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This page of winemaking technical articles draws on a huge reserve of knowledge and experience, both inside and outside of our club, in the art and science of fine winemaking.

 

Acidity / pH :

• Acid/pH Adjustments, by Bill Collings
• Influence of pH, by Ben Rotter
• Acid Control in Winemaking, Part One: Measurement and Adjustment of Titratable Acidity (or TA) and pH, by Charles Plant
• Acid Control in Winemaking, Part Two:Reducing Acid with Malolactic Fermentation (or MLF), by Charles Plant
• The Concept of Balance in Wine, by Peter Bell
• Titration for Tartaric and Malic Acids, by Bill Collings
• Titratable Acidity Titrametric Procedure Using NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide), by Ralph N. Weiss
• Chemical De-acidification of Must and Wine, by Domenic Carisetti
• Simple De-acidification Calculator

Fining

• Fining and Fining Agents, by Bill Collings
• Fining, by Ben Rotter
• Fining Agents, Isinglass and Structural Balance, Summary of Fining Agent Use, Gelatin Fining, Gelatin Fining Agents continued, Fining continued - PVPP, Bentonite Fining of Juice and Wine, by Dr. Bruce Zoecklein
• Clarification and Stabilization
• Clarification: Fining to Reduce Astringency, by Dr. James Harbertson
• Fining Wines for Structure, Balance and Finish, by Diana Burnett
• Yeast Fining, by Dr. Bruce Zoecklein
• Post Fermentation Processing, by Linda Bisson

Malolactic Fermentation

• Malolactic Fermentation, by Bill Collings
• Malolactic Fermentation, by Ben Rotter
• ICV: Practical management of malolactic fermentation for Mediterranean red wines, by Dominique Delteil
• The Malolactic Fermentation, by Linda Bisson
• Malolactic Fermentation in Wine: Understanding the Science and the Practice

Sulphur Dioxide

• Using SO₂ - The Whole Story, by Charles Plant
• How Much SO₂ is required?, by Charles Plant
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) additions using Potassium Metabisulphite, by Charles Plant
• Sulphur Dioxide, by Ben Rotter
• ICV: Sulphiting and working with lees: key elements to wine maturing, by Dominique Delteil
• Removing SO₂ with H₂O₂
• Schneyder & Vlcek Modified Ripper Titrametric Determination of Sulfur Dioxide, by Ralph N. Weiss
• Free SO2 by Aeration/Oxidation Method, by Scott Lacy

Fermentation

• Pre-fermentation Cold Maceration, by Ben Rotter
• Preventing and Fixing a Stuck Fermentation, by Sigrid Gertsen-Briand
• Overcoming Stuck and Sluggish Fermentations, by Gordon Specht, Lallemand
• Scott Labs Recommended Method to Restart Stuck Fermentations
• Factors Influencing Fermentation
• Délestage, by Dominique Delteil
• Délestage Fermentation, by Richard Leahy
• Delestage: An Attempt to Balance Flavor and Finish, by Tom Cottrell
• BCAWA 2005 Lallemand/Scott Labs Seminar (6.3 Megs)
• Fermentations: Problems, Solutions and Prevention, by J.R. Morris, G. Main and R. Threlfall
• Lysozyme to Control Lactic Acid Bacteria During Alcoholic Fermentation, by Mirian Moraes and Lars Petersen
• Producing a Healthy Fermentation, by Dr. Bruce Zoecklein
• The Alcoholic Fermentation, by Linda Bisson
• ICV: Nitrogen Nutrition of Yeasts
• ICV: Short maceration : a new mediterranean vision, by Dominique Delteil
• The Role of Oxygen in Winemaking, by Alison Crowe
• YAN Table
• Red Wine from Grape to Bottle, by Dan Jones
• Yeast Nutrition and Protection for Reliable Alcoholic Fermentation, Lallemand
• Impact of Delestage with Partial Seed Removal, by Dr. Bruce Zoecklein et al
• Tweaks and Fixes: New Developments in Improving Quality and Managing Problems, by Alan Marks

Spoilage

• Volatile Acidity - Acetic Acid
• Guidelines for Red and White Winemaking with Botrytis or Mold, Vinquiry
• Volatile Acidity in Wine, by Richard Gawel
• Brett: When Sanitation Meets Wine Style, by Tim Patterson

Tannin

• Tannin and Winemaking, by Duncan Ainslie

Sur Lie

• Using Lees (Sur lie and bâtonnage), by Ben Rotter
• Lees Management, by Dr. Bruce Zoecklein
• Also see VAWA Questions & Answers page.

