Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What happens during fermentation?
A. This is one of the miracles in the wine making process. Yeast, which causes fermentation, is a single cell organism that converts the sugar in the fruit to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide escapes into the air and what is left is wine.
Q. What is sulphite?
A. Sulphite is a natural bacteria inhibitor. A small amount of sulphite in your wine will not only discourage bacteria that could ruin it, but it also helps prevent oxidation. However, some people are allergic to sulphite and the winemaker should be careful in its use.
Q. When is wine ready to drink?
A. To a lot of people, it's ready when they want to drink it. However there is no cut and dry answer. Some vintages simply develop faster than others, and whites peak faster than reds. It could be anywhere from a few months for light wines to a few years for heavier, robust reds. The key is to develop your ability to evaluate wines and then taste and judge for yourself.
Q. How do I determine the alcohol content?
A. Take your starting specific gravity, subtract your finished specific gravity and divide by 7.36. For example, 1080 - 995 = 85/7.36 = 11.55 % alcohol by volume.
Q. Why does my wine have a yeasty taste?
A. Most likely, your wine has been left too long on the lees (the dead yeast after the ferment has stopped). Prompt racking (2 to 3 days after primary fermentation) can prevent this.
Q. What is cold stabilization?
A. Cold stabilization is the process of removing some of the acid in your wine through precipitation, thus creating a softer finish. To cold stabilize, place your wine in near freezing temperatures for about two weeks. If you live in a northern climate, come winter, your garage makes an ideal spot. The acid will drop to the bottom of the container in the form of crystals. You then rack the wine off of the crystals.
Q. What is Bentonite?
A. Bentonite is a gray, clay granule that is used in white wines as a clarifier. It has a negative electrostatic charge. The attracting charge along with hydrogen bonding, causes any suspended particles in the wine to cling to the clay granules and then settle to the bottom of the container. Racking of the wine should be performed shortly after the bentonite treatment, leaving the sediment on the bottom of the container.
Q. What are finings?
A. Finings, usually bentonite, gelatin or isinglas, are natural agents that are added to wine to accelerate the settling or clearing process. The wine is then racked, that is, siphoned from one container to another, leaving the sediment and fining agent behind.
Q. How is rose' wine different from red or white wine?
A. The color in wine comes from contact with the grape skins. Contact during fermentation provides the body and color in the wine. Most white wines are not fermented on the grape skins, the grapes are crushed and pressed and only the juice is fermented. Rose' wine is very similar in character to white wine, only the juice is fermented. Red wine is fermented on the grape skins and the developing alcohol will extract much color and flavor components from the grapes. This is why the smart thing to do is buy the finest grapes you can afford. Great grapes make great wines.
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