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Yes. I actually now prefer it to white wine from Pinot Gris. But my tastes may differ from others. And it may be an acquired taste. And it creates a completely different wine. My aroma / flavor profile of my wine is as follows from most dominate to least (and can vary between years and skin...

This is the place to be to generally discuss topics, share photos and experiences, and ask questions about making Amber wine. Also known as skin-contact white wine or "orange" wine.

Not wishing to add petrol to the row distance debate, but 2 metres is a more common North American distance. In Europe, vines rows are often much closer spaced. But it varies depending on local conditions. Which is why better to go out and about and see and ask what other locals are doing in the...

I have processed my Pinot Gris grapes as skin contact wine both in 60 L closed "reductive" and 230 L open (but covered with a plastic tarp) "oxidative" vats. They do create slightly different wines, but generally the results are similar. Either way, you have to vigorously punch down the cap...

What grape varietals do you want to grow? Different varietals do better on different types of trellis systems. And you have to consider your management efforts as well. For example, I grow Vinifera. Mostly whites. Vertical trellis. Mostly cane training. Most of my vines are on a 2 meter tall...

This is a brilliant idea. :r

I do not worry too much what happens to grapes in the vineyard from natural factors (other than major pests that can kill or destroy a crop such as fungus). The world is a messy, dirty place. Yet we survive it. But once one harvests... That changes the equation. Then I start to inject my...

If you have a large open top of your primary vat (i.e. bucket, or similar) it is typical to use a graduated cylinder. Use a clean pot to get some must (a smallish stainless steel one is ideal). I often also push the pot down the side of the vat, and let mostly juice flow in only. Separate the...

I agree. And this has actually be studied in Europe. Even in Jeff Cox's 1999 book "From Vines to Wines" he mentions this research. Basically in Europe: "good alchol tollerant wine yeasts are inhabitants of wineries, not grapes on the vine," That is, over a very long time, such good yeast...

Protected Designation of Origin is a commercial issue. So that the product conforms to certain "standards". That is the labels are about wine, or cheese, or whatever, for sale. And, yes, treaties make it also official outside the EU. But... One can label home made wine anything they want. Wine...

By Tokay do you mean Tokaj? The Hungarian wine region? If so, see my funny side note. Funny side note (Intended for humor mostly by me living in the EU... haha so the joke is on me): If so, you can not make Tokaj wine from plumbs under EU law. For one thing Tokaj is a Protected Designation of...

Temperature and photo period (number of light hours in a day) are similar enough between spring and late summer that plants will react similarly by starting to flower in the late summer as if it were spring. Even now, some of my tomatoes and peppers are starting to flower again. It is not...

200 L To clean, I use Sanaton and Detersol from Enartis. Mostly with a brush and rubber gloves. The Sanaton also dissolves any tartaric acid crystals on the walls and will turn your skin into soap on contact, and the Detersol is sulfuric acid, so must wear PPE. But I get a very clean barrel...

First to know, I only make white wines**, except for my Turán. So bulk aging is only a few months. So HDPE is fine for bulk aging in that time frame. So for 100L+ batches, I use my 100L, 60L, and 30L Speidel tanks. Overflow goes into glass demijohns. Hope this helps. ** I also make Amber...

If one does not have a variable tank (easiest solution), then one simply can add inert volume to top off a secondary container to remove airspace. I have sometime simply filled a wine bottle with water, corked it, sterilized the outside, and dropped it into a tank to eliminate airspace...

For a primary, about 80% full. Secondary, it is topped off. Hope this helps.

I use a pump. I have a Rover Pompe 20. View from in the tank: View from the press:

So happy to read this!!!! I hope this long term corrects the issue. But if not, come back with questions if issues persist. :cool:

Easy to fabricate? That base plate with all those holes? Hm.... Not convinced. Unless you have a lot of tools or a machine shop. What is easy is to do as I said... lay some wood planks at the bottom. Anyone with a hand saw can fit them to purpose and do that. :cool:

Using any random chaff may make it impossible to label the wine "gluten free"... :cool: Side note: Yes I know by the time the wine if finished, gluten content is basically a non-issue. But that is a technical approach. People's perception, and marketing often are in some weird unpredictable...