WINEMAKING TIPS & TRICKS
Winemaking is easy and fun, but we've all made mistakes! We've gathered a few winemaking tips we've learned over the years for you when aging your wine.
01
Keep the cork moist.
For the first 3 to 5 days, store your wine upright. Then after those first few days, store your wine on its side to keep the cork damp. Try to maintain a relative humidity of 50-70% in the room to prevent the cork from drying out or becoming too wet and encouraging mold.
02
Store in a dark place.
There is a chemical reaction that takes place when the wine has constant exposure to light that causes the wine to deteriorate. White wines and champagnes are the most susceptible to this reaction.
03
Not too hot, not too cold.
Store your wine in a spot with consistent cooler temperature, around 12-15 C, to allow for steady aging and prevent oxidation or premature aging. If you store wine in your basement, keep it off the cement floor. Also, never store wine on a heated floor.
04
Clean your wine bottles as soon as you can.
Rinsing out your wine bottles as you finish them and soaking for a few minutes to remove the label will make things easier when it's time for a new batch. If possible, store your empty bottles upside down - it keeps out the dust and bugs.
05
Sulphite is your friend.
Sulphite solution is handy to spray on your equipment after sanitizing at home. This inhibits bacteria growth while storing your equipment. You can also use the sulphite solution in your airlock to help repel fruit flies.