Behind the Scenes • Dracaena Wines

tartaric crystals at bottom of wine bottle

Demystifying Wine Diamonds: What They Are and Why They Matter

There are some topics in the wine world that are more confusing than others. One of these topics is “wine diamonds.” These are tiny crystals sprouting out of your wine cork or settling at the bottom of your wine bottle.

Wickedly Good; Pairing Dracaena Wines with Horror Films

Halloween is my all time favorite holiday. I have always loved it. Dressing up as a character - of course my costumes were often vampires, werewolves, or horror film characters such as Freddy Krueger or Jason Vorhees. I also have

The Significance of Geographic Indicators: Unraveling the Alphabet

You hear these letters thrown around quite a bit; AOC, DOC, AVA, but what do they actually mean? Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, Denominazione di Origine Controllata, and American Viticultural Area all are shortened into these initialisms that represent designated areas in

The Ultimate Guide to Cabernet Franc: A Must-Read for Wine Enthusiasts

The origins of Cabernet Franc are a bit cloudy, as many regions believe they are responsible for its beginnings. The first writings about Cabernet Franc can be found in the 17th century in Bordeaux. At this time the grape was

Resveratrol: A Miracle Compound or Just a Myth?

Have you heard about Resveratol? Depending on the day of the year and the article you are reading it is either a miracle compound or a myth that needs to be busted. Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound known as a

The Role of Autolysis in Winemaking

All living things have enzymes in them. Enzymes act as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction. The two biochemical reactions that make the world go round are photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Between these two reactions, oxygen is

The History of Cloning: From Dolly the Sheep to Modern Winemaking

The term clone brings up the image of Dolly. Do you remember Dolly? She made her debut in February 1997. Afterwards, Dolly was all the rage. I'm not talking Dolly Parton, but ironically she did play a role in the

Unleashing Flavor Bombs: Understanding Field Blends

I have discussed fermentation in multiple posts. Without fermentation, we would not have our beloved wine. The alluring aromatics and the exquisite flavors can be delivered to the bottle in a number of ways. Blends are extremely common in today’s

How a Cool Spring Shows Itself in the Grape Clusters

This vintage has been an interesting one so far. I am not ready to go as far as calling it a “winemaker’s vintage,” but it definitely is going to be an intriguing one. The season began with an incredible amount

From Grapes to Must: Unveiling the Transformation in Winemaking

Today's post is talking about a very important aspect of the winemaking process - must. In order to get to the must, we should back up a bit and go to the vineyard. As the season progresses, chemical changes are

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