IBWSS spoke with Jonathan Frost, MBA, DipWSET, Specialist for NOBILE at LAFFORT USA, ahead of International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show (IBWSS) 2026. He breaks down why more wineries - from premium estates to bulk and private label producers - are moving toward hybrid oak programs, and how "palate mapping" lets winemakers target specific structural gaps in a wine instead of just guessing at toast levels. Key takeaways for wineries: Alternative oak isn't leftover barrel-grade wood - it's selected and seasoned specifically for premium adjunct use Dosage systems vary widely (NBE%, g/L, staves per hectoliter) - most confusion around alternative oak comes down to misunderstanding NBE%, not the oak itself Repeatable wine styles come from deconstructing an oak program into foundational, heads, and aromatic profiles - not from chasing a fixed recipe every vintage The most common mistake is over-applying oak and tasting too early - evaluation timing (6–9 months for staves/inserts, 2–4 for b

Sonoma County’s 2026 winegrape harvest is officially underway—and much earlier than most wineries anticipated. The first grapes were picked in the Russian River Valley on July 16, marking the county’s earliest start to harvest in at least 40 years. While the first picks were Pinot Noir destined for sparkling wine, the news serves as an important reminder for wineries throughout the region: Crush can arrive quickly, and every part of the facility needs to be prepared. For cellar teams, an accelerated harvest means adjusting production schedules, staffing and equipment plans. It also means making sure one of the winery’s most critical—and often overlooked—systems is ready for the sudden increase in activity: wastewater treatment. Why an Early Crush Matters for Wastewater Treatment Winery wastewater changes dramatically with the production calendar. Tank and barrel cleaning, equipment washdowns, bottling, floor washing and other cellar activities can generate large volumes of wastewater w

Winemakers are no strangers to natural challenges but now faced with a unique combination of climactic and economic pressures, they’re on the hunt to expand and evolve their toolkits. In response, the team at LAFFORT brought key results from more than 70 trials conducted in the last year to winemakers and industry professionals along the West Coast. The 2026 Rendezvous commenced in Paso Robles, Calif. on April 28 before heading north to Santa Rosa, Calif. and Newberg, Ore., in the same week.  Event organizer Lisa Strid shared that the program for this year’s Rendezvous was designed to directly address the top challenges facing winemakers today—costs, efficiencies, and combatting unexpected weather—and deliver information that was immediately applicable in the winery. LAFFORT, in addition to supplying yeast, tannins, enzymes and other fermentation products, expanded into oak and barrel alternatives with Nobile, aromatic and flavor enhancements with Essencia, and laboratory equipmen

As a winery owner, you know that the pre-harvest season is one of the busiest and most critical times of the year. Preparing your vineyard and production facilities for the intense surge in activity is essential — not only to ensure a smooth harvest but also to protect your operations from potential environmental and regulatory challenges. One often overlooked yet vital aspect of pre-harvest preparation is wastewater treatment system maintenance and bioaugmentation. Proper attention to these areas can save you significant headaches, reduce costs, and ensure compliance with evolving environmental standards. Why Pre-Harvest Maintenance Matters for Winery Wastewater Systems During harvest, wineries generate a substantial increase in wastewater volume and organic load. This wastewater comes from equipment cleaning, barrel washing, floor cleaning, and other processes. The influx of high-strength wastewater can strain your treatment system, especially if it is not in optimal condition

The nutritional health of yeast can determine the success – or failure - of the resulting wine. To get the most out of your yeast, a high-quality nutrient product is essential. “High quality micronutrients are essential to the healthy development of the yeast and a robust fermentation,” emphasizes Bill Merz, Gusmer Enterprises Inc’s Director of West Coast Beverage Sales and a winemaker himself. “The solubility of those nutrients is also key to yeast cell access. That’s exactly the kind of scientific research Gusmer has done and the superior products it provides.” Gusmer Enterprises, Inc., a leading manufacturer and supplier of fermentation and filtration products for the beverage, food and pharmaceutical industries since 1924, specializes in the distribution of yeast nutrition developed to ensure healthy, vigorous and clean wine batch fermentation, vintage after vintage. Included in Gusmer ‘s comprehensive portfolio of nutritio

Afternoon Brief: Washington Welcomes It's 21st American Viticultural Area

On October 29, 2024, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published the final rule for the Beverly, Washington appellation to officially define it as a designated wine grape-growing region...

