The way I make my wine relies quite a bit on Nature’s cooperation, and for this reason the process of fermentation can be a little nerve-wracking. Up to that stage of winemaking, it’s mainly patience that’s required: eight months of waiting – with frequent inspections, of course – for the grapes to ripen. Then there’s the backbreaking frenzy of harvest, followed by fermentation, which began very quickly this year. Punching down is necessary to keep the skins in contact with the fermenting juice to ensure the very best extraction of flavour and colour (red wine gets it colour from the grapes’ skins).
This year I kept the skins on the juice for an additional two and a half weeks. While this is beneficial because it results in richer, more complex flavours, it’s also a risk: bacterial spoilage is a real possibility.
I pressed on Wednesday, a full-day process that left me emotionally and physically exhausted. But I’m delighted to report that my wine is healthy and is showing lots of potential.
So it’s safely in barrels now and for the next month or so will be going through its secondary fermentation. And all that’s required from me, in the meantime, is more patience.
No comments:
Post a Comment