Fermentations: Winemaking - Steps 1B thru 4!!

Welcome back to class for Step 1B through Step Four!! For each of these lessons they told me that I'd only need about 15-20 minutes. I have learned so far that the steps are quick and pretty easy, like almost anyone could do it!! We check specific gravity before each step, but most of the work really happens all on its own, from the weeks of waiting in between the steps. Just letting the wine sit around to do its own thing!! Step 1B: Chaptalization, this is a winemaking technique that involves adding a surgery mixture [that we mixed when I first got here] to the unfermented juice. This causes the alcohol content of the wine to increase.

The Chaptalization technique dates back to Roman times, when honey was added to the grape juice for the same purpose as mentioned above. [Anyone remember my Mead blog!?] It was made popular by Napoleon’s Minister of Agriculture in 1801, Jean-Antione Chaptal, and the process was named for her. It is primarily used in cooler climates where grapes are under-ripe or are too acidic. It is subject to legal regulations, even prohibited in some of the southern wine regions. By adding the sugar mixture before fermentation, the yeast is able to ferment and turned into alcohol. It doesn’t necessarily make the wine sweeter; it just makes the sugar levels more consistent.

Let’s jump ahead two weeks to my next appointment… Step Two: Clearing. This process involves removing suspended matter in the wine, so it has a clear appearance. Winemaking naturally produces matter, also known as sediment, so in this step we need to transfer the juice from the bottle it has lived in the last two weeks!! Haha “Wine should not only taste good, it should look good as well!" To accomplish the “clearing” we used a siphon to move my wine into a clean glass bottle, called a “carboy” [Pictured below] leaving most of the sediment behind. This allows my beautiful wine to clear up and continue its fermentation process!!

The glass carboy originated in the Near East, used by drug sellers and filled with rosewater and wine. The term comes from the Persian word garabah, meaning “large flagon.” It usually has a rubber stopper that fits snugly in the opening with a fermentation lock. This prevents oxygen and bacteria from entering the bottle during fermentation. Fast forward another two weeks, and we’ll get started on Step Three: Stabilization and clarifying the wine. After checking the specific gravity, [And grabbing a little taste!! LOL] we add our “fining agents.” This will help any remaining sediment to clump together and fall to the bottom of the jar.    

Fining is the final chemical process before racking, it is done to prevent oxidation, clarify and stabilize the wine before bottling. There are a number of different fining agents, but the ones we used are potassium metabisulphite, potassium sorbate, kieselsol, and chitosan. [Don’t ask me what any of these ingredients are or what they do... I’m just following the instructions!! LOL] The best time to add the fining agents is right after fermentation has ended. They accelerate the fall out of yeast cells and reduce visible particle haze that may still be present. It's also the best time to have a taste!! I mean, what kind of winemaker would I be if I didn’t sample my wine every step of the way!? Hahaha

Two weeks later I head back in for Step Four: Transfer or rack the wine. Racking wine is the process of moving my wine, yet again from the container it’s been living into another glass carboy. This is done using gravity and it separates the wine from any remaining sediment, that has clumped together during the previous step of fining. If you do not “rack” the wine, it can become hazy and develop a thick layer of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Sediment is also called “lees” and consists of dead yeast cells, macerated grape tissue, and other floating particles that settle to the bottom. [Sounds delicious, right!? Haha] If you really think about it, racking is comparable to wine decanting, just on a larger scale.  

Whew.. I know that seemed like a lot, but keep in mind that these steps were completed over the course of like six or seven weeks, so honestly it didn't seem too bad at all!! Here my wine will sit, on the shelf [Pictured above] for it's final two weeks [Yes… two whole weeks!! LOL] until it is ready for bottling!! I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!!

Meanwhile, during the last month or so, I have picked out my label to be printed for the bottle!! [Big thanks to Jessica Henry for our awesome toast at D’Vine Wine up in Manitou Springs] Do you remember when I said that you might see that patio photo again!? Well, you will see it next week!!!] Oh... and I have also named my wine!! 

Tune in next week as Wine with Wixy moves on to the fifth and final step back at Fermentations!! The bottling of Wixy's Wine!! Whoop whoop!!

Cheers to you my wine loving friends, and TTFN!!