by Heather | Nov 1, 2020 | Crafting, Wine
Oak in craft winemaking is used to add aroma, flavour, complexity and body, which is sometimes referred to as mouthfeel. Certain commercial wines are aged in oak barrels but when you make your own wines, it’s done in glass carboys. So how do you get the...
by Heather | Oct 1, 2020 | General
I used to think red wine was what’s causing me headaches and blamed sulphites. When we started making our own DIY wines, I stopped getting headaches. But then I learned more about it and concluded it couldn’t have been the sulphites. It still remains a mystery...
by Bill Koopmans | Aug 1, 2020 | Regions, Wine
This month, we’re travelling from New Zealand to explore top producing wine regions of the world at home. Viticulture in Canada is about 2,000 years old. The regulatory body is called Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) which provides a degree of quality assurance...
by Bill Koopmans | Jul 1, 2020 | Regions, Wine
This month, we’re travelling from Hungary to explore top producing wine regions of the world in New Zealand. Therefore, we’ll be visiting the world’s most southern wine producing country. Winemaking here, which dates back to the early 1800s, survived the...
by Bill Koopmans | Jun 1, 2020 | Regions, Wine
This month, we’re travelling from Russia to explore top producing wine regions of the world in Hungary. Viniculture here, which dates back to Roman times, has survived through political, religious and economic challenges. It also survived the phylloxera...
by Bill Koopmans | May 8, 2020 | Food
Why make Champagne yeast bread? The impetus for me to try making Champagne yeast bread was when I discovered that COVID-19 is impacting the supply of yeast. A couple of weeks ago, when I was in our local grocery store, I overheard that it would be at least two...
by Bill Koopmans | May 1, 2020 | Regions, Wine
This month, we’re travelling from Romania to explore top producing wine regions of the world in Russia. Viticulture here dates back a few thousand years but wars, revolutions, phylloxera and prohibition nearly put an end to it. Vodka and beer are most often...
by Bill Koopmans | Apr 1, 2020 | Regions, Wine
This month, we’re travelling from Portugal to explore top producing wine regions of the world in Romania. When we think of Romania, wine production isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. This is because until more recently high quality and Romanian wines...
by Bill Koopmans | Mar 1, 2020 | Regions, Wine
This month, we’re travelling from South Africa to explore top producing wine regions of the world in Portugal. Portugal is known mostly for its Port Wines, but has a lot more to offer and not just other wines. Stunning golden beaches stretch along the...
by Bill Koopmans | Feb 1, 2020 | Regions, Wine
This month, we’re travelling from Germany to explore top producing wine regions of the world in South Africa. In the early 1600s, the Dutch East India Company deployed a surgeon to establish a fort and farming community in the Cape of Good Hope. Viticulture in...
