Vinification - Baglio Curatolo

RED VINIFICATION

The process by which must becomes wine is the alcoholic fermentation. It is a chemical reaction—brought about by yeasts that are naturally present on ripe grapes–in which sugars are converted into ethanol and other reaction products.

During this transformation the resulting ethyl alcohol makes up60% of the total sugar present in the must. It follows that a must with a sugar content of 20%, at the end of wine fermentation gives origin to a wine containing 120 ml / L of ethanol, or that is, 12% alcohol by volume. The side products of fermentation (glycerol, diacetyl, succinic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, etc.) altogether make up 5% of the transformed sugars and are very important to the aroma and flavour of the wine. The remaining percentage up to 100% is constituted by carbon dioxide, which grows abundantly during fermentation.

The must, obtained after destemming the grapes, remains in contact with the skins and grape seeds (the marc) for a period of time which varies depending on the desired effect. If vinification is done by leaving the must to ferment with the marc for a relatively long period of time (7-15 days), the term “fermentation maceration” is used, also referred to as “red vinification”. The aforementioned definition relates to the fact that the colouring substances present in the skins are extracted over time by exploiting the solubilizing action of the alcohol produced during fermentation.

There are various techniques used to enhance contact of the marc–which tends to float on the must forming the so-called “cap”–with the underlying must:

•pressing: mechanical action exerted on the cap to submerse it in the must (normally done by the vinedresser twice a day);

•pump over: wetting the top of the cap with the must collected from the bottom of the vat and sent back up by means of a pump for liquids;

•submerged cap fermentation: introduction of a mesh screen into the vat that hinders the emersion of the marc onto the surface of the must creating a cap that remains immersed in the must.

Woman holds glass of wine before bunch of grape lying on black p

Once fermentation is complete, the new wine, cloudy and rich in carbon dioxide, is separated from its marc by siphoning it off, called racking. Depending on the particular case, the new wine or “free run wine” is to be sent into steel vats or wooden barrels, while the marc is pressed, from which pressed wine is obtained.

The pressed wine less noble than that obtained by racking can be either mixed with the “free run” or used as a low-quality finished product.

WHITE VINIFICATION

The substances responsible for the colour of wine (anthocyanins) are mostly present on the grape skins and solid parts (grape stalks and seeds), and are mainly extracted during maceration by the alcohol that develops during fermentation. Consequently, if the fermentation of the must is done after having separated the marc from it, it is clear that you will obtain a white wine. The fermentation process in the absence of the marc is called “white vinification”.

With this technique you can obtain white wines from grapes of any kind; many champagnes and sparkling wines are produced from blends including white and red grapes. The champagnes made from white grape blends are called “blanc de blancs“, to clearly indicate their homogeneous origin.

In white vinification from pressed grapes, deprived of their stalks, skins and seeds, one obtains the “free-run must” that is left to ferment for a period of 10-20 days at a temperature below 20 ° C. In some cases, the must is left in contact with the skins for a short time, 12-36 hours at a temperature of 7-10 ° C. This is a procedure called cryomaceration, which increases the extraction of fragrances and aromas contained in the skins, while simultaneously limiting the extraction of tannins.

Nowadays, the application of the most advanced modern technologies – which in the wine industry are temperature control systems equipped with very powerful and reliable cold sources – also allow experimentation of “extreme” techniques.

In the production of “limited edition” white wines, now one may find wines obtained at the end of cryomaceration at temperatures close to 0 ° C, which allow the extension of maceration for up to eight to ten days. The results are excellent and allow the production of white wines with an olfactory fullness and a structure that are impossible to obtain with traditional techniques.

White wines with structure and characterized by a significant presence of tannins are also very suitable for ageing in small wooden barrels (225-400 litres) for periods between 3 months and 1 year. The result are white wines that – due to their olfactory fullness, structure, and flavour persistency – are capable of bestowing extremely pleasurable, even unexpected, sensations.

In Italy, the absence of an established tradition in bringing up white wines in wooden barrels also renders high quality products available on the market with a very good price/quality ratio.

This is certainly a fact that aids in increasing the attractiveness of these products, which often have nothing to envy about the more talked-up and renowned “barrique” red wines, whose price is sometimes ends up being a bit extravagant.

RED VINIFICATION

WHITE VINIFICATION

INFO

Log in with your credentials

Forgot your details?