I’ve been enjoying working with some of the red wine fermentations this week. Wines are fermented here in two different formats. First, there are the small poly bins which take…
Winemaking at Gabrielskloof: pressing Chenin Blanc and sorting Pinot Noir
My first day in the cellar at Gabrielskloof was a busy one. This cellar is shared by Peter-Allan Finlayson (who makes Crystallum wines, and also Gabrielskloof, his wife Nicolene’s family…
Making Provence rosé
Rosé is a technical wine. This past few days I’ve been quizzing winemakers on just how they go about making it. Here’s a short introduction to making rosé wines, and…
Video: harvesting and pressing Chardonnay in the Napa Valley, California
Here’s a video from last week’s trip to Napa. We got to take part in vintage, and this short clip shows harvesting and pressing Chardonnay grapes at Truchard Vineyards, Carneros….
Visiting Constantia (1) – Klein Constantia and making Vin de Constance
On Friday most of the judges from the Top 100 visited two wineries in nearby Constantia. First up, Klein Constantia, who make the wonderful sweet wine Vin de Constance. Winemaker…
Vinification Integrale
Just written up a visit to Anthonij Rupert, a South African producer with one of the most remarkable wineries you’ll ever see. For their top reds, they use a system…