White Wine Making

“Drink to me with thine eyes, and I will pledge with mine; or leave a kiss but in the cup and I will not look for wine” is a line from a famous poem.  However, for the wine connoisseur, the kiss needs to be really powerful to give up the wine and the competition for the kiss becomes even more challenging if the wine happens to be white wine.

White wine is associated with words like harmony and balance which itself set the mind swimming with desire and that’s the power of a sip of the golden yellow colored liquid with less than 1% sugar content.  Life doesn’t get better than this, does it?!

White Wine making is centuries old and over the years white wine making has grown into a lucrative business model. The good news is that wine making is a simple and easy process, which is probably why a lot of people make wine at home regularly.

White wine making requires you to use white grapes instead of red ones.  White grapes, like white wine, are not really white in color; they can be shades of light yellow or pale greenish yellow, and when fermented, these grapes produce white wine.

Some white wines are called `dry’ wines and what this really means is that there is an absence of sugar in the wine.  In fact, the secret behind white wine is the process of fermentation which occurs by yeast blending with the sugar in the fruit and not by adding extra sugar.  .

White Wine Making Process:

The first step involves identifying white grapes and tracking their harvest times. Once the grapes are ready for harvest, they need to be manually plucked.

These grapes are then crushed using a gadget called a Stemmer.  As the name indicates, the Stemmer separates the stems from the crushed fruit, ensuring minimal residue.

The crushed grapes are then transferred into large urns or containers and kept in cool storage places.  Basements and cellars of building are ideal as they have limited sunlight and remain cool.  Yeast is added to hasten the fermenting process. The yeast heats up the sugar in the grapes converting it into wine.

Pumping the floating skin and other objects and pushing them to the bottom will ensure that clear wine rises to the top.

At some time during the aging process, transferring or racking the wine from one container to another will ensure that residual matter is distilled out and the wine becomes cleaner.

Fining and filtering are the last few steps to ensure wine purity and soon after this the wine is ready to be bottled.  Wine at this stage will be a golden yellow in color and is ready to be sipped and twirled around your tongue.

Making white wine is a simple process. White wine can produce white wines which are as good as Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc over time.  All that is needed is a love for wine!

Basic Wine Making Instructions

Today, there are thousands of wine making instructions on the Internet, and making wine is now simpler than baking a cake.  But just like you need to follow certain steps to bake a cake, there are certain wine making instructions which need to be followed.

Wine making instruction No.1 – ensure sanitation and sterilization.  While breweries are equipped with equipment, maintaining a sterilized atmosphere at home is not all that easy.  The best way is to soak all equipment in boiling water or in cold water with added sanitizer for a minimum period of 10 minutes.

Wine making instruction No.2 – Yeast converts the sugar in the fruit into wine and yeast works best in a temperature of between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.  Sometimes, if the temperature is too high, yeast can be killed or its power weakened.  Similarly if the temperature is too cold, it can deter and slow down the fermentation process.

Once the above rules have been followed and, of course, the fruit is ready, you are set to begin your wine and given below are the wine making instructions. The following wine making instructions are to produce around 10 gallons of wine using 100 pounds of grapes.

Place your crushed grapes in plastic air tight containers along with a fermenter and stir till it dissolves.  Add cold water till you are about an inch below the `full’ mark on the jug.  Sprinkle yeast (do not mix it) on the surface and then shut it airtight and keep it in a temperature of between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius.  The fermentation process begins with 24 to 48 hours

On the sixth day, siphon the wine into a clean, dry carboy and top it again with cold water.

Three weeks later, or 20 days to be precise, check the gravity level. If it is between .990 and 1.000 it is ready for the next step, which is siphoning the wine into a brewing bucket.  40 additive packets need to be stirred in for a few minutes and then the wine can be replaced in its container. Repeating this process every two days will drive out the CO2 which lessens the wine’s taste and clarity.

Typically by now the wine should be ready, but you can continue to let it ferment until the bubbles near the lid disappear. Once the bubbles stop, the wine is ready to be poured into your glass.

Some tips to remember:

Yeast needs to be rehydrated and the instructions are normally available on the yeast package.  Adhering to instructions will ensure that the wine is clearer and tastier.

