincor International and Burgundy producer Boisset have got big plans for their joint venture in Canada. The new winery was designed by Frank Gehry and is said to resemble a cloud floating over the vineyard.
Fabrice Delaveau from Michael Paetzold company wrote a very insightful article on earth filtration. Some interesting concepts come into play with this subject.
Zoecklein explains the importance of oxygen during the early stages of red wine making.
Jamie Goode explains the controversy surrounding the new fangled techniques of reverse osmosis, spinning cone and micro-oxygenation.
Often little is understood about this nasty threat.
The headache one sometimes develops because of the consumption of wine is not merely a function of quantity, but seems to be so alarming with red wine it actually has a name. Red wine headache (R.W.H.) is a mystery to researchers and has many possible causes.
Brettanomyces is becoming increasingly common as some winemakers strive for more natural ways to make wine. In small quantities it can be beneficial and some brilliant wines contain surprisingly large amounts.
Professor Sakkie Pretorius recently announced in Vienna that bioamines derived from malolactic bacteria are partly responsible for hangovers. Genetically modified yeasts, he suggested, could replace these bacteria.
After concerns from neighbours about building a winery, the Staglins decided to build theirs in caves underground.
Chalone Vineyard's eco-friendly case partitions recently won an international design award. The partitions are made from the Chalone Wine Group's own office memos and newspapers.
We have previously featured an article on Leo McCloskey from Enologix, but the amazement just lingers. World breakthrough or snake oil? Judge for yourself.
Heating wine for short periods of time to achieve sterilisation could be of great benefit, but the main concern is the effect on flavour. This somewhat biased article attempts to shed some light.
A PhD student is currently working on ways to increase the antioxidant level in red wine. This might lead to wines stating their antioxidant level on their labels.
Michel Le Gris, a trained philosopher, talks about the art of winemaking, terroir and "the taste of the consumer" in great detail. Difficult reading, but very thought provoking.
A wine from Uruguay claims to have zero residual sugar, which makes it safe for diabetics.
Some French winemakers are changing their ways by harvesting riper fruit and getting higher Parker ratings, but some see this as a betrayal of tradition.
This star winery has got a long history of success which is mostly due to their early realisation of quality parameters.
"The 17 vineyard sites of Ferrari-Carano, chosen for their great diversity of microclimates, are spread over a fifty-mile area from the Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County to the Napa/Carneros region in the south. These fine vineyards encompass hillside, benchland and valley floor locations, which add further diversity to the fruit."
The effect of the headspace in bottles is often overlooked. This article gives great insight into this issue.
There are lots of things to look out for when buying a vineyard and this article serves as a handy checklist.
This article answers that age old mystery as to why bentonite bench trials and cellar reality don't always agree. The article also sheds light on the correlation between the formol titration method and the NOPA method.
This article explores the effect of vineyard diseases on wine microflora and also looks at better spraying techniques.
None of us will find this teetotaller's guide to social drinking useful, but it is very amusing.
Funds are being raised to clear mines and restore once-flourishing vineyards in the Fizuli region of the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan.
Boujolais will turn 100 000 hectolitres of wine into vinegar, distill it into ethyl alcohol or just pour it down the drain due to surplus production. May we learn from others misfortunes.
Cover crops can have an amazing effect on your vineyard, but how far can this miracle treatment help you?
Pepi Winery belongs to the Kendall Jackson group of wineries and specialise in Italian varieties. They fill this important niche with gusto.
This system tops and vents barrels continuously while allowing no oxidation.
This is a good guide to help you inspect new barrels.
You will be surprised to see what temperatures wine can be exposed to during shipping
This article investigates some of the organic standards with the emphasis on SO2.
With the increasing pressure from accountants and environmental groups we have got to find ways to spray less herbicides.
George Riedel thinks this glass should have at least three times the volume.
First there was the flying winemaker and now there is the contract winemaker. It is not an easy job if you get it.
An ancient breed of small sheep are now being used as an alternative to herbicides in America.
Sanford winery is leading the way in environmentally responsible winery design. They used timber from the frame of an abandoned sawmill and natural resources to their advantage.
Direct sales is an avenue sometimes overlooked as a lucrative cash cow.
Raptor Ridge describes the balancing act of managing partially malolactic fermented wine.
Zoecklein tells us some interesting facts about bleeding and fermentation.
Ozone can be a great tool if used correctly.
Properly installed vine shelters could decrease the incidence of powdery mildew infection on young grapevines.
Sir Cliff planted eight hectares of Shiraz, Aragonez and Trincadeira on his property in the Algarve in the south of Portugal and has now launched his wine.
