South African Wine

People who have never sampled a bottle of South African wine are usually unaware of the country's long wine making history.

The history of wine in South Africa is older than a lot of popular non-European wine making countries today such as the United States, Chile and Argentina.

Unlike these countries however, it was not the Spanish or the French that brought wine making to its shores, but the Dutch.

Anyone who does consider sampling wine from South Africa and learning some of its wine making history will hear of the fabled Groot Constantia estate, of the Cape Town suburbs, that has been producing wine since the mid-17th century. The estate was established by the Dutch Governor of Cape Town of the period, Simon van der Stel, and still produces its famous wine today.

Most of South Africa's wine making efforts are confined to its Western Cape region which enjoys a climate that is favorable to the growth of various wine grapes.

Other than the Constantia estate, other famous wine districts include Stellenbosch, which was established about a decade after the Constantia estate. Some other famous wine districts are Paarl, Franschoek Valley, and the Breede River Valley. You may see these names on bottles of wine of South African origins which also serve as an indication of the wines quality as well.

In terms of red wine grapes, the Carbernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah (Shiraz) are rather well grown within South Africa and people are likely to encounter this sort of wine when they opt for South African wine in venues around the world.

Pinotage and Pinot Noir varietals are also quite popular.

Wine grapes such as the Chenin Blanc are also widely grown in South Africa, although these are predominantly used to make sparkling wine. Wines in South Africa are predominantly classified according to where their grapes were grown and the wine bottled.

French Wine
Spanish Wine
Australian Wine
New Zealand Wine
Chilean Wine
Italian Wine
California Wine
Portuguese Wine
German Wine
Argentine Wine

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Stuck Fermentation

There could be several reasons for stuck fermentation.

But, don't panic there are many solutions for handling it.

Let's get a few questions answered first.

Did you wait 24 hours before adding yeast to must?

When you make your must, you are advised to wait 24 hrs before adding the yeast.

There is a reason why.

You have sulfites in your must.  Sulfites kill bacteria AND yeast.   The 24 hour period lets the sulfites kill any bacteria and have time to dissipate, thereby making your "must" ready to let the yeast convert the sugar to alcohol.

Read more about sulfites here.

Was the temperature of your "must" correct?

It is important for your must to be at the proper temperature, between 70 and 80 degrees F.  This allows the yeast to work properly and not produce any off flavors.  If the must is too warm it will boil wildly and stop too soon.

If the must is too cool, it will not work(bubble) much.  You will need to get the temperature up (wrap a blanket or use a heating pad on a very low setting if it is extremely cold).

OR perhaps use a "yeast starter".  To make a yeast starter, dissolve a tablespoon of sugar in a cup of warm water.  Add your yeast package to the sugar water.

After a few hours, you will see your yeast start to bubble and multiply.   Go ahead and pour this "yeast starter" into your must and you will be on your way.

Did you take a Hydrometer reading before you added your yeast?

The hydrometer is a winemakers best friend.   This measures the level of sugar in the must.  Take a reading.

Yeast converts sugar to alcohol. If there is not enough sugar, there is nothing there for the yeast to feed on.  You need to add sugar to get your specific gravity to the recommended starting level in your recipe. (usually 1.080 to 1.095)

You can go ahead and add more sugar (about 1-2 cups)...stir about 2 minutes. Take a hydrometer reading.

or

Just make a sugar mixture by dissolving as much sugar into 2 cups of warm water as possible.  Let the sugar mixture cool off and add it to your must.

Give it about 24 hours and it should start to ferment, hopefully solving your stuck fermentation problem.

Click here to instructions on how to use a hydrometer.

Did you use too much sugar?

Occasionally we feel a little more is worth it.  Not so with wine. One yeast packet can feed on up to 5 gallons of wine easily with the appropriate amount of sugar that is called for in a recipe.

If you have too much sugar and the yeast stopped working too soon OR if it is sluggish, you will need to add a yeast energizer (sometimes referred to as "super ferment") and champagne yeast.

Dissolve 1/2 tsp per gallon of yeast energizer and 1 package of champagne yeast to a cup of warm water to get started.  Your "must" should start working in a couple of hours.