• While you can use tap water, distilled water ensures that the fermenting process goes smoothly without interruption from the bacteria in water which can deter the process.
• Checking for bubbles will let you know if your wine is fermenting properly.  If you don’t notice bubbles within 48 hours, open and check to see if the bubbles are gathering below the lid.  If you continue to not notice bubbles, it is time to talk to a wine making expert in the neighborhood who can give you proper wine making instructions.
•  Siphoning wine periodically will ensure clarity.  Who can resist a glass of ruby red wine or crystal clear white wine?

Pest Control of Vineyard Grapes

There are many different harmful insects and diseases that can ultimately threaten to totally destroy all of the hard work and extra amount of time that has been devoted to thriving crops of vineyard grapes. A few of these would include various birds, deer and numerous types of insects. Some of the most common diseases that can interfere with the grapevine that you are growing would include phomopsis cane and leaf spot, mildew, black rot and fungus. When one of these attacks your growing efforts you will easily be able to see the damage they can cause.

If one of the vines that you are growing happens to end up with one of these diseases, you will be able to notice it rather easily. Generally what will happen is the leaves on the vines will become discolored, the berries that are growing may become decayed, the leaves may be covered with lesions, and they may also be covered with a film. When these problems arise it is best for the grower to do at least a small amount of research so they will know which fungicide will be the best to use under their specific growing conditions.

Birds can end up causing a large amount of damage. You may have noticed that entire flocks are much easier to scare away than a few birds here and there. One type of repellent that you may want to consider is known as artificial visual repellents. These would include items such as artificial owls, snakes, and hawks. Another option would be cannons that feature a timer for specific times you want the loud blasting noise to go off. If your crop is on the property where you live it can be an irritating option for you and your neighbors. An effective choice is a type of netting that forms a physical barrier over the vineyard grapes that can last for as long as 30 months and the installation required is very easy and convenient. They must be removed however during the winter months so that any ice that might form on the net will not be able to damage your crops.

Early spring is a time when you should watch out for deer. There are a variety of odor repellents and scents that will help control this problem such as the scent of coyotes, soap, dog hair and even human hair.

After all of the hard work you have put into your vineyard grapes, the last thing you want to worry about is in having problems with insects. Unfortunately there are several different types of bugs that can end up making homage in your prized crops. Grape leafhoppers can be found feeding on the bottom of the leaves. They are not able to cause damage in small numbers, but when they are large in number they can cause considerable damage. The grape berry moth is an insect that will lay their eggs right onto the grapes surface. Once the larva has hatched, it will then bore into the flesh of the berries. This will cause holes in the berries and noticeable webbing that forms between them. Rose chafers are large in size and they enjoy feeding on grape clusters. Japanese beetles are a type of insect that is spreading its way into the US and they are known for being able to cause havoc on crops of vineyard grapes.

Planning, hard work and patience is the key to growing vineyard grapes that you can be proud of.

Growing Grapes

Growing grapes is something that has been enjoyed for many years, and it is certainly a satisfying task that will continue to be rewarding for many years to come. It was, is, and it will continue to be an effort that will always be worth the amount it takes to grow fine grapes used for winemaking.

Before your lips can savor the first sips of wine you have made, you will first need to know how to grow grapes properly. The first step that you will want to do is consider which variety in grapes you will want to plant, between the hybrid varieties and the European grape varieties, and you will also want to decide whether you would like to accomplish making red or white wine. Areas such as California are great for growing varieties of European grapes, however other areas where the season for growing is shorter, is limited to the choice of hybrid varieties. This is because the various hybrid varieties have been bred to be able to withstand longer winters and they are also able to resist disease more easily.

When you are learning how to grow grapes you will soon realize that it takes a tremendous amount of patience. Because of the fact that grapes are a perennial type of plant, you can expect to be able to harvest your first crop in approximately three years from the initial planting process. Before planting the vines you will need to choose an area that will provide them with an adequate amount of sunlight and an area of soil that is not high in nutrients. Soil that does not contain many nutrients is exactly what numerous winemakers have come to depend on. This is because soil that is dry and lacking in nutrients will cause the vine to become stressed, thus producing grapes that are small. Skin that covers these small grapes is where the flavor and color can be found used in making wine. The larger size grapes are better for eating because they contain more juice and less skin.

