Winemaking can seem to be a very complex process, with each choice along the way opening up the door to many more choices. The art of winemaking is to transform this labyrinth of options into a manageable process by matching your preferences to what Mother Nature has put into the grapes. Experience, intuition and a determined effort to squeeze out every last bit of character from the grapes as they get turned into wine is the hallmark of a great winemaker.
We use the basic steps below as our roadmap as we create your wine. By combining your tastes and preferences with your grape choices, we shape your wine, and your wine cellar, to reflect your taste.
We use the basic steps below as our roadmap as we create your wine. By combining your tastes and preferences with your grape choices, we shape your wine, and your wine cellar, to reflect your taste.
ONE: |
Crush and press the grapes. We do this at the vineyard in Spain. The must gets a great cold soak while cooling to freezing temps, and then again while thawing. A good cold soak helps bring out the best expressions of fruit in your wine. Just rmember to mix, mix and mix again your thawed must, then mix again- you want to do this to ensure the measurements you will be taking in step 2 are a good representation of your must. sugars and acids tend to not stay homoginised after thawing, good mixing is critical to ensure good measurements.
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TWO: |
Adjust the grape chemistry, if necessary. Wine is a complex balance of many flavours; we will take several technical measurements to ascertain pH (acidity) and total sugars in the juice. These parameters can be adjusted, if necessary, to shape the wine. To add nutrient or not- I vote for adding nutrient. Why? Grapes will not tell you if they are nutrient deficient, and adding proper amounts will help ensure the yeasts will not ferment under nutrient stress. Never take shortcuts with wine, or you will end up with wines that taste like shortcuts, not like great wine.
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THREE: |
Choose the yeasts. Old world wine fans may prefer using the natural yeast strains that live on the grapes. Alternatively one can choose to use pure strains of yeast, each strain having its own characteristics. For further information on yeasts, visit the Lalvin website or that of your preferred yeast supplier. Remember to look at alcohol tolerance- the Spanish musts are high in sugars, and you want to ensure that your yeast will happily ferment wht Mther Nature has put into the grapes.
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FOUR: |
Choose ingredients to accentuate various flavors and characteristics of your wine. To learn more about these ingredients, check out the Scott Laboratories website. Oak chips, or a barrel? How should the oak be toasted? To malolactic or not? Natural vs cultured options- all things to think about.
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FIVE: |
When making red wines, there are numerous choices to make - how long to leave the grapes on the skins, extended maceration, délestage (removal of the seeds during fermentation), etc.
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SIX: |
After pressing the red grapes and fermentation is completed, (or after fermentation is completed for white wines), decisions are made about ageing. What type of oak chips or barrel needs to be used, if at all? For example, when making chardonnay, is a rich, buttery character desired?
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SEVEN: |
When making several different reds or whites, decide whether the various wines should be blended.
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