"starting_a_wine_business" videos at 5min

Sulfur plays a critical role in making wine that is stable and can stand the test of time in bottle. It is added in small amounts to almost every wine to inhibit harmful bacteria that would spoil it in the winemaking process, or in the bottle.

Whether you are making your own wine, or just trying to find the right bottle at a local shop, you need to be able to express to others the style of wine you are looking for. You can't get what you want if you don't know how to ask for it. Crushpad Chief winemaker Michael Zitzlaff talks with us about how to define a style of of wine.

Kian Tavakoli, winemaker for Crushpad, explains when you do and do not want to think about including whole clusters in your fermentation.

Do you leave the berries whole, or do you split them open to allow the juice to start mixing with the skins in the cold soak and fermentation tank? Crushpad winemaker,Kian Tavakoli, explains your options.

White wines are pressed prior to fermentation. Red wines are pressed after fermentation Those are the basics but when you press. In this Winemaker's Minute, Crushpad winemaker Chris Nelson explains all the variables involved with pressing wine.

All fermentations slow down as they reach their end, and some of those need a little help - find out how we get them to finish. Crushpad's Chief Winemaker, Michael Zitzlaff shows us a few methods we use to coax these reluctant wines to dryness.

Fining can be used to clarify and soften wines. Fining is the process of clarifying and stabilizing a wine. A fining agent is mixed in to bind with particles suspended in wine that would make it appear cloudy when poured into a glass. Since fining agents are slightly heavier than wine, the bound particles precipitate out and settle to the bottom of the tank. Sometimes you might fine a wine to clean it up if it is cloudy, other times you might wish to soften the wine.

Lone Oak Vineyard is in the northern portion of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. It is relatively close to Monterey Bay, and the strong afternoon maritime breezes, along with morning fog, influence the wines toward a classically structured Pinot.

Barrel hygiene is critical to making great wine. And to guarantee that barrels get properly cleaned you need a high-pressure barrel washer. Check out "Bruce.," our new shiny dual-barrel automated barrel blasting beauty.

The amount of alcohol in a wine is a key factor to how you experience that wine. Is there too much? too little? How can a wine with lower alcohol taste like it is strong or "hot"? These are all questions answered by Crushpad winemaker, Kian Tavakoli in this Winemaker's Minute.

The balance between pH and acidity is a delicate one that you must pay close attention to as you are making wine. The ripeness of the fruit and type of grape varietal will dictate how you have to work with that fruit to produce a wine that meets your desired style goals.