A very important part in learning how to grow grapes is the harvesting process. When the harvest season is drawing near, you will want to make sure the grapes are completely ripe and contain no diseases. When you are growing hybrid varieties, it may be necessary to purchase a particular chemical that can be found in your local winemaking store that is specifically designed to bring the high acidity levels of the grapes down to a more appropriate level. When it comes time to ferment the grapes you have picked, the yeast will need to be added. There is a variety of yeasts available on the market, and each adding its own characteristics and subtle flavoring to the wine. The fermentation process will take approximately one week and then you can begin the important aging process that can sometimes take up to a couple of years to complete. You can begin bottling the wine when it begins turning sparkling clear, and then it will need to sit for a few more months.

One important factor to remember is you will be able to enjoy a much better taste the longer a bottle of wine is allowed to age. It can certainly be a slow crawling effort, but it will be one that proves to be well worth the patience.

When you decide the time is right to put your lessons to the test on how to grow grapes, you will be able to find an ample amount of bottles and corks at almost any wine stores.

Food And Wine Pairing Guide

If you are looking for tasty quality wines to accompany your delish meals, you have to know first about wine and food pairing. Do not ruin a meal course just because you have placed an inappropriate wine to go with your food. The taste of the food and wine may not be balanced and may result from bitterness, sweetness, and other undesirable flavors. In fact, there are good matches when it comes to food and wine pairings. Wine and food pairing should coexist harmoniously and should heighten the quality zest in each another. This way, both wine and food would taste better.

There are fail-safe ways to pair your wine and food in proper form. First of all, note that when you pair wine and food, they should have the same characteristics. Never combine food and wine that have different characteristics from each other. For instance, it has been proven that sweet wine and red steak does not bode well together. Although wine and food pairing can be a tedious task since you will have to experiment with good and bad combinations, the end result would be a fruitful experience.

Experimenting can make you trust your own instincts before matching wines and foods. Determine what you want to eat and drink and prepare the food with a sip of some wine you think goes well with the dish. Then take a nibble of the food and find out if is well-suited for your taste buds. Indeed, proper wine and food pairing presents you a pleasurable and enjoyable familiarity in your dining experience. Following specific rules for matching food and wine prior to preparing your dishes can simply bring out an outcome seeping with high quality flavor.

When it comes to wines with high alcohol content, you can simply whip up scrumptious barbecued dishes to go with them. Pairing light flavored dishes with a high alcohol wine will just subdue the taste of the food. It will just feel like you have not eaten anything and just imbibed on wine for the rest of the meal course.

Good matches include a butter-laced chicken in garlic sauce and paired with a citrus-flavored wine. Another great combo is pairing salted meats with wines that incorporate high-tannin content. As a result, the tannin’s high astringency pierces all the way through the fat’s thickness. Moreover, enjoy your favorite desert with a sweet wine. Just see to it that your desert dish does not have high sugar content.

While attempting to do your own experiments in wine and food pairing, do not go for dishes that you have not tried yet and pairing them with wines you do not like as well. They will just result in unsavory matches. 

The best match of food and wine pairing comes from multiple experiments, experience, and research. Learning about wines, the different types of food that should be paired with them, and how to properly combine them can result in a blissful meal which will leave you feeling contented and satisfied.

Wine Tasting 101

One of the most exciting and anticipated affairs for most wine enthusiasts and hobbyists is the chance of attending wine tasting events. However, for most people who have the same passion yet not the equal amount of experience in tasting wines, they were often blocked with the notion of not knowing what to do and expect when they join. Nothing is really difficult in wine tastings, requiring only a few basic things to remember when going for wine tasting.

The social norm for most wine tasting events is to serve the ladies first before the gents receive their round. In most events, bottled water and food are served in between the wine tasting activity, often using room temperature waters and unsalted crackers or bread. This is essential in order to cleanse the palate for better tasting precision. Furthermore, when handling the wine, make sure that you hold it by the stem of the glass to prevent heating the wine content that may alter the flavor and taste of the wine. Another important pointer in wine tasting, you should also avoid strong odors like colognes and perfumes that could distract the smell or aroma of the wine. Other things to avoid are smoking, mints and gums prior to the process of wine tasting.

