> To be honest, this whole discussion drives me crazy! I would really like to
> know what the best methods are for a given wine style but it seems that
> there are many more opinions than scienctific studies. I think it would be
> good for people on this newsgroup to do their own studies and report the
> findings to the group.

I agree! However, I think that most home winemakers simply don't go
into that kind of scientific detail. Even to conduct simple
experiments is a massive undertaking when considering the proper
scientific method (controls, reproducibility, correct analysis, etc).

If you really want to find the best methods then things get
complicated because it depends on thorough understanding of the
processes involved, the wine style (as you said), and the type and
quality of fruit. Within these dependants is a minefield of issues.
Pumping over with aeration and cap stirring may be successful for your
fruit, but to really look at best methods in general requires looking
at the fruit and wine style composition that that method was
successful for.

Still, there are some methods which seem to work more universally
(e.g. the better integration from oak bean addition during
fermentation rather than after which you mentioned). In addition to
that, there are probably many ways to get to a similar place in
winemaking. So I still agree. We can all do our small bit to further
the general knowledge of best practises etc, and maybe as a collective
whole the difference this makes will be considerable.

Ultimately though, a "core set of best practices" is an ideal which
may never be reached. (And anyway, wouldn't these be more likely to be
about practises where there is less variation in methods between
winemakers? Maceration regimes are a perfect example of something
where there *is* a lot of variance.) I think it's one of the great
things about winemaking that there are so many variables and therefore
so much there's so much variety.

Ben