Category Archives: Miscellaneous

My kids, when they want something, are very clever in presenting selling points that are likely to appeal to me: “A new computer will help me do better in school.” Or: “Playing football will help me lose weight“. It’s important … Continue reading →

I’ve made some recommendations in the past about making the most out of a tight space when one wants to put in a home vineyard. But, if the reader is lucky enough to own some land and has a hankering … Continue reading →

Found this on winebusiness.com today: Winemaking Calculators (from vinoenology.com): Fermentation - Specific Gravity & Brix conversions, Yeast & Nutrients addition, Unit Conversion table Chaptalization & Water dilution - Sugar content adjustment & Water addition SO2 addition - Liquid SO2 solution & Potassium metabisulfite addition, Molecular SO2 table, … Continue reading →

I don’t normally do wine reviews here. It’s not what this blog is about. Besides, the mode du temps of wine evaluation is not even in the same galaxy as the way it should be done. However, I recently bought … Continue reading →

UC Davis scientists have found phylloxera infestation of rootstocks bred to be resistant to the louse. The 101-14 rootstock is a riparia-rupestris cross intended for heavy clay soils (see Herrick Guide, here). Ironically, while 101-14 was found to be best … Continue reading →

I don’t own very many wine books. I don’t make that pronouncement with some sort of anti-intellectualist smugness. I just have little free time and see no value in obtaining books which do not provide what I need or want … Continue reading →

I’ve been a bit swamped and am still working on a long post. In the meantime, for your enjoyment and edification: “Bentonite is kitty litterrrrrr!!!……….” Yup. That stuff for precipitating protein haze from your ferments is the same stuff that … Continue reading →

Lat week, I wrote about delayed budbreak in my vineyard. While I focused on the delays in the Aglianico block, I also mentioned that my Montepulciano started coming in about a week later that usual. So, the whole vineyard came in … Continue reading →

This morning, I drove out to Woodland Hills and picked up my crusher-destemmer. All stainless steel parts with aluminum adjustable-gap crusher rollers. This was a floor model with some minor scratch-and-dent but it looks like it will do. The stand was … Continue reading →

“If you want to make a small fortune in the wine industry, start with a large one.” The essence of that truism, that wine growing and making can be ARE a money-consuming endeavor, can be applied to the hobbyist. Essential, specialty, … Continue reading →