WELCOME!

This site is to pass on what I am doing in home winemaking, and how you can do it too! Where possible I will place worthwhile references under the links heading.

I enjoy making wine and getting recognition for it, so will continue

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Above oicture is of my awards and some of the wines.

Completed bottling  of Crush 2025 on 25 May 2026. Lodi Zinfandell.  Final ABV was 13.8%

CRUSH 2026 is here!

19 Sept 2026

2026 is a white year and I got my wine must from Delta Packing again!  Easy and simple.  Picked up three 6-gallon pails, one each of Viognier, Pinot Grigio. and Chardonnay.  Price was $45 for each pail, out the door.

20 Sept 26

I am using the ingredients that More Wine used to sell as Brehm Frozen White Wine pack (BF995), but have to buy seperately now,.
For each pail use:
    • AD356 — Opti-White - (15g)
    • TAN250 — Tannin FT Blanc Soft - 3 g
    • AD342 — Go-Ferm (10 g)
    • AD345 — Fermaid K (8 g)

I followed the following procedure in processing the must.

8:00		Clean and sanitize all tools
		Open lids, visually check must
		Stir each pail to assure complete blending, sanitize stirrer between pails
8:30		Check gravity, pH, and SO2 of each, record results
			Viognier	Pinot Grigio	Chardonnay
		pH	3.75	3.71	3.7
		SO2	40	40	40	(probably high reading)'
		SG	1.092	1.094	1.094
		Temp oF	63	64	64
		TA	7.5	9	8.5
9:00		Add Tannin Ft Blanc, mix thoroughly
9:30		Wait 30 minutes, add Opti-white, mix thoroughly
9:45		Wait 30 minutes, mix go-ferm with 25-30 ml of hot water. Allow to cool to -100 oF, add yeast
10:00		Wait 30 minutes and pitch to must.  (after 15 minutes very active -pitched)

More to follow

For more details see HERE. 

My Wine - outlines what I have been doing with my home winemaking. Click Here

Wine 101 - is an introduction to Home Winemaking for the beginner. Updated and added a new section on working with grapes. Click Here

Links - provide special links to other sites of interest. Click Here

Special Topics - are discussions of topics related to wine making and other topics.  Click Here

Please enjoy and let me know what you think of the site and especially if there is anything you would like me to cover.

 

Or my excursion into winemaking

If you have any questions or would like more information please contact me at:: info@smartdogwinery.com