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How Natural Wine is Made

On May 4, 2010, in Blog, Fermentation, Making Red Wine, Making White Wine, Natural Wine, Other Adjustments, Use of Sulphur Dioxide, wine geeks, Winemaking, by ngorevic

Natural wine is different as far as the wine making process is concerned, mainly because of it's exclusion of sulfur. Sulfur is used in the production of 99% of wine in the world today because it has a preservative effect. It protects the wine from the effects of oxygen and can kill off some nasty bacterias that live in the vineyard and threaten the flavor of wine. It's also used to kill off the wild yeasts living in the vineyard, so cultured yeast can be added in its place. A little sulfur is also used at bottling (even by quite a few natural winemakers) to help protect the wine during it's trip to where ever it's going.

Natural winemakers would rather take the risk of letting some of these bacterias in. That's because they prefer to use the wild yeasts, saying they add another essential element of terroir that makes each of their wines unique and different. I've also been told by a natural wine maker, who I consider quite extreme in his natural-ness, that I would be able to tell the difference in flavor if I tasted the same wine, one sulfured and bottling, and one not. I can't really say whether or not that's true, because I've never been able to carry out that experiment. But I can say the winemakers here in France that use zero sulfur make some of my most favorite natural wines.

So if most of the wine world thinks you have to have sulfur in there to keep the wine safe, how do the natural guys do it? The first and probably most popular technique in use today is Carbonic Maceration. Whether it was Jules Chauvet, or Jacques Néauport who made this method popular for natural winemaking, it doesn't really matter. In carbonic maceration, the winemaker tosses the whole bunches of grapes in the tank, rather than destemming and pressing them for their juice. The tank is sealed on top, and the grapes just sit there. The weight of the grapes starts to crush some of the grapes on the bottom, and fermentation starts naturally. The tank is sealed, so as carbon dioxide is produced, pressure is exerted on the remaining grapes, which pops any skins still not crushed. The resulting wine is usually quite fruity, light in tannins, and easy-drinking.

So, how does carbonic maceration help the winemaker avoid using sulfur? The answer is that the carbon dioxide gas released acts as an alternative protection against the evil forces of oxygen, by forming a protective blanket over the juice. The winemaker leaves the tank sealed until it's time to bottle, and then will usually let the gas escape right before putting it in the bottle. Sometimes they will even leave a little of the gas in the wine, to act as an additional preservative while the wine travels to its final destination. That's why sometimes you'll feel a little prickle for the first few sips of a natural wine.

Sounds simple, right? The thing is, as always with wine, it's not quite that simple. There are those winemakers who do strict carbonic maceration, but then there are also those who something called semi-carbonic maceration. These winemakers do the traditional fermentation I've described, but then they let the skins soak in the juice for a while longer to extract more tannin and structure, making a heavier, perhaps more serious, and age-worthy wine. They're still working under the cloud of protective gas, but then they're adding another layer of more traditional wine making on top, to make a very different style of wine.

And of course, it's not so simple as those two methods. There's really a whole continuum of people in between. Some will de-stem the bunches of grapes and then do a carbonic maceration style fermentation. And some will do a completely normal fermentation with a pressing, but then just leave the tank sealed to keep in the protective gas. So, for a wine professional who's trying to understand why a wine tastes a certain way, it can be pretty complicated. Basically, these winemakers do what they feel like and what they think will make the style they're looking for, with total disregard to all the established rules of winemaking you read about in books, and that's what makes it interesting. Basically you could say there are as many natural winemaking techniques as there are different natural winemakers. But what most of them do have in common is this use of carbon dioxide as an anti-oxidant, instead of sulfur.

Tagged with: carbonic maceration • jacque neauport • jules chauvet • natural winemakers • natural winemaking • natural wines

Non-Traditional Sparkling Wine Production Methods

On September 16, 2008, in Champagne and Sparkling wine, wine geeks, by ngorevic

Sparkling wine is made everywhere in the world, and many places use the Champagne method, although the ageing requirements may be less.

Crémant is a sparkling wine made in France outside of the Champagne region, which must be aged in the bottle a minimum of 9 months. Here is a list of the Crémant appelations and where they are from:

Crémant de Bourgogne: Burgundy, mostly made from Chardonnay.

