Articles listed on this page are grouped by testing procedure and derived from Saanich Sommelier program events. In the case of commercial products instructions originate from the manufacturer.

Initial Measurements

Laboratory Session 1 : Initial Measurements  Describes sampling procedures to follow to obtain a good sample for lab analysis

Accuracy in titratable acidity (TA) determination. How does one obtain accurate results when analyzing grape juice or must for titratable acidity (TA) when the concentration of a sodium hydroxide titration solution is suspect due to extended storage?

How to make and standardize sodium hydroxide solutions for determination of titratable acidity in winemaking   Commercial sodium hydroxide titration solutions can be difficult to find and at times unreliable.  This article describes how to make your own and validate the concentration. 

YAN Analysis

YAN Analysis Using Vinmetrica Test Kit Describes the test procedure for yeast assimilable Nitrogen using the Vinmetrica YAN test kit available to Sommelier club members.

Malolactic Completion

Four methods of assessing completion of malolactic fermentation   This article arises from a club workshop where methods of assessing malolactic fermentation completion were compared. “

SO2 measurement

SO2 Analysis Using Vinmetrica SC-100  Describes a method of measuring free SO2 in a wine using the club’s Vinmetrica SC-100 device and proprietary reagents.

Sulphur Dioxide Analysis  Describes laboratory analysis of wines for free SO2 using the classic Ripper method. 

Bench Trials

Principles and Practices of Bench Trials Ideally we do a perfect job of adjusting juice or must and finish up with a gold medal wine that requires no adjustment prior to bottling.  More realistically an assessment of the wine may indicate that it is out of balance with respect to acid/sugar balance or too low or high in tannin. So the question arises of how best to adjust it prior to bottling.

Acid Additions through Bench Trials There is a growing trend for grape growers to leave the grapes hanging for extended periods of time to increase the aroma and flavour components in the resulting wine but this practice does leave the grapes with lower than ideal acid levels.