In the last Notes from our Winemaker, I outlined the processes involved in preparing our wine for bottling. The wines are now heat and cold stabilized and are ready for filtration.
We use a 'plate and frame' filter fitted with semi-porous filter sheets impregnated with diatomaceous earth, a natural 'sieve' that captures particles as small as wine yeasts and facilitates the clarification of the wine prior to bottling. In the case of white wines, the raw wine has been cleared of most of the solids associated with fermentation and can easily pass through the smaller pore size of filter media: however, red wines have additional 'sludge; associated with long-term storage in barrels and require as much as a three-stage filtration process to render the wine suitable for bottling.
The first stage of filtration involves passing the wine through a 'coarse' filtration pad, one designed to trap bits of crystalline matter and clumps of yeast or other debris. In the second or third stage of filtration the wine will pass through filter pads designed to retain particles as small as individual yeast cells and bacteria (such as our malolactic friend, Mr. Lactobacillus and his evil cousin, Mr. Acetobacter {of salad dressