Articles

ALICANTE-ALICANTE BOUCHET – is a red-fleshed grape that must be blended with other varieties.  Even though the wine is very intense in color, the wine has very little acid and actually is light in the body. A little Alicante in any blend will add some nice color.

BARBERA – is a grape that has a high level of natural acid but low tannins when fully ripe.  Its wine can be intense but with medium bouquet and flavor.  Blending

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By Frank D. Puzio

Since we all love wine, wouldn’t it be even better if it was actually beneficial to our overall health?  Can a glass of wine a day keep the doctor away?  Current literature more than suggests that this is true, especially for red wine.  In respected studies, consumption of red wine in moderation is now considered good for many aspects of our general health, especially for our cardiovascular system.  Certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help

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VITICULTURE: The
science of growing grapes.

ENOLOGY: The
science of winemaking.

VARIETAL: The type of grape, i.e., Cabernet, Merlot, etc.

THE CRUSH:  A process typically done utilizing a
crusher-destemmer apparatus.  The procedure
strips the berries from the grape clusters, partially breaks the berries and
discards the vast majority of the unwanted stems out of the end of the
machine.  The fruit and juice fall into
large food-grade plastic fermenters.

PRIMARY FERMENTER:
An open-top container that holds the fruit after crushing during the primary
fermentation process.

THE MUST: The
total contents of crushed grapes, juice and

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By
Frank Dominic Puzio  ~  First Crush Winery, Cape Cod

At family gatherings long ago I remain with pleasant memories of joining my grandfather Dominic to his basement wine room.  I recall the cool musty experience of the earthen floor, the old dark wooden barrels and the interesting smell of his wine room.  In preparation for a family dinner, he would carefully pour his ruby-red homemade wine from one of the barrels into a glass pitcher.  Inevitably he would then put

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At family gatherings long ago I remain with pleasant memories of joining my grandfather Dominic to his basement wine room to collect his home-made red wine for the family dinner.  These childhood memories remain vivid of the cool musty experience of the earthen floor, the old dark wooden barrels and the interesting smell of the wine room.  He would carefully pour his ruby-red wine from one of the old barrels into a glass pitcher.  Inevitably he would then put a

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By Frank Dominic Puzio

To a consumer, the word sulfite in regard to wine generally has a negative connotation.  We have become accustomed to warning labels on many consumable products, and for wine, it is a government mandate to alert the consumer that the wine product contains what many believe as those dreaded sulfites.  Falsely or otherwise, sulfites are blamed by many for wine headaches and varied ill-effects experienced subsequent to wine consumption.  It is often expressed from people

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By Dr. Frank D. Puzio

Since we all love wine, wouldn’t it be even better if it was actually beneficial to our overall health? Can a glass of wine a day keep the doctor away? Current literature more than suggests that this is true, especially for red wine. In respected studies, consumption of red wine in moderation is now considered good for many aspects of our general health, especially for our cardiovascular system. Certain substances in red

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SENSORY EVALUATION

The sensory evaluation of red wine happens first with the eyes, then with the nose and finally the senses of taste and feel in the mouth.

CLARITY and COLOR: If you are fond of rubies and garnets, a glass of red wine can dazzle your senses through your eyes.  To evaluate, pour a small sample of wine into a clear and proper red wine glass and hold the glass on its side and up to a light.  Some suggest you

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