Basic Components of Wine Tasting

Wine Color
This is basically examined in the process, and you can easily determine the quality of wine through the clarity of its content and the overall value of its color. To properly assess the wine color, clear glass and white cloths or backgrounds are important to utilize. In terms of wine variety, the red and white wines and their color is not always literally coordinated. White wine colors range from yellow, green and pale brown while red wines may have deep brown pigments and pale red. To determine if the wine is aged based on its color, you can tilt the wine until it reaches the rim, see if the color is brown or purplish. The former detects that the wine has been aged for quite a long time, while the latter means the wine is still very young. Take note that the wine may be aged for an extended period of time thus swirling the wine in the glass will allow the flavor of the wine to come out.

Wine Aroma
Another important component of wine tasting is by checking the aroma of the wine through smelling the content. Many experienced tasters attest to the importance of aroma in the overall quality of wine, stating that almost 75% of what you taste is actually based on what you initially smelled. Smelling the wine is done in two ways first is the initial short whiff while the other is a deeper whiff to determine more thoroughly the aromatic essence of the liquor. Taking some time in order to discern and evaluate well the aroma of the wine is important before you actually taste the content. Doing this gives you more venue and time to explore and journey to the experience of discovering the quality and essence of the wine.

Wine Taste
Finally, tasting the wine is the culmination of every wine tasting activity completing the initial processes of looking, smelling and observing the wine. Since countless varieties of wine have their own distinct tastes and flavor, the way you taste it gives a significant impact. The front and back portion of the tongue is equipped with taste buds to enable you to taste the wine accurately. Your sense of taste helps you determine certain tastes like sweet, sour, bitter and salty among others. Wine tasting is subdivided in three important phases namely the first impression, taste and finally the aftertastes. The first stage is when you first sip the wine, next is when you swirl it inside your mouth and lastly, the aftertaste of the wine after swallowing the content completes the entire process.

There is actually no fear in attending wine tasting activities as long as you are well equipped with the right knowledge and understanding of the different processes of tasting wine. Knowing all this important and fundamental information make you determine the flavor or taste of the wine, making you confident of exploring the exciting adventure that awaits you in every wine tasting events.

How To Select Proper Wine Rack

Wine racks are definitely suited for many people who worship the ground that wine pours into. With different varieties, you can choose from their many sizes, styles, designs, and materials to suit your requirements. Adding a wine rack into your home intensifies its appreciation value. With ornately designed wine racks, they can further the freshness of your wines, boost wine quality and taste, and provide you easy access. You can easily pull one out from the bunch and have your wines organized as well.

As there tons of wine racks to decide upon, it is better if you seek a little help to narrow your list of choices. You can check the available wine racks in various designs online or you can ask people around, people whom you know have wine racks. 

You can select diversified wine racks like top of the line, metal, hanging, and those with environmental controls. Firstly, wine racks referred to as top of the line can be ideally placed in your home’s cellar. They are custom assembled and are excellent choices for serious wine collectors who have space for their hundreds of wine bottles.  Custom built and perfectly fitted to your area of choosing, top of the line racks are molded in any form you desire. Only thing is, you have to shell out a lot more for tailored work.

For a classy touch, pick out metal wine racks. Available in a hodgepodge of sizes and designs, you can be sure that you can showcase your wine display confidently with its polished finishes and urbane look. Metal wine racks can be bought as freestanding or as counter top sitters. The size of your wine rack depends entirely on the number of bottles and other wares that you have. More often than not, these wine racks can be purchased on any style that you are looking for. Prior to acquiring your wine racks, see to the part of your house where you are going to place them in.

If you have a smaller environment, try a hanging wine rack. These are perfect eye-catchers and can be conveniently mounted on your wall or hang from your ceiling. They can accommodate at least four to eight bottles all within easy reach. Just like the other types of wine racks, they are available in different styles, sizes, and shapes. It all depends on what you prefer, especially if you only have a handful of bottles and you need a convenient storage to place them in for awhile.

