Home Winemaking For Dummies (eBook)

Tim Patterson writes about wine and makes some of his own in Berkeley, California. He contributes the monthly "Inquiring Winemaker" column for the industry trade magazine Wines & Vines, digging into winemaking theories and techniques, and he covered home winemaking for several years in the pages of WineMaker. He has won dozens of Gold medals, Double Golds, and Best of Shows from amateur winemaking competitions in California.

Introduction 1

Part I: Motivations, Materials, and Methods 7

Chapter 1: Making Great Wine at Home 9

Chapter 2: Finding Good Grapes 21

Chapter 3: Provisioning Your Home Winery 37

Chapter 4: Obsessing over Temperature, Oxygen, and Sanitation 61

Part II: Phases and Stages 71

Chapter 5: Sorting, Crushing, and Pressing 73

Chapter 6: Letting Yeast Do Its Thing: Fermentation 91

Chapter 7: Doing the Post-Fermentation Tango 111

Chapter 8: Aging and Blending 125

Chapter 9: Finishing and Bottling 145

Chapter 10: Storing, Serving, and Starting Over 159

Part III: Deeper Into Reds 169

Chapter 11: What's Special about Red Wines? 171

Chapter 12: Bold Bordeaux Reds 185

Chapter 13: Ravishing Rhône Reds 199

Chapter 14: Handling the Hard Cases 213

Chapter 15: Up-and-Comers and Off-the-Radars 229

Part IV: Deeper Into Whites 237

Chapter 16: What's Special about White Wines? 239

Chapter 17: Fruity, Herbal Whites 253

Chapter 18: Aromatic Whites 271

Part V: Beyond Red and White 289

Chapter 19: Thinking and Drinking Pink 291

Chapter 20: Dessert, Fortified, and Sparkling Wines 299

Part VI: The Part of Tens 315

Chapter 21: Ten Mistakes Most Home Winemakers Make at Least Once 317

Chapter 22: Ten Ways To Save Money (and Make Better Wine) 321

Chapter 23: Ten Differences between Wine(makers) and Beer(brewers) 325

Part VII: Appendixes 329

Appendix A: Glossary 331

Appendix B: Conversions 333

Appendix C: Resources 335

Appendix D: Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and pH 339

Index 347

"Tim Patterson is one of the best contemporary writers on wine in
the United States. His easy-to-read, engaging prose transforms even
the most complicated aspect of making wine and makes it comfortable
and understandable. Reading Home Winemaking For Dummies --
like having Patterson by your side as a personal mentor-is the
absolute best way to tackle the very satisfying process of making
your own wine."

--Karen MacNeil, Author, The Wine Bible

"A thorough, practical, and entertaining guide, this text takes
tips from the pros and brings common sense and approachability to
the art of winemaking. Mr. Patterson's vast experience and
contagious passion for the subject make Home Winemaking For
Dummies an enjoyable read while the format makes it an
excellent reference and allows the reader to delve as deep into the
subject matter as he or she wishes. Whether problem-solving or
pursuing stylistic ideals Mr. Patterson holds the reader's hand
when needed but still encourages creativity within safe boundaries.
From sourcing fruit to healthy fermentation habits straight through
aging, bottling, and even enjoying home-made wine this guide has
you covered at every step - I even learned a few things myself!
This book would be a welcome addition to any wine enthusiast's
library and is equally accessible to novice and connoisseur."

--Ondine Chattan, Winemaker, Geyser Peak Winery

"As a 20-year amateur winemaker with an addiction to winemaking
books, I now have a new 'go-to' book for my first reference!
After the excellently accurate coverage of basic winemaking, Tim's
tome takes the wonderful turn of emphasizing the subtle, and not-so
subtle, differences that make the distinctions between the popular
varietals - all in one place! Home Winemaking For Dummies is
now prominently on my shelf in front of all the
textbooks!"

--Dave Lustig, President, Cellarmasters Home Wine Club Los
Angeles

"Tim Patterson is able to express his knowledge and passion of
winemaking in a vey understandable, humorous, and practical way. If
you follow the advice in this book, you will be able to produce
wine that will likely be better than inexpensive commercial wine,
and could be as good as any wine ever made. I applaud Tim's effort
and wish this book was around when I started making wine."

--Kent Rosenblum, Consultant Winemaker, Rosenblum Cellars,
and former home winemaker