Ed Halloran - The Home Winemakers Companion: Secrets, Recipes, and Know-How for Making 115 Great-Tasting Wines

Secrets, Recipes, and Know-How for Making 115 Great-Tasting Wines

GENE SPAZIANI,
Past President of the American Wine Society,
AND ED HALLORAN

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Brad Ring, Dan Callahan, and Marie Salter
Copyedited by Doris Troy
Cover design by Meredith Maker
Front cover photograph Janet Kerr, Envision
Spine and back cover photographs Artville
Text design and production by Susan Bernier
Line drawings by Randy Mosher; decorative drawings by Laura Tedeschi
Indexed by Nan Badgett/Wordability

2000 by Gene Spaziani and Ed Halloran

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the authors or Storey Publishing. The authors and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information, please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247

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Printed in the United States by Versa Press
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The home winemakers companion : secrets, recipes, and know-how for making 115 great-tasting wines / Gene Spaziani and Ed Halloran.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-58017-209-7 (alk. paper)

1. Wine and wine makingAmateurs manuals. I. Spaziani, Gene. II. Halloran, Edward John.

TP548.2 .H65 2000

641.872dc21

00-037046

May our wine brighten the mind and strengthen the resolution.

Traditional Toast

THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN WITH YOU IN MIND, and we hope it will bring a new and exciting dimension to your home winemaking. Weve included information and recipes for novice and experienced winemakers and expect this book will quickly become an invaluable addition to your winemaking library.

By paring down the art of winemaking to its simplest form and demystifying what actually is a fairly straightforward process, we hope to encourage a lifelong interest in the winemaking hobby. As technology continues to improve, the opportunities for making excellent wine get better and better. If you follow our recommendations and instructions and embrace the discipline of patience, you will be richly rewarded.

Begin by reading the first two chapters in their entirety. They will provide you with a good overview of the process of making wine and later will serve as ready reference tools.

Next, read the introductory pages of chapters 3 through 7. Theyve been designed to walk you through the entire spectrum of winemaking, from the simple (using kits) to the most complex (producing red wine from grapes). Subsequent chapters deal with more advanced issues.

Choose a method, based on your comfort level with the procedures required to produce the wine. Then carefully follow the instructions in the recipe.

Generally speaking, people who balk at making wine from grapes do so because theyre afraid of what they call all that science. Actually, checking specific gravity and acid and sugar content doesnt require a degree in chemistry. Well show you how its done, and your wines will be even better because youll be able to exercise more control over them from start to finish.

People from every walk of life have been making wine for a long while, and you can too. Good luck!

WERE PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL to our friend, Phil Anger, who brought us together and enabled us to make this book a reality.

Early on, we were encouraged by Sarah Kennedy and Herb Cohen, and we were aided enormously by Brad Ring and Dan Callahan, who literally helped us to map out the book.

Marie Salter joined us late in the game but, together with Doris Troy, tightened the text, making for a smoother read.

Our wives, Isabel Spaziani and Maria Cristina Halloran, supported us throughout the publication process. Maria proofread rough copy and took photographs to assist the illustrators. Isabel typed our drafts and the final manuscript, and she prepared memorable meals whenever it was necessary for the two far-flung winemakers to work together.

Were also grateful to the following people for their suggestions and support: Ray Corsini, Carmen Spagnola, Ginny Della Mura, Bonnie Pease, Cathy Surface, Charles Stephenson, Jim Bobbitt, Sante Isopo, Gordon Gribble, Frank Lipski, Bob Szaro, Tom Mannello, Jon Haight, Tony DiNicola, Armand Brandi Kucinskas, Andy Gambardella, Bob Landino, Dan Kucinskas, Joe Cory, Glen Lemaire, Ricardo Quental, Cameron Beard, Angel, Joe and Rene Nardone, Bill Halliwell, Ray Hartung, Tom Pelick, Doug Moorehead, Tess Szamatulski, Larry McCulloch, Bill Hopkins, Howard Bursen, Harry McWatters, Phyllis Hands, Barbara Shenfish, Ron Binz, Igor Cadmus, Jeff Williams, Anne Cofone, David Gimbel, Terry Akre, Wanda and Bob Stretch, Amy Neurenberg, Tim Merrick, Parker Carlson, Nick Prior, Bob Slaktowicz, Gerard Takiguchi; Genes daughters, Raina, Resa, and Rhonda; his son, Gene III; Uncle Jack Spaziani; and grandsons Jake McTigue and E. J. Spaziani IV.

Obviously, we werent alone in this venture and, if we left anyone out, we apologize. The fact is, every wine lover weve ever met has taught us something of value.

Genes lifelong love of winemaking was inspired by his grandfather, Igino, and his father, Americo. His mother, Theresa, who died while this book was being written, also encouraged him.

To my grandfather, Igino Spaziani, who used to lead our family
winemaking process like a symphony conductor,
barking out orders and directing traffic. The wonderful
memories of those days are still fresh in my mind,
though sixty years have passed. Every year, I dedicate
a batch of rich, hearty red wine to my grandfathers memory,
because he inspired and encouraged me to become a winemaker.

Gene Spaziani

To Kirsten, Bill, and Hannah Pearson. In the
words of the old English toast,
May your love be like a good wine and grow stronger with time.

Ed Halloran

Good company, good wine,
good welcome make good people.

Shakespeare (15641616)

OUR GOAL IS TO ASSIST YOU in the process of making wine. We will present a simple method for attaining quality results with easy-to-understand recipes. Although experienced winemakers rarely use recipes, people who are just starting out find that if they follow instructions carefully, they will make good wines from the outset.

Modern technology makes it easy to make high-quality wines, as new methods for preserving freshly crushed grape juices, either by blast-freezing or through various pasteurization processes, enable them to remain stable and usable for a long period.