No Grapes Allowed!

A great article by Melissa Priestley – enjoy!
Let’s face it: Canada is a pretty harsh place for grapes. Given the viticultural challenges, it’s no wonder our winemaking industry is still in its youth. Yet while the grape is a relative newcomer to Canada, many types of locally-grown fruit have been made into wine for centuries; [...]

Wine Faults and Flaws – part 4

We are continuing on with the fourth and final part on our series on bad wines, their diagnostic, causes and treatment. Hope this info will help make the wine world a slightly better place!
10. Volatile Acidity
Description:  While several other volatile acids (those organic acids separable by distillation) – lactic, succinic, and propionic – [...]

Wine Faults and Flaws – part 3

Judging and tasting Bad Wine: Diagnostic, causes and treatment of wine faults, wine flaws, bad wine, Tyrene, Geranium Character, Candida-acetaldehyde and wine surface yeast

Wine Faults and Flaws – part 2

prevention, diagnostic, treatment for wine faults, wine flaws, bad wine, acetaldehyde, MLF, malolactic fermentation and ethyl acetate.

Wine Faults and Flaws – part 1

all about wine and winemaking faults and flaws, their diognostics, prevention and treatment

Ice Cider Rules!

Montreal Gazette – November 8, 2008
Cold is the ‘fantastic ingredient’ in this made-in-Quebec nectar that’s finding admirers around the world
It’s a budding industry on the cusp of a worldwide breakthrough – and an honest-to-goodness made-in-Quebec story to boot.
The first thing to learn about cidre de glace – ice cider – is to banish from your [...]

A Sampling of Beloved Ciders

ON SOME NEARBY country roads, the “fresh cider” signs nearly were outnumbering political placards this past election. Whole Foods et al have been hawking gallons of the stuff since before the leaves started to turn. It’s all very fine and wholesome to stop by the side of the lane and quaff a paper cup of [...]

A Successful Winery in Muskegon, MI

MUSKEGON — Clay Avenue Cellars is a downtown Muskegon microwinery that seems somehow insulated from the pressures of macroeconomics.
The economy as a whole may be teetering, in other words, but vintners Bob Rajewski and Garrett Anguilm Jr. haven’t seen any corresponding downturn in sales of their fruit-based wines.
Indeed, to meet demand they are adding new [...]

Australian Orchard Bares Great Fruit Wine

IT just keeps getting better for orchardist and winemaker Gaye Moyle.
Picking started at the Beaulieu Cherry Orchard yesterday and this year there are more cherries than last season.
“Considering last year was our first batch in three years we are pleased that the trees have continued to produce,” Gaye said.
“I am quite happy, especially because the [...]