Category: Wine Making Science

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The Importance of Yeast Starters

Pitching yeast into a wine must can be very stressful for these micro-organisms upon which we rely for the production of alcohol. Exposing yeast to changes in temperature, sugar levels, as well as sulfite and nutrient levels causes them stress. If the stress is too much to bear they may go into shock or die off. Creating a yeast starter is the best way to reduce shock and ensure a healthy population is introduced to your wine.

A small yeast starter for a 1 gallon batch of wine.
A small yeast starter.

Our job as a winemaker is to make this transition as easy on the yeast as possible so that fermentation gets underway with a healthy and active yeast population. This article assumes you are pitching your own wine yeast and not relying upon wild yeast to make your wine. Continue reading “The Importance of Yeast Starters”

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Controlling Wine Fermentation Speeds

The speed of a fermentation is a function of many different variables. Once you understand these variables you can manipulate them to slow down or speed up a fermentation.

Most wine makers agree that a slow fermentation is better. The thinking goes that the wine will hold on to more of the varietal characteristics as well as any delicate flavors and aromas created during fermentation. More aggressive fermentations tend to blow all varietal character out the airlock, so to speak. Continue reading “Controlling Wine Fermentation Speeds”

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Wine Making Chemistry with Bookcliff Vineyards – WMA015

Guests of the show talking about wine making chemistry.
Holly Wells & John Garlich of Bookcliff Vineyards

Wine chemistry is a complex subject. There are so many things to measure, balance, and think about that it’s hard to know when to do what and decide what’s really important. To help us navigate this complex subject Holly Wells and John Garlich of BookCliff Vineyards have come on the show to walk us though the entire wine making process… from a chemistry perspective. Continue reading “Wine Making Chemistry with Bookcliff Vineyards – WMA015”

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Oak Products Explained

Oak has long been used to add flavor and complexity to wine. In addition to barrels there are a number of oak products on the market you can use to make wine with instead of having to deal with the expense and upkeep of a barrel.

Before we get into the oak products let’s talk a little bit about the various aspects of oak and what it can do for you. You may also be interested in reading How Oak Affects Wine. That article goes into how oak from different places in the world impart different nuances to your wine. Continue reading “Oak Products Explained”