Red and Rose winemaking

Question 1

what is cold maceration or cold soaking?

Answer 1

leaving the grapes to macerate at a low temperature before allowing fermentation to start extracting colour and flavour

Question 2

what is the temperature of red winemaking

Answer 2

20-32 celcius

necessary to extract colour and tannin

eg tannins become more soluble as alc rises so a winemaker can lower temp to reduce extraction

Question 3

what makes up the cap?

Answer 3

mass pulp and skins

Question 4

describe the different cap management techniques

Answer 4

punching down - mechanical paddles punch down but if too vigorously too often can cause too much tannin being bitter and astringent

pumping over - drawing off fermenting juice from bottom and pumping over the cap - good way of dissipating heat and oxygen

rack and return - drained from vessel into another and pumped back over, used only once or twice as it’s very extractive and a good way of dissapaiting heat

rotary fermenter - rotating horizontal- constant contact

Question 5

what does post fermentation maceration do?

Answer 5

optional process that encourages further extraction of tannin

Question 6

what does whole bunches fermentation do?

Answer 6

grape stems must be fully ripe or the wine can be bitter

creates an oxygen free environment for uncrushed fruit - this causes alcohol to form in berries cells, known as intracellular fermentation - giving distinct fruity aromas

Question 7

describe the 3 ways of whole bunch fermentation

Answer 7

carbonic maceration - uncrushed berries into bags of co2 to remove oxygen causing intracellular fermentation to start once 2% alcohol, grapes split and release juice, then pressed to separate, yeast completes - this extracts colour but little tannin resulting in soft wine with kirsh, banana, bubblegum, cinnamon

semi carbonic - grapes at bottom are crushed by weight and juice is released, ambient yeast begins to ferment producing co2 filling vat and becoming carbonic, punching down and decreasing carbonic maceration until all grapes break and followed by post ferment maceration for integrated varietal and intracellular aromas

mixing whole bunch and crushed fruit -
whole bunches are submerged by crushed grapes and kept away from oxygen- intracellular takes place and punching down takes place - silkier, brighter, fresher

Question 8

inexpensive high volume reds thrive from dry sunny and warm climates, grapes used may be? and why?

Answer 8

cab, merlot, syrah, grenache

the concentration of colour and tannin means they can produce fruity wines with adequate colour even at high yields

they display less colour, lighter tannins, and less intense and complex aromas

Question 9

what choices might a winemaker use to produce inexpensive high volume reds?

Answer 9

protective handling
destemmed and crushed
tartaric acid may be needed
commercial yeast with temperature around 22-25
cap will usually not be worked and post fermentation maceration is avoided - unless extra structure is needed a small amount may be blended in
stainless or old oak or chips
stabilized fined filtered and topped with so2