What should a home wine maker do if the wine smells like rotten eggs and has a problem with Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)? Fred Scherrer of the Scherrer Winery explains how low nutrients leads to the build of of H2S and what can be done to help. He suggests using copper, but warns that it is not a perfect fix.
Author: Judi Scherrer
Winemaking: Choosing native or introduced yeasts for fermentation
How do you start the fermentation of grapes to make wine? Winemaker Fred Scherrer talks in detail about how native and commercial yeasts interact in the fermenter. This is part of a series of questions we asked Fred intended for home winemakers and professionals alike.
Sulfur (S) and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) in winemaking
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and the way it is used at each step of the winemaking process is explained by Fred Scherrer of the Scherrer Winery. In the vineyard, elemental sulfur is used to inhibit the growth of fungus called powdery mildew. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) is used to help fermentation complete and preserve freshness and acidity in wine.
Winemaking 101: What is a Basket Press?
A basket press is a traditional tool used to squeeze juice and or wine out of grapes. Winemaker Fred Scherrer explains how and why he uses a basket press for certain lots but not others in this video.
How Dry I am…
I remember the 1976 and 1977 ‘drought’ seasons about as well as a teenager could. The crops were naturally small and everything ripened early and rapidly. I’ll never forget the intensity of flavor in the Zinfandel grapes, though. If this is what we look forward to in 2014, I say ‘bring it on.’
Wine Education 101: How are wine bottles labeled?
How are wine bottles labeled? How are the capsules put on a bottle of wine? Fred Scherrer of the Scherrer Winery in Sebastapol, CA demonstrates how bottles of wine are labeled by hand at the winery in California. Ask a Winemaker shot with Fred Scherrer on location in Sebastopol in January, 2014.
Tricks and treats…
We have just finished the 2013 harvest which has been a very rewarding challenge. In all honesty, I like this vintage at least as much as the much-heralded 2012. The only trick was to find time to sleep for about three weeks when the largest workload occurred.
Ed Scherrer on plowing with a horse: The early days of the California wine industry.
Ed Scherrer talks in details about plowing a vineyard with a horse as it was done in the early days of the California wine industry and discusses the time it took and the upside to working with a horse instead of a tractor. Ed Scherrer spoke with Ask a Winemaker at the start of the 2013 Harvest in the Alexander Valley.
Ed Scherrer on Harvesting Chardonnay in California’s Alexander Valley
Grape grower and octogenarian farmer Ed Scherrer has overseen harvest on his family’s land for decades. In this video he describes the process of harvesting Chardonnay and how he looks for pristine bunches and a minimum of botrytis and few leaves.
Do you have to sort Chardonnay before pressing?
Fred Scherrer whole cluster presses his Chardonnay from the Scherrer Vineyard in the Alexander Valley. The clusters arrive at the winery in Sebastapol intact and free of debris so there is no need to worry about sorting them a second time.