Oak

• Oak's Influence on Making and Maturing Wine, by Christy A. Canterbury
• ICV: Oak Shavings and Cubes

Pinot Noir

• Techniques for Pinot Noir, by Ben Rotter
• On the Use of: Whole Clusters/Whole Berries/Stems Back/Cold Soak/Cap Management, by John Daumé

Port

• Port Presentation, by Clem Joyce
• imPORTant Stuff to Know, by Wayne Meadows
• Port Production, by Tim Spencer

Sherry

• Sherry, from "Making Better Wines" by Ted Underhill
• Sherry: Flor-ed by its Complexity, by Richard Gawel
• Canadian Sherry, by Bob Finhert
• Oloroso Sherry, by Steve Gunning

Sparkling Wine

• A Review of Méthode Champenoise Production, by Dr. Bruce Zoecklein
• Vinification Methode Traditionelle, by Peter Brehm

Home Winemaking Overview

• The Home Winemaking Manual, by Lum Eisenman
• Home Winemaking, by George M. Cooke and James T. Lapsley

Closures

• The Role of Oxygen in the Aging of Bottled Wine, by Allen Hart & Andrew Kleinig

Miscellaneous Topics

• Potassium Sorbate, by Bill Collings
• Potassium Sorbate Table, from "Making Better Wines" by Ted Underhill
• Cryo Concentrated Dessert Wine, by Charles Plant
• Hydrogen Sulfide and its Derivatives, by Bill Collings
• Winemaking Fermentation Techniques and Mouthfeel: An ICV Perspective, by Dominique Delteil (this is a large PowerPoint presentation - 1.34 Megs - save it to a file on your computer, and then download and install PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to view)
• To Sterilize or Just Clean, by Lum Eisenman
• Cleaning Your Equipment, from "How to Brew" by John Palmer
• Gases in Wine, by Lum Eisenman
• Rehydration — Adding Water to High Sugar Grapes, from Brehm Vineyards
• Barrels and Wine
• Barrel Maintenance
• Barrel Management for the Home Winemaker, by Douglas F. Markle
• Winemaking at High pH, by Clark Smith
• Hydrometer Readings - Allowing for Suspended Solids
• Enzymes in Winemaking, by Karien Lourens & Patrice Pellerin
• Preparation of Wine Analysis Solutions, by Douglas F. Markle
• Stabilizing Sweet Wines, by Lum Eisenman
• The Next Chapter in the Terroir Debate, by Roger C. Bohmrich
• Brettanomyces/Dekkera During Winemaking, Part 1 & Part 2, by Adriaan Oelofse
• How Sweet It Is: Chaptalization, by Jeff Chorniak
• The Role of Oxygen in Winemaking, by Alison Crowe
• Red Wine from Grape to Bottle, by Dan Jones
• Alcohol Reduction Chart

Recommended Books

• Iverson, Jon. Home Winemaking Step by Step.
  Medford, OR: Stonemark Publishing, 1998.
  Review by Charles Plant.
• Margalit, Yair. Concepts in Wine Technology.
  San Francisco: The Wine Appreciation Guild, 2004.
• Underhill, James E. (Ted). Making Better Wines.
  Victoria, BC: Monk Office Supply, 1997.
• Pambianchi, Daniel. Techniques in Home Winemaking.
  Montreal: Véhicule Press, 2002.
  Review by Jack Keller.
• The American Wine Society. The Complete Handbook of Winemaking.
  Ann Arbor, MI: G.W. Kent, Inc., 1999.
  Review by Jack Keller.