Temperature control is an important consideration when making your own wine at home.

Careful thought should be given when choosing a spot to make your wine. Drafty areas or places where the temperature fluctuates more than a few degrees should be avoided at all cost.

During primary fermentation the temperature must remain constant and also within a narrow range. If you're making wine from a kit, as lots of people do when first starting to make homemade wine, check your instructions carefully. Most kits recommend a range of 65 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit and it's important you stick to this as closely as possible. I try for 70 - 75 F for all my wines, but it's worth noting that some wineries ferment at lower temps, especially the white wines.

Certain times of the year are better than others for making your own wine, depending upon the climate where you live. If you're lucky enough to have a room dedicated to wine making then you're way ahead of the game. For those of us making wine in their kitchens and garages, devices exist that can help you control the temperature enough so you can make wine all year 'round. One device I've used wraps around the fermentation vessel and then plugs into a wall outlet to keep the temperature constant

So what can happen if your temperature goes too far one way or the other? Temperatures that slip too low can cause a fermentation to become sluggish or even get "stuck", and while there are cures for a stuck fermentation the best cure is prevention.

When temperatures are allowed to drift too high, yeasts cells can actually be damaged and will not ferment your wine. Temps that are too high can also encourage the growth of bacteria and other undesirable organisms.

When comes to making homemade wine, ensuring your temperature is constant and within the correct range will help you make batch after batch of delicious wine.