This article from wine.co.za describes a process whereby the real age of a wine can be determined.
When a town of 7500 people got more strict water laws imposed on them they decided to sell their effluent water rather than upgrade their sewage plant.
Armida winery are going about everything in a different way to get to the top.
"Versteegh and Loykaseck took Armida's best 1999 Zinfandel, named it Poizin, put it in a black bottle, emblazoned with a blood-red skull and crossbones, then rested "the wine to die for" in a wooden coffin."
The Pinotage Association has published their winemaking guidelines on their site. Full marks to the association!
High pH and high TA seem to be a common phenomenon this harvest. The following articles give you clues, but not really all the answers you are looking for.
Clark Smith wrote a good article on how to approach this difficult situation.
Clark Smith also wrote this article to determine the cause.
Zoecklein calls into play the power of macromolecules to help high TA wines.
‘Humans can only identify up to a maximum of four odours in a mixture, regardless of whether the odours are single molecules (e.g. ethanol) or complex ones (e.g. smoke).’
Rolf Herrmann has a wonderful corkscrew collection featuring many strange patents. Well worth a visit.
Another good reason to drink red wine this winter.
Wynand Hamman and associates are launching a new Sauvignon blanc under the Fryer's Cove label. The birth of this Wine of Origin Bamboesbaai is tracked from the first idea to the bottle in this article.
Artesa winery tested four new prototype fermentation tanks during the 2001 harvest. These high tech automated tanks where tested as an alternative to Roto tanks and other cap management systems.
To use barrels in organic winemaking the barrels must be new or dedicated for organic use. If barrels were previously used for non-organic wines they must be shaved.
Zoecklein tells us all about fermentation in wood and sur lie
The Australian company Palandri Wines touched on this very sensitive topic.
It seems like everybody is doing it. Ernie Els is a good local example. Who is next, Steve Hofmeyer?
A major port house is building the first open fermenters for foot treaders in twenty years.
In this article by Vineyard and Winery Magazine the growing and making of Chardonnay in New England is studied in depth.
In an Australian trial the performance of natural cork was measured against synthetic corks and screwcaps with interesting results.
Tesco is putting its money where its mouth is and letting the consumer judge which closure is preferred.
Clark Smith sings the praises of this noble gas in this very informative article.
A psychologist fooled wine experts to think a white wine is red. Pray it never happens to the rest of us.
The lead singer for the band Simply Red, Mick Hucknal, plans to buy a vineyard in Sicily to make 'the best red wine in the world.'
The garage winemaking phenomenon is now tracked over continents as this 'Garagiste' just about shipped a whole winery to Australia to set up shop with grapes that formerly went to Grange. Part of his winemaking technique is the use of 200% new oak in some lots.
It has been an interesting ride for the members of the Peter Mondavi family since they took over this winery thirty years ago. Allot happened since their old feud with Robert Mondavi.
In a discussion group hosted by Wineries Unlimited lots of useful tips where gathered regarding fining, filtration and Lysozyme amongst others.
Dominique Delteil discusses the ins and outs of Malolactic fermentation.
Christian Butzke tells us all about those nasty stinky sulfite flavours that we all try and avoid during fermentation
Saddam prefers a classic unpretentious wine.
In a recent wine competition screwcaps started showing their muscle.
A new pill was invented that prevents liver damage from alcohol consumption.
It may soon be possible to do wine analysis using your handheld computer.
Using your GPS (Global Positioning System) individual vines could have their own identity on a world scale.
Scientists have discovered a fifth taste besides sweet, bitter, acid and salt.
The first wine was produced at Talley Vineyards in 1986, with the production of 450 cases. The production has since risen to 11 000 cases
"...pesticide use is generally avoided. Cover-crops and compost produced from a combination of the winery's grape pomace and horse manure are used to improve the soil conditions."
Technology can have a tremendous effect on wine quality if you are prepared to spend the money.
Zoecklein discusses all the factors that contribute to fermentation and how to avoid some and exploit others.
Unlike other foodstuffs the ingredients in wine and the detailed nutritional information has never been necessary on a label. But what if it was?
It has always been thought possible to use ultrasonic waves to age wines. This article actually shows a device that can be used commercially.
Chimney Rock crushed it's first harvest in 1989 and has made great strides since.
"Eventually he saw Chimney Rock Golf Course, now part of Stags Leap District, and envisioned vineyard rows instead of fairways. Hack purchased the golf course, and the adjacent mountain, in 1980, then bulldozed nine holes (about 75 acres) and planted his vineyard estate."
