How to FLAW Wine – NOT!November 7, 2018
Presenter: Kay Simon, winemaker at Chinook Wines, ProsserWA
The Winemaker’s Basic Approach: AT A MINIMUM
Take a wine microbiology class
Take a chemistry class
Take a wine sensory class
Take any continuing education classes you can (timewise) and $$-wise afford
●BE EXTREMELY METHODICAL
Always perform your lab tests the same way
Always perform your winery sanitation routine the same way
When you go outside your routine, it should feel like you aren’t wearing a seat belt
Good winemakers/chefs etc. are control freaks
●BEGIN WITH FRUIT RECEIVING: (Gordon to cover sanitation, BUT ASSUME we start with a spotless & sanitized receiving area:)
Washington’s climate usually blesses its winemakers with clean & perfect fruit.
however YOU SHOULD KNOW WELL AHEAD OF TIME IF SOME IMPERFECT FRUIT IS GOING TO BE RECEIVED BY YOUR WINERY.
DO CAREFUL & METHODICAL VINEYARD SAMPLING.LOOK INSIDE THE CANOPY SO YOU SEE THE CONDITION OF ALL OF THE FRUIT; inside & outside the canopy.
WORK WITH YOUR GROWERS CLOSELY ON LOTS WHICH WILL BENEFIT FROM SOME IN-VINEYARD SORTING. BE PREPARED TO COMPENSATE FOR EXTRA-MILEAGE EFFORTS. IF THE WEATHER DOESN’T COOPERATE, EVERYONE WILL BENEFIT FROM A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VINEYARD & WINERY (Which should ALREADY exist!).
IF YOU KNOW AHEAD OF TIME THE CONDITION OF FRUIT YOU WILL BE RECEIVING, YOU CAN (E.G.) ADD EXTRA SULFUR DIOXIDE AT THE CRUSHER TO CONTROL POTENTIAL PROBLEMS; CHILL THE FRUIT (MOST MICROBIAL ACTIVITY SLOWS WITH DECREASED TEMPERATURE). YOU CAN INOCULATE EARLY, WITH A LARGER YEAST INOCULUM TO GET THE FERMENTATION GOING.
TRAIN YOUR HARVEST CREW TO USE ALL THEIR SENSES: ESP. SIGHTSMELL; PARTICULAR FOCUS:
POWDERY MILDEW--- GREEN AND/OR DRIED LEAVES
SOUR ROT; OTHER SECONDARY ROT(S); (can lead to V.A.)
ANY MOLDS
INSECTS & OTHER UNWANTEDS (spiders, snakes, etc.)
How to FLAW Wine – NOT!November 7, 2018
Presenter: Kay Simon, winemaker at Chinook Wines, ProsserWA
●MAKE SURE YOUR QUALITY STANDARDS ARE KNOWN TO EVERYONE, EVEN YOUR VOLUNTEERS.
●BE AWARE THAT WINE STYLISTIC DECISIONS CAN AFFECT YOUR WINE QUALITY:
HAVE YOU DECIDED TO MAKE SULFITE-FREE WINE? DO YOU KNOW THE RAMIFICATIONS OF AVOIDING S02? ARE YOU KEENLY AWARE OF THE CHEMISTRY OF SULFITE REACTIONS AND VARIOUS MICROBIAL ACTIVITIES WHICH MIGHT RESULT? DO YOU KNOW HOW TO ACCURATELY MEASURE YOUR ADDITIONS?Do you know, for example, what a tenfold error might mean??
●ARE YOU GOING TO INOCULATE WITH YEAST AND MLF BACTERIA, OR ARE YOU GOING TO LET “MOTHER NATURE” HAVE HER WAY WITH YOUR
(EXPENSIVE!), (HIGH QUALITY!) GRAPE JUICE?
KNOW YOUR SCIENCE! DON’T LEAVE FERMENTATION TO CHANCE!
●KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF TEMPERATURE CONTROL IN THE VARIOUS (PRIMARY; MLF) FERMENTATIONS. WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL RANGE? WHAT OTHER ORGANISMS GROW WELL AT THOSE TEMPERATURES? ARE THE ORGANISMS AEROBIC OR ANAEROBIC?