If you are deeply serious about your wines, why not invest in something called an environment controlling unit? Climate control is of key importance in storing wines. You have to check for the room’s temperature, humidity conditions, dampness, and coolness. Wine chests are also great for controlling environment temperature.

What is more, wine chests can fit beneath or above your counter tops, and they are great additions for your kitchen appliances. Although they are a bit pricey, they can maintain your wines within the best temperature.

Considering the stability and strength of your wine racks is also important. The stability will be based on the kind of wine rack materials that you have acquired. Furthermore, have your manufacturer present you with a one year warranty at least. Ensure that you have sufficient room to occasionally rotate the wine bottles in order to maintain wine quality. Another thing is, you will need larger spaces if you have champagne bottles lying around and need storage space of their own.  And lastly, always ensure that you select a wine rack you really like, and that it fits your wine storage requirements as well as your needs.

Organic Wine Making

Primarily, it is important to properly wash the grapes and then cut & apart them from stems.

Pour water in a kettle and boil the grapes till it becomes tender and soft.

Next step involves pressing of grapes to get the juice out of it and then refrigerating it for at least 24 hours. After cooling is done, again strain the juice.

Once the juice is properly strained, add sugar to it and allow it to boil.

After boiling, the hot juice along with the yeast is poured into airlock jars.

The juice filled jars are then kept at a warm temperature.

After the completion of the fermentation process, it is advisable to add 2 Campden tablets, and then again tightly air-lock the jar.

Lastly, leave the wine jar at a cool temperature for filtration.

It is important to carefully clean and sterilize all the equipments to be used during the process.

Make sure to check sugar levels at various intervals with the help of a hydrometer.

It is very important to tightly air-lock the jar as it helps in preventing oxidation of wine.

It is preferable to use small sized grapes since such grapes consist of high ratio of skin to be converted into juice.

During the process of producing organic wine, it important to keep in mind such important aspects. The above-mentioned points do make a remarkable difference in the taste and properties of wine. For first timers, it is advisable to take the help of a trained professional, and then carry the things henceforth.

Grape Planting

The steps that you have to take in the grape planting process as well as the growing of quality grapes are very important factors that ultimately will determine the delicious flavors that are achieved in making fine wine.

Sunlight is a helpful factor that helps a great deal in photosynthesis. By giving each side of the vines an adequate amount of access to this beneficial light, it helps in the process as they begin to become full of tasty sugars that will eventually turn to alcohol after the fermentation process has been achieved. The specific types of soil that you use is another very important factor that you will need to take into consideration. Soils that are not high in nutritive value will work great in making wine and fertilizers or compost will not be needed.

If you plan to grow a significant crop you should place the vines approximately six feet apart and in rows that are placed eight feet in width. You can expect each of the grapevines to produce amounts in wine of up to one gallon. It is normal to lose a small amount of grapes because of problems that arise with birds and pests and you may even want to consider planting a few extra vines. This of course will depend on the amount of wine that you plan on producing. Another important aspect of the grape planting process will be in offering your vines a proper place to grow, such as on a trellis. During the first season that your grapevine will be growing you will want to attach the vine to the trellis by one of the strongest shoots and in using an adequate amount of string. As it is growing you should cut away any shoots that may be growing out of the roots and you will want to prune it again during the dormant season.

When spring arrives and the buds are beginning to grown once again part of the grape planting process requires that you select the shoots that are the strongest from the shoot that is upright, then as they are growing you will want to tie them loosely to the wire. As they grow larger over time they will become the grapevines arms, where grapes will continue to grow for many years.

During the harvesting season you should consider purchasing a hydrometer from one of the local supply shops that carry winemaking equipment and supplies. This is a device that measures the gravity that liquids hold and it will also give you the sugar content contained in the berries. A great gravity reading would be between 1,095 and 1,105. If at all possible you should try to get it as close to 1,105 as possible. This is just the right time to harvest the grapes.

Grape planting is a unique process that can takes years before you are ready for the winemaking stage. As long as you put an adequate amount of effort into your grapevines and the entire process in general, it will certainly prove to be well worth the added efforts.