Crémant de Die: Rhone Valley, mostly made from Clairette.

Crémant d'Alsace: Alsace, made from Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay.

Crémant de Limoux: South of France, mostly made from Mauzac, Chenin Blanc, and Chardonnay.

Crémant de la Loir: Loire Valley, made from Chenin , Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Grolleau.

Crémant de Vouvray: Loir Valley area that uses exclusively Chenin Blanc.

Crémant de Saumur: Another Loire valley aea that uses Pinot Noir and Meunier, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Grolleau.

The Charmat method, also called Cuvée Close is a method where the secondary fermentation happens in a tank rather than in a bottle. The tank is sealed and pressurized, so the the carbon dioxide can not escape. The wine is then transferred to the bottle under pressure. This method is much cheaper and quicker, but for some reason does not produce the same kind of fine bubbles. The bubbles are larger and leave the wine much quicker than in the traditional method.

The Transversage method is the same as the traditional method except the wine is removed from the original bottle after disgorgement, placed in a pressurized tank, and then rebottled. This is used only for smaller or very large bottles.

The cheapest method for making sparkling wine is to simply carbonate the wine, exactly in the same way carbon dioxide is added to make soda. The bubbles in these types of wines will be very large and will dissapear very quickly.

The Méthode Champenoise

On September 16, 2008, in Champagne, Champagne and Sparkling wine, wine geeks, by ngorevic

The traditional Champagne method is used all over the world and is a general indication of a certain level of quality. The method is quite complex, and fascinating to study.

Harvest in Champagne happens in October and is done entireley by hand. No machine harvesting is allowed in Champagne.

Pressing is done in the pressoir coquart, a device invented by Dom Perignon, which presses grapes in a shallow pan, that allows the juice to leek away quickly, ensuring that there is no contact with the skins that would add red color to the wine. In the case of rosé champagne, there are two methods used to extract color. In one method, the juice will receive a slight amount of skin contact. In the other, red wine is simply blended in to add color. The pressoir can hold 4,000 kg of grapes, and will extract 2,550 liters of juice from those grapes. Of that juice, the first 2,0050 liters are referred to as the cuvée, which has higher acidity and sugar levels. The remaining amount is called the taille.

After pressing the first fermentation begins. This wine is fermented dry, and is usually done in stainless steel tanks, although there are a few champagne houses that ferment in new oak barrels, to add some oak flavors t the wine.

Malolactic fermentation almost always takes place with Champagne, because the acidity levels are so high.

The assemblage, or blending, is a critical element in champagne production. Each house has developed a particular style of wine, and every year they attempt to match that style by blending anywhere from 70 to 100's of different vintages, vineyards, and grape varieties. This technique of blending is enormously complex and is an art which is only one of the factors that makes champagne so expensive.

The second fermentation, which must take place in the bottle the wine will be drunk from, is started by adding the liquer de tirage, which is a mixture of wine, sugar, and yeast. The bottle is sealed with a bottle cap, and aged either on its side (sur pointe) or while facing down (sur latte). The sur latte method is more expensive because it is harded and less space efficient to store them this way. The wine is then aged in the bottle, on the dead yeast cells, which gives champagne its distintive creamy, yeasty flavor. The process of the decomposition of the yeast cells is called autolysis. For non-vintage champagnes, the bottle must age in this way for at least 15 months, although most of them age much longer. For vintage champagne, the wine must age for at least 3 years, and many are aged much longer before they are released.

After the bottle is done ageing, the sediment from the dead yeast must somehow be removed. This is down through a process called Remuage or riddling. Traditionally the riddling is done by hand. The riddler will take each bottle and shake them slightly while gradually turning them so the top of the bottle points straight down. The entire process takes three weeks, and the riddlers are known for their massive forearms! Today, most of this riddling is done by large gyropallette machines that can accomplish the task in just one week.

After the bottles are pointing straight down and all the yeast has settled to the bottom, the top of the bottle is put into a freezing brine solution. In the Disgorgement phase, the cap is removed, and the gas pressure inside the wine pops out the frozen yeast, leaving only wine behind.

