Learning about wine can be daunting. Pages-long wine lists, palpable elitism and foreign names can often throw off new wine drinkers, making them intimidated to learn more about the beverage. But at its core, wine is just an agricultural product like any other, and learning about wine can be as simple as learning about anything else you’re interested in.

The wonderful flavors and aromas of stone fruits — including apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries — can be captured in homemade wine. The best fruits are those that are fully ripe and freshly picked — so keep an eye out for farmer’s markets or an orchard that allows you to pick your own. At harvest time, these fruits are bursting with flavor.

My Chambourcin were own-rooted and doing fine but a friend was growing grafted Chambourcin and his vines seemed more vigorous with larger clusters. I had the urge to experiment and ordered a dozen more vines. There had to be an alternative to a full-scale trellis and all the work and expense that goes along with it. I had always been impressed with the pictures of 100-year-old head-trained Zinfandel, and it got me thinking, why not head-trained Chambourcin?

Watch a short video of red and white wine naturally clearing the fine lees in carboys, without the use of fining agents. 35,000 pictures were taken with GoPro Hero 2 and 3, which took nearly 4 weeks.

There are many commercial yeast strains available for home winemakers to choose from. And that list doesn’t even count the numerous other strains marketed and packaged for commercial wineries and then broken into smaller sizes suitable for home winemakers at some retail shops. With all of these options, how should a winemaker go about determining what strain they should choose?

Fermentation is a chemical reaction that takes place when yeast turns sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Obviously, this is a critical part of the entire process. A yeast cell will turn approximately 55% of the sugar it eats into ethyl alcohol, and the remaining 45% into carbon dioxide gas and other byproducts.

ADVANCED (and important) – There are three elements that are critical to have balanced in a must: pH/TA, structure, and sugar. Each of these elements has a direct influence on the quality of the finished wine individually. More importantly, it is the way the pH/TA, structure and sugars are balanced before fermentation begins that really makes or breaks a finished wine.

There are many different factors that go into selecting the right wine kit for your first time making wine at home. Selecting one kit that is the best fit for you from hundreds that are available can be difficult, but taking some time before making that first purchase to think about what you want out of your wine will help make that decision easier.

Fresh-grape equipment can be an investment, so if buying your own is beyond your budget there are alternatives. You can seek out other winemakers via local winemaking clubs or through winemaking shops. Clubs may have big seasonal crush events or they may co-op equipment for club members.

It’s the moment we have all been waiting for: Harvest and Crush! Whether a home winemaker or a seasoned professional, having the equipment necessary to hit the crush pad on harvest day is essential. When the fruit starts flying it’s nice to know you have the right tools. MoreWine! has everything you might need to help ensure a successful harvest.

MoreWine! offers two basic types of presses: a hydraulic bladder press and a ratchet style basket press. The basket press is made of a painted steel frame with traditional wood slats. They are great for most small scale home winemakers. The bladder press offers the winemaker more control over the pressing operation and achieve a more even pressing, all while being faster.

Nothing feels as satisfying and authentic as making your first batch of wine from fresh grapes. And there’s no better time to try it than in early autumn, when grapes all over the country are ripening in vineyards and backyard gardens.