Don't see a wine making tip relating to the problem you are having? Go ahead and ask your question. If we don't have an answer, we will find it for you. How to Sweeten Wine
Wine has a Bitter Taste.

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What's Your Therapy Wine rhinestone T-Shirt

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California Wine

California wine was brought about by the Spanish back in the 18th century and the practice flourished into what you have today.

Most people who are new to wines tend to think that wines of this sort are less superior to their European counterparts but this is rather untrue. California wines have bested wines from continental Europe and other wine making countries at numerous wine competitions all over the world.

The land area across the continental United States may be large and capable of growing various wine grapes but the only region of note when it comes to reputations on the international wine market, is the state of California.

Wine grapes are grown in a number of vineyards across the expanse of the state, from family owned ones to corporate establishments, from vineyards that were established centuries ago to vineyards created in the last five decades.

California wine tends to vary in terms of heritage and style but when it comes to wines from this part of the world, there are none better to rival that of California except perhaps those of the South American nations of Chile and Argentina.

While the Spanish may have brought wine to California, today you have a large number of different wine grapes being grown and used to produce distinct wine such as French and Italian wine grape varieties.

Oenologists have recorded an excess of a hundred wine grape varieties used to produce wine in California but international purchasers of such wine are more likely to encounter some of the certain more popular varieties.

In terms of red wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Zinfandel, those interested in California white wine on the other hand are more likely to encounter Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

California has a diverse climate and an equally diverse soil structure, what this means is that the wines equally share this diversity because the taste of a wine depends in part on the grape it is made from and the conditions under which that grape is grown. It is the unique nature of the California climate and soil structure as well that has contributed to the dominance of the state in the United States wine industry.

Wine that comes from California is additionally classified according to the region which the wine was made in and there are four of such regions: Central Coast, Central Valley, North Coast and South Coast.

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Your Favorite Winery

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Wine Makers Pantry

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French Wine

One thing connoisseurs and non-connoisseurs of wine tend to agree about is that you can't talk about wine without mentioning French wine.

Most people who are not connoisseurs of wine or wine making tend to think of all things wine as being French.   Perhaps it has something to do with the success of different varieties of French grapes on the international wine making scene or the fact that culturally, most things elegant are deemed French.

But whatever the case, even people in a restaurant unfamiliar with wine selections, and pressed to order something, are more likely to opt for the most French sounding bottle than anything else.

Wine from France is created and labeled according to a number of different rules.   Some which are enforced by the relevant authorities within France and others enforced by the European Union which France is a part of.

French Wine Categories:               Vin de Table               Vin de Pays               Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure               Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

The first two categories are table wines.   The first of these, Vin de Table, is used to describe wine that only has the wine makers name and a statement attesting to the fact that it was produced in France.

The second table wine category, Vin de Pays, is used to classify wines made within a specific wine region, but with less restrictive rules than other methods of categorizing wine.

The first of the last two categories, Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure, is the second most valued category. Usually wines don't bear this category for too long because after a couple of years they tend to move into the highest Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée category.

However, new French wine rules are set to eliminate this second highest category by the end of 2011.   After this period, such wine will either be classified as the lower Vin de Pays, or if they qualify, the superior Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée.

The final category of wine, Appelation d'Origine Contrôlée, is reserved for the finest of wines.   There are so many rules governing the naming of such wines.   They must be made from within a specific region, with certain grapes and specific wine making methods.

While some consider this to be the highest indication of the quality of a wine of French origins, additional terms such as the Premier Cru and the higher Grand Cru designations tend to further define wine of French origins.   These are technically not classifications but indications of the quality of the vineyard that produces such wines.

The most commonly produced red wines in France are the Merlot and the Grenache.   In terms of white wines you have the Ugni Blanc and the Chardonnay.

Rosé wine and sparkling wine also have their preferred wine grapes, but in terms of wine production in France, these are the top grapes for red and white wine categories.

Spanish Wine
Italian Wine
Australian Wine
Chilean Wine
South African Wine
Portuguese Wine
California Wine
New Zealand Wine
German Wine
Argentine Wine

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