Wine Dimensions October 2005 |
Dear Friends of Monolithos, |
| This month"s topic will elaborate on the subject of wine-making. |
| To start with, let us first state that there is no single procedure for making all wines. The most obvious explanation for this is the fact that different wineries use different grapes, at different geographic locations, influenced by local conditions and traditions. With the range of technology now available to winemakers, they have developed their own individual processes, thus resulting in an enormous variety of techniques. The present attempt to provide you with a basic understanding in winemaking can only be viewed as a very broad generalization. |
| The period between August and October is perhaps the most critical in winemaking, since it provides the realisation of the year"s effort. Harvesting signals the beginning of winemaking. The grapes are preferably hand-picked in the early morning hours and the cool and healthy fruit is transported to the winery in small containers. |
| Winemaking at the winery can be divided into four basic phases: |
- The first phase involves sorting, de-stemming, crushing and preparing the grapes or must for fermentation.
- The second stage consists of fermenting the grapes into wine. Winemakers manage the fermentation by controlling several different fermentation parameters such as temperature, skin contact time, pressing techniques, etc.
- During the third phase, the new wine is clarified and stabilized. Winemakers clarify wine by fining, racking and filtration. It is stabilized by removing excessive proteins and other unwanted substances which may cause cloudiness of the wine.
- In the fourth and final phase of winemaking, the wine is left to age. Most high quality wines are aged in bulk, and then for an additional length of time in the bottle.
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| Depending on whether the grapes are white or red, two different basic processes take place. |
White Wine Making |
| White wines can be made from grapes that are either white or red in colour. This is because the colour of the wine comes from the pigment in the grape"s skin. In the case of white wine, the juice is separated from the skins at the initial stages after crushing and pressing. |
| Prior to fermentation, the juice is generally clarified by allowing time for solid particles to settle at the bottom of the tank. The clear juice is then transferred into the fermentation tank, along with some pure strain yeast. Fermentation simply means that the yeast absorbs the sugar producing alcohol and carbon dioxide as by products. |
| White wine fermentations are usually carried out at considerably cooler temperatures than red (10-15°C). |
Red Wine Making |
| Red wine is made by crushing the grapes and then fermenting the juice together with the grape skins. A specially selected pure strain of yeast is usually added to conduct the fermentation efficiently. |
| One of the winemaker"s objectives is to obtain the best possible colour. Short length skin contact time produces softer, more fruit red wines, whilst more lengthy skin contact increases colour and tannins. |
| At the beginning of fermentation, the carbon dioxide bubbles push the skins upwards, thus forming a compact layer called the "cap". If the cap becomes dry, vinegar bacteria can grow. To prevent possible acetification, the cap should be punched down into the wine, or the wine pumped up over the skin to soften the cap. This pumping-over also helps in the extraction of colour and tannins. |
| The fermentation process is regulated closely by managing the temperature of the vessel to around 22°C. Once the sugar has been converted into alcohol and the colour and flavour have been extracted from the skins, the must is then pressed and racked into a clean vat for clarification and ageing. |
Wine News and Information |
| The availability of synthetic closures and screw caps has made leading cork producers proactive about improving the quality of their product. A decade ago, there were no alternatives to cork and the industry was arrogant. As a wine closure, cork has a market share of roughly 85% of a global market estimated at more than 16 billion annually. There are as many as 600 "cork" companies around the world. The market for "alternatives" is about three billion units per year. |
| Leading cork producers have spent considerable sums in the last couple of years on preventative measures aimed at reducing the incidence of "taint." At the same time, science has also improved, such that there is more understanding of TCA precursors (contamination from 2,4,6 - trichloroanisol) than ever before. TCA is the compound most commonly associated with "cork taint." In late 2003, Amorim introduced a proprietary TCA-extraction process, a breakthrough that has been shown to reduce TCA in cork by up to 80%. The process involves using pressurized water and steam to force volatile contaminants out of the cork. |
Monolithos Monthly News |
| During the past few weeks, both family and friends of Monolithos have been busy with harvesting, transporting, sorting, crushing, pressing and processing this year"s grapes. The must was transferred to the vats and was regularly checked in order to ensure that everything is progressing correctly and that the temperatures, cap management and fermentation activity were all carefully controlled. |
| The relatively mild winter with limited rainfall has contributed to a reduction of the 2005 harvest by 25%, relative to last year. However, the cool early summer followed by weeks of high heat helped to increase the sugars and flavours of the grapes. These factors play an important role in the overall quality of the wine. We are anxiously awaiting the results...! |
| In the meantime, if at any time you are passing near the village and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his "Fig Tree Villa" in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or 99-165995. |
| We thank you for your continued support. Take care, and always remember |
When God became Man, He was surely divine... because His first miracle was to make some wine. |
| Regards from all of us here at Monolithos. |