●Brian Carter WILL ADDRESS ACID BALANCE IN GREATER DETAIL, BUT TIMING IS CRITICAL IF YOU ARE RECEIVING HIGH pH GRAPES: JUST AS TEMPERATURE IMPACTS THE GROWTH OF MICROORGANISMS, BOTH WANTED & UNWANTED; THE HIGHER pH ENVIRONMENT IS DESIREABLE TO MANY UNDESIREABLES!pH ADJUSTMENT IS EASY TO TEST & EASY TO DO. I KEEP A 10% SOLUTION OF TARTARIC ACID IN THE FRIDGE AT ALL TIMES, ESP. IN HARVEST. WHEN YOU FIRST TEST YOUR JUICE, MAKE SURE THAT pH IS ONE OF THOSE FIRST, CRITICAL TESTS. IF ADJUSTMENT IS PRUDENT, THE SOONER THE BETTER!
●MONITOR YOUR FERMENTATIONS DAILY: SUGAR DEPLETION; AROMA AND TOWARDS THE END, COMPLETION OF FERMENTATION (DRYNESS). KEEP YOUR WINERY DOORS CLOSED & KEEP TANK LIDS SECURED. THERE IS NO (GOOD) REASON TO HAVE SWARMS OF FRUIT FLIES IN YOUR WINERY AT HARVEST. GORDON WILL RE-EMPHASIZE THIS, BUT CLEANLINESS IS VERY IMPORTANT! LIKEWISE, “BUTTON-UP” YOUR TANKS AT THE END OF FERMENTATION TO AVOID OXIDATION.
●STORAGE PERIOD:
●BE VERY AWARE OF YOUR WINERY’S NORMAL, CLEAN SMELL
How to FLAW Wine – NOT!November 7, 2018
Presenter: Kay Simon, winemaker at Chinook Wines, ProsserWA
It should raise a red flag if your winery smells “different” on any given morning when you walk into the closed up winery. Do your best sensory detective work – you should be able to sense ONE leaky barrel in the whole winery.
Do “bung patrol” on a regular basis: if any pressure builds up in a barrel, silicone bungs will exit the bunghole – and your wine is exposed (to oxygen).
If you have partial (stainless) tanks, monitor them REGULARLY. Keep any partial containers refrigerated; blanket on a REGULAR SCHEDULE with an inert gas. Smell each & every tank in your cellar at that same time.
If you pump/ rack/ bottle only part of a tank, transfer the remainder to a clean, sanitized tank.
●AT THE SAME TIME YOU ARE BEING VERY AWARE OF YOUR WINERY’S BACKGROUND SMELLS, DON’T GET “WINERY PALATE”.
Taste wines from all around the world, and as your budget allows, at a wide range of price levels. Taste especially wines made from the varieties your winery emphasizes. If you have budget constraints, you can pool resources with like-minded winery cohorts.
We like to follow the varieties we are crushing, as we move through the season – it’s fun & instructive to taste, e.g. Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, Napa & Lake County while you’re crushing your year’s supply of that grape (after work, of course!).
●THE END-RUN . . . BOTTLING TIPS:
- PREPARE BLENDS W/ APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO FILTER, HAVE A GOOD REASON WHY! ( i.e. YOU’RE NOT A HOMEWINEMAKER ANYMORE)
- MAKE SURE WINES ARE SHELF-STABLE
HEAT
COLD
HAZE
- PAY ATTENTION TO ANALYSIS:
●ALCOHOL LEVEL IN COMPLIANCE W/ LABEL ALC?
●SULFUR DIOXIDE LEVELS APPROPRIATE FOR ANTICIPATED RELEASE DATE & pH LEVEL OF THE WINE? Your winery should be set up for AT A MINIMUM, these three basic tests. (i.e. Alcohol, pH & S02)
- DOES YOUR BOTTLING SETUP MINIMIZE OXYGEN PICKUP? FIND OUT!
- AS IN FRUIT RECEIVING, MAKE SURE YOUR ENTIRE BOTTLING CREW KNOWS THEY ARE KEYMEMBERS OF YOUR QA TEAM!
- LIKEWISE, KNOW YOUR SUPPLIERS (CORKS, GLASS ETC.) AND THEIR QA METHODS. KEEP TRACK OF SUPPLIES & SHIPMENTS – NOW A HOMELAND SECURITY REQUIREMENT!