Finally, a dosage, consisting of sugar and wine, is added to the bottle before it is sealed with a cork. The amount of sugar added depends on the type of wine that is being produced. Only extra brut or brut savage champagnes receive no sugar at all. Here is a list of the varying sweetness levels of champagne, and the amount of sugar in each:

Style Residual Sugar (grams/liter)

Extra Brut <6

Brut <15

Extra Sec 12-20

Sec 17-35

Demi-Sec 35-50

Doux >50

Champagne Grape Varieties

On September 15, 2008, in Champagne, Champagne and Sparkling wine, wine geeks, by ngorevic

The three grapes used in Champagne are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Pinot Meunier is a black grape that is closely related to Pinot Noir, but is pretty much only used to make champagne. You might be surpised to find out that two black grapes are used to make a white wine, but champagne is the exception. The skins do not come in contact with the must, so therefore no color is leeched ino the wine. Pinot Noir is used to give body and aroma to champagne. Meunier gives it an extra kick of fruit, and chardonnay adds finesse and elegance. Here is a list of the different districts of Champagne and which grapes they tend to use:

Montagne de Reims: Mostly Pinot Noir

Vallée de la Marne: Pinot Meunier

Côte des Blanes: almost all Chardonnay

Côte de Sézanne: Mostly Chardonnay

Aube Vineyards: Mostly Pinot Noir

The History of Champagne

On September 15, 2008, in Champagne and Sparkling wine, wine geeks, by ngorevic

The history of Champagne dates back to 1531, when Benedictine monks first made wine that sparkled, which they called Blanquette de Limoux. In the 17th century, however Champagne as we know it now started when Dom Pérignon invented a specialized press for Champagne called a pressoir coquart. Dom also started blending wines of different grapes and vintages. In 1805, the widow cliquot invented what is called Riddling, and in 1884 Disgorgement started. I'll go into detail about how all those things affect champagne production in a larer entry. Today sparkling wine is produced all over the world, and many of the french champagn makers are involved in its production.

Bordeaux Red Wine Vinification

On February 17, 2008, in Bordeaux, wine geeks, Winemaking, by ngorevic

As I've said before about France, its systems have been copied around the world. This is particularly true for red wine in Bordeaux. Not all red wine in Bordeaux is high quality, which is reflective of the different choices available to winemakers, many of which will affect the final price.

Grape Selection

If you don't take into account the yearly changes in weather and its effect on different grape varieties, there are some standards of grape selection that Bordeaux wine makers deal with. The basic choice is between a wine that will mature early, and be ready to drink quickly, and one that will take much longer to become drinkable. If you're after the early maturing wine, more Merlot will be used, and if you want the longer maturing wine, you will use more Cabernet Sauvignon. Beyond that, the wine maker also has a choice of how to select the individual grapes at harvest time. One option is called a green harvest (vendange verte) in which grapes are picked before harvest, to lower yields and increase the sugar level in the final grapes. Additionally, grapes can be hand selected by people after the grapes are harvested. Each of these stages will of course add to the final cost of the wine.

Fermentation

Historically, if the wine were to be age-worthy, some of the stalks would be added to the fermentation vessel to increase the amount of tannins in the wine. This practice has become less common, and depends on the nature of the vintage. The traditional fermentation vessel was made of oak, but nowadays, stainless steel is used almost exclusively. Individual grape varieties to be used in blends are fermented seperately.

Aging and Blending

The highest quality red wine in Bordeaux is aged in new oak barrels, for as long as 24 months. Lower quality vineyards may use second-hand barrels, which do not impart as much flavor and body to the wine. Some vineyard may not use oak at all. At some point in the midst of the aging process, the different varietals will be blended together, according to what happened with the weather that year, and the type of wine being produced. Many Châteaux have a second or even third wine that they produce from wines that are rejected while tested during the aging process. Sometimes these wines are also sold in bulk to be sold by other producers.

Malolactic Fermentation

On February 15, 2008, in Malolactic Fermentation, wine geeks, Winemaking, by ngorevic

Malolactic fermentation is a secondary fermentation in which lactic bacteria convert tart malic acids (like what's in apples) into lactic acids (like in milk). Malolactic fermentation is well known for producing buttery characteristics in Chardonnary. In fact there were times when California winemakers went crazy with this process and produced some wines that really tasted like butter. Nowadays most winemakers have mellowed, using the technique in moderation. In fact, malolactic fermenation is used to make almost all red wine, and many whites. It takes away a bit of acidity, and can add complex notes, but it may also take away some of the refreshing crispness of a wine. This is one of the many techniques a winemaker has in the arsenal that will change the final product.

