How to use this blog

Submitted by Clark Smith on Sun, 04/27/2008 - 12:00am

This blog consists of pieces on various wine technology topics. These are sorted into Categories: Postmodern Winemaking, Natural Winemaking, Terroir, Alcohol Adjustment, Social Responsibility, and so forth. The Search function will bring up titles discussing your keyword: sulfites, micro-oxygenation, chips, allergens, fining, and reverse osmosis are rich in content. I also recommend the Postmodern Winemaking Calendar Mandala or the the Postmodern Winemaking Glossary which ties all the concepts of postmodern winemaking together.

Holding lees prior to addition

Submitted by winesmith on Sun, 08/02/2015 - 11:38pm

Hey Clark,

We have been using PM Winemaking as a topic of discussion. My crew tells me I'm post modern.

So ... lees. If we don't want them with some wine for a while, what do we do in the interim? Have you cleverly figured a system for storing lees? As a tiny producer options like freezing would work for me. I use freezers regularly, 55 gal drums are great for cryo- extraction.

Thanks for putting out the book, good food for thought.

Regards, Paul

Hi Paul,

Glad you are finding the book useful.

The "M" Word Has Got To Go

Submitted by winesmith on Wed, 06/03/2015 - 8:07am

In my 2013 keynote address, I told the European Digital Wine Communicators Conference that accusing a winemaker of manipulation is like calling your wife a whore because she’s sleeping with you. What, she’s supposed to do her duty and then feel bad about herself? To place winemakers in this moral dilemma is to inhibit the acquisition of the necessary skill set which leads to invisibility of artifice and proper presentation of terroir. Thus the accusation itself fosters poor practice, the real source of clumsy winemaking.

Speculations on Minerality

Submitted by Clark Smith on Mon, 11/29/2010 - 5:48am

This month my Wines and Vines column covers this frustrating but fascinating third rail of wine reviewing.

Field Oxidation

Submitted by Clark Smith on Mon, 06/14/2010 - 10:02am

Clark- can you elaborate on the following text from your TONG paper? Specifically, the relationship between "active tannins and sulfides"? Also, what do you mean by "field oxidation"?

"Alcohol adjustment enabled California winemakers to achieve full ripeness, but that resulted in new problems. Ripe musts full of well-extracted, active tannins produce stinky sulfides. These unpleasant but transitory compounds are a sign of healthy life energy, but they are disconcerting to the novice winemaker and require a new skill set.

Minerality discussion

Submitted by Clark Smith on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 7:05am

I'm hosting a pretty thorough discussion on minerality at wine.woot this week. Recommended reading.

Lees Character

Submitted by Clark Smith on Sun, 08/09/2009 - 3:45pm

Dude, the smoke in that Faux Chablis just sends me. You say it's yeast autolysis. I've stirred a lot of yeast, but I never got THAT! Is there a secret combination of elements? Or maybe I didn't stir often enough long enough?

Mark:

Yield to Oncoming Traffic, Grower Dog

Submitted by Clark Smith on Thu, 08/06/2009 - 12:18am

In my consulting work, I see all too often the all-powerful winemaker lording his position over the defenseless grower in order to impress his clueless owner-boss, forcing half the crop to be dropped from perfectly balanced vines and resulting in shitty quality. It's positively feudal!

Feedback On Ageworthiness

Submitted by Clark Smith on Sat, 07/25/2009 - 10:19am

Oak Integration in Burgundy

Submitted by Clark Smith on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 9:30pm

Clark,

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