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.
Making Aromatic White Wine
If you have tasted a good Riesling or Gewürztraminer, you know what the light-bodied aromatic style of white wine is all about. Compared to an oaky Chardonnay, these aromatic wines: are higher in acid and lower in alcohol, use no oak, avoid malolactic fermentation (MLF), and usually have some residual sugar to balance the higher acid.
Making Full-Bodied, Wooded Style White Wine
Chardonnay, especially the oaky, buttery kind, is the classic example of a full-bodied, wooded style white wine. Making it is more like making a red wine than an aromatic white wine, such as Gewürztraminer.