Congratulations to Ian Murfitt of Nanaimo Winemakers for winning the Best Dry White and Best Vancouver Island White In the Saanich Sommeliers 2020 January Competition. I asked Ian for some details on his successful wine: “I got a bunch of …
Cold Stabilization
Cold stabilization is a method of reducing the likelihood of bitartrate crystals (“wine diamonds”) forming in wine as it ages. This is particularly important for white wines.
Clarifying White Juice
If you are starting your white wine from fresh grapes (our Summerland Gewürztraminer, for example) rather than from a pail of juice from a winery, you need to know how to get “settled juice” and to time your “skin contact.”
Should I fine my wine before cold stabilization
Sometimes a new wine will have several defects, and it will be obvious to the winemaker that multiple fining treatments will be needed. In general, fining operations are done in the following sequence.
Care and Feeding of Wine Yeast
COMING SOON. In the meantime, see notes on Go-Ferm and Fermaid K by the manufacturer, Lallemand.
Yeasts commonly used by Nanaimo Winemakers
Yeasts commonly used by Nanaimo Winemakers These notes come (often directly) from the various manufacturer’s websites. All yeasts are from Lallemand except Vin 13 (Anchor) and VL1 and VL3 (Laffort). Compiled September 2005. Index of yeasts 71B BM45 CY3079 D47 …
Identifying and Preventing Protein Haze
A white wine that was clear once but now is hazy or is hazier when it cold than when it is warm is suffering from protein haze. This is largely an aesthetic problem but one which winemakers try to eliminate. This article explains what home winemakers can do.
Understanding Sulfur in Wine
Reduced sulfur compounds (those formed in the absence of oxygen) are a perennial problem in winemaking because they usually smell very foul (rubber, swamp, cabbage, garlic). They also reduce a wines mouth feel and enhance bitterness.
Keeping White Ferments Cool
There is general agreement that white juice should be fermented at cool temperatures, taking several weeks to complete the process rather than the several days common with red must. Keeping white ferments cool is particularly applicable for the aromatic style. The cooler ferments can yield better varietal fruit flavor.
Using Lysozyme
Lysozyme is the “silver bullet” necessary for preventing malolactic fermentations in aromatic white wines. This article discusses how to prepare and use Lysozyme.
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