This week we have winemaking descriptions of four international wines:
Australia: Bloodwood Wines
California: Mellville Winery Wines
California: Hawley, Merlot
New Zealand: Mt Difficulty Wines
Loftie Ellis gives some great pointers on how to deal with a stinky Sauvignon blanc.
There is quite allot you can do to optimise your barrel room for aging.
A summary of the 2000 Anderson valley Pinot Noir congress
Toasted Head has got an awesome website with a very original intro. At the end there is a game where you can shoot down some Glassy Winged Sharpshooters.
In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks the American appellation has become very popular.
Researchers at UC Davis found that very few remedies can really remove red wine stains.
This Champagne house is finally returning to it's former glory by designing a new image.
Every second throughout the world seven bottles of champagne are being uncorked.
Here's winemaking description of four international wines for you to read
USA: Cygnus Wine Cellars Wines
Australia: Oakridge Estate, 1999, Double Fermented Cabernet Sauvignon
Australia: Picardy, Pinot Noir,1996
New Zealand: Tatachilla, Clarendon Vineyard, Merlot, 1998
This article from Lincoln University explores the growing of grapes for a winery and the quality factors involved.
This is a much more complicated subject than generally thought and can be quite interesting if you look at the following two methods.
The determination of juice Nitrogen requirements with the formol titration method is quite easy, but it also measures proline (the most abundant amino acid) that is not utilised by the yeast. This method will however still give you a good indication of the nitrogen status. Michael Liedtke from Laffort supplied this method for the determination of Nitrogen in juice.
Vinlab in Stellenbosch use the much more accurate NOPA method that does not measure proline. Christian Butzke discusses juice nitrogen status and the various methods in the following detailed article.
The bag-in-box and Partial Root zone drying (PRD) where nominated as some of the greatest Australian inventions of the previous century.
Dan Berger gives a very interesting perspective on cult wines. See if your wine could qualify.
A newly found body is to determine the quality of Burgundian wines and to act against producers that don't come up with the goods. If a winery does not improve it's quality it might lose it's AOC status.
Geyser Peak has been one of the outstanding wineries in California under several owners
When a top medal was won for a Geyser Peak wine, Groom and Schroeter would crow about the achievement, but because they were not directly involved in the publicity, the rest of the production crew would just yawn. So, Groom persuaded corporate to chip in a specific amount of money, based on a sliding scale from $10 for a bronze to $500 for Sweepstakes. Then, at the end of the year, the fund is divided up between all employees at Geyser Peak. In 2000, more than $20,000 was divided, giving $450 to 48 employees, with one share going to charity.
Using DNA analysis, researchers have finally discovered the long sought after origin of Zinfandel. These are the same researchers who discovered that Cabernet Sauvignon is the result of a crossing between Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc.
Recent research in barrel alternatives made some interesting discoveries.
There is never enough information on this subject.
This week we have winemaking descriptions of four international wines:
New Zealand: CJ Pask, 1999, Reserve Chardonnay
Australia: Rumball Méthode Champenoise Shiraz
California: Laurel Glen Estate Cabernet
Australia: MT Willian Winery Whites
Clark Smith talks about alcohol reduction and the amazing effect can have on wine.
A robot tongue has been developed that can identify different vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon from the same producer, and different producers of the same vintage without growing tired. The possibilities are endless.
A summary of Pinotage research from Wineland magazine
Chalk Hill has been a star in California always producing the goods.
Along Chalk Hill Road, at the edge of Chalk Hill's Chardonnay vineyards, is a tall lighted carriage house sign post announcing "Welcome to Chalk Hill Valley, Elevation 450, Population 2,"
Here are forty-one tips on red wine making to ponder.
THE TURBOPIGEUR: A motorised system that pumps juice from the bottom of the ferment and disperses it through the cap. It is inserted from the top of the tank and carried from one tank to another. Very little fuss and gives you enough time to ponder the world while it is whirring away on it's own.
A study showed that even expert wine tasters care more about what's on the label than what's in the bottle. This much reported article made some shocking discoveries.
A varietal report for lovers of Italian varieties
Who would ever have thought that the wheel would turn so soon and we would go back to basket presses and wooden tanks. The To Kalon project seems to have favoured the out with the new and in with the old approach. They seem to be converted.
To compensate for grapes that will not be harvested, this year's buyers will pay growers for grapes that will never see the cellar.
Yes, it is stranger than fiction.
French vintners clashed with police in protest for government subsidies. What an interesting industry we are in.