FAMILY FRENZY IN WINE COUNTRY: THE CASE FOR KIDS AND CANINES Let’s kick things off with a dose of reality. We’ve all been there: it’s a bustling Saturday morning in July, you’re bracing for a packed day at the Tasting Room, and Murphy’s Law is in full effect. Two of your staff are out sick; another is off serving the crowd at an art and wine festival downtown. You unlock the door at 10:01 AM, only to be greeted by a frazzled family of five: mom, dad, and three rambunctious kiddos. The younger two are reenacting a wild-west shootout with gravel as ammo, while the third is glued to an iPad, deep in the latest YouTube Kids saga. Mom and Dad look like they’ve just survived a hurricane, and you have a “high-roller” group arriving in fifteen minutes. And then comes the kicker: “Can we bring in our German Shepherd?” You contemplate if it’s too late to call in sick. INCLUSIVE IS THE NEW BLACK If you have yet to hear, exclusive

ATPGroup offers winemakers the opportunity to access cutting-edge equipment for medium- and long-term rentals. This invaluable service empowers wineries of all scales to elevate their craft without an upfront financial investment and provides a solution during busy harvest seasons or unexpected equipment breakdowns. As the exclusive U.S. distributor for renowned equipment manufacturers such as TMCI Padovan, SPXFLOW, and Parsec, ATPGroup remains at the forefront of the winemaking industry, constantly delivering the most advanced and high-quality solutions to winemakers across the country. ATPGroup's rental program showcases an impressive line-up of equipment. Among the offerings are the TMCI Padovan Dynamos Cross-Flow Filter and the TMCI Padovan Taylo Rotary Vacuum Filter, both renowned for their exceptional performance in must, juice, and lees filtration. These machines bring unmatched efficiency and precision to the winemaking process, ensuring wines of unparalleled quality. Winem

The modern oenology must adapt to new demands on consumers safety, notably on the presence of allergenic substances in the oenological products used by winemakers. As a consequence, current usage of products derived from eggs and milk as protein fining agents, especially egg albumen and casein, is particularly controlled and can be subjected to a specific labeling according to the European Regulation (EU) n°579/2012. In this scope, Fermentis, in collaboration with the company Sofralab, developed a unique industrial process allowing the extraction and the preservation of native proteins from a specifically selected Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain whose fining capabilities are remarkable. Spring’Finer™ is a reliable source of yeast native proteins with remarkable fining abilities. Exclusively from yeast origin, this yeast protein extract is allergen free and can be considered as the sole fining agent totally integrated in wine elaboration. BEST SUITED FOR. We recomm

The harvest hustle is over, and fermentations are finished. Winemakers are now starting to think about maintaining and preserving their wines’ quality throughout the ageing and bottling process. Over the past few years, everything from wildfires to the COVID-19 pandemic to heat waves and cold snaps have disrupted their standard practices. Many winemakers are bottling earlier to quickly rebuild inventory consumed by unexpected sales growth during the pandemic and the growing consumer demand for younger, fresher wines. Three essential products to add to their toolkits are Aroma Protect, KillBrett, and Tan&Sense Volume by Lamothe-Abiet, which protect against oxidation and microbial contamination. They are all vegan, allergen-free, and natural, alternatives to SO2, increasingly important to the sought-after Millennials generation. 1. Building natural wine resistance to oxidation Aroma Protect is a yeast derivates, rich in glutathione. This wine additive focuses on building wine