I am Magnus von Kageneck, a cellar master of the old school. That means I have spent more evenings with my ear to the airlock than in front of the television, and I consider cleanliness more important than talent.
Like most people, I started out with an inherited glass demijohn and too much confidence. The demijohn exploded because I had corked it instead of sealing it with an airlock. Since then I have known that carbon dioxide does not negotiate. In 1998 came acetic spoilage: a whole batch of blackcurrant wine, lost through sloppiness during racking. I learned more from those two mishaps than from any successful vintage.
Here on the blog I write the course “From beginner to expert”: from your first batch, through must weight in degrees Oechsle, to fining, residual sweetness and the courage to leave a wine to rest for two years. I explain each step to you in the order in which you need it, and I tell you honestly which equipment can wait.
What you won't get from me: shortcuts on hygiene, or recipes I haven't made myself. What you will get: precise figures, patience and, now and then, a story from decades spent between the fermentation cellar and the orchard.
From the cellar, Magnus
Transparency notice: Magnus von Kageneck is the advisory and editorial character of Maischewerk. The chat adviser “Magnus” on this website is an AI system. The articles in the Wine School are written with the support of AI and are reviewed editorially. Responsible for all content: Christoph Demuth Handel GmbH, Trierer Str. 176, 52078 Aachen.