Articles

This is probably the most important topic connected withmany aspects in winemaking: the overall oxidation-reduction management. It is a multifaceted and highly complex subject, closely intertwined with numerous factors: grape health, harvesting methods, pressing, gas blanketing, turbidity, fermentation, lees contact, metals, élevage and ageing, storage conditions, vessel type, microbiological activity, low-intervention winemaking, organic and biodynamic practices, fining, fil

The most important early considerations before starting to make wine Many of us enter winemaking with a naïve—almost romantic—vision of what it will be like. Below, I outline some fundamental considerations for anyone thinking about starting to make wine, so they have a clearer understanding of what they are committing to. This list may also offer useful perspective to existing producers who are looking to take their work to the next level or simply improve what they already

When is it too much—or too little? Hygiene is co-responsible for wine quality, yet it is often either underestimated or overestimated. The key is understanding your objective and having the knowledge to decide when , how , and what to clean. Cleaning is the most time-consuming operation in wineries without automation. At the same time, it must be managed with financial and environmental sustainability in mind—overdoing it is neither efficient nor responsible. Hygiene operati

“Perfect” single-batch wines are rare—but perfect blends exist “Perfect” single-batch wines are very rare, but fortunately for us, perfect blends do exist. For passionate winemakers, the creation of blending components is an endless learning process. It is something that can be refined over time as our senses sharpen and our holistic vision of the target wine becomes clearer. It requires patience, dedication, and experience, and it is arguably the most important factor in pro

Does the beauty of machine harvesting produce beautiful wines? Mechanical harvesting became increasingly common in the Old World around 40 years ago. Its primary advantage is efficiency, reducing manual labour in the vineyard by approximately 30–40%. Harvest is a delicate, time-sensitive operation in which hostile weather conditions and sudden disease pressure can quickly become costly problems. When yields per metre are sufficient, machine harvesting can be significantly che