Making White Wine

On February 15, 2008, in Making White Wine, wine geeks, Winemaking, by ngorevic

White wine requires a bit more care than red wine, because there is a higher risk of oxidation, which would ruin the wine. Grapes are usually pressed right away when they arrive at the winery, and will usually receive a few hours of skin contact to draw the fruit flavors from the skins. Fermenation for white wine takes place at a lower temperature, typically between 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Fermentation produces heat, so the fermentation vats will usually have cooling systems to keep the must at the right temperature. If the wine ferments at too low a temperature, the fruit characteristics will not make it into the wine. Fermentation at higher temperatures can sometimes produce a more complex wine, but there is a gain a risk of losing some of the varietal fruit characteristics.

Some white wines are additionally fermented in Oak barrels. This is when the wine may be left on the lees, to add an additional amount of character to the wine. When fermentation is finished, the wine will be transferred to clean casks (either oak or stainless steel) where they will age until they are bottled.

Making Red Wine

On February 15, 2008, in Making Red Wine, wine geeks, Winemaking, by ngorevic

Red wine is usually made from black grapes, but contrary to what you might think, the wine is not red because of the dark color of the grapes. In fact, the pulp of all grapes is the same color--clear. Red wines are dark in color because they receive some contact from the grape skins during the fermentation process. Red wine is fermented at around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a bit warmer than white wine, which encourages the grape skins to bleed their color faster. As the grapes and their juice sit in the fermentation vat, the skins will rise to the top. If they just sit there, they won't lose much of their color. To solve this problem, most of the time the winemaker will perform something called "pumping over." In this technique, the juice is sucked out of the bottom of the vat, and then poured on top of the skins again, usually twice a day. Another method is called "punching down the cap," where someone gets inside the vat and pushes the skins down to the bottom. The danger of this method is that it can unpredictably release large amounts of carbon dioxide, which would render the worker unconscious, and then he or she would drown in the vat.

The grapes will macerate with their skins typically for about 6 days for moderate tannin wines and 12 days or more for a highly tannic wine designed to be aged in the bottle for a long time before it is ready to drink. After this point the skin will be removed, and fermentation may continue longer, depending on the area and the nature of the grapes. The goal here with red wine is almost always to ferment away all the sugar, converting it to alcohol.

Some red wines undergo what is called carbonic maceration. In this technique, the grape bunches are tossed into the vat without going through a crusher/destemmer machine. The grapes gradually burst and ferment on their own, without the use of additional yeast, once they fall off the bunch. This produces a very low tannin wine which is high in fruit character. This technique is classically used in the Beaujolais Nouveau produced in France.

Fermentation

On February 7, 2008, in Fermentation, wine geeks, Winemaking, by ngorevic

Fermentation is a very natural thing. It probably happened the first time when some grapes were lying around for too long. Because that's all you have to do to. The wild yeasts that live on grape skins will start the fermentation process immediately. In the New World today, most wineries will kill off the wild yeasts with sulphur, and replace them with cultivated yeasts that are specialized to the grape variety, or to add a certain kind of flavor to the wine. This trend is catching on in the old world as well.

As the yeast organisms feed on the sugar in the must, the by-product is alcohol, carbon dioxide, and heat. This is why the level of sugar in the grapes will indicate the level of alcohol in the wine. Yeast cells naturally die once the alcohol reaches around 15%, and then the fermentation process stops. Sometimes a winemaker may use sulphur to stop the fermentation process earlier than that, if they wish to leave a bit of residual sugar in the wine, which could make an off-dry, medium sweet, or fully sweet wine. In general therefore, the lower the alcohol level, the sweeter the wine will be. When the yeasts die off, they settle to the bottom of the tank and form a sediment called "lees." You may have seen sur lee written on a bottle of Chardonnay-- this means the wine was left on the lees to add additional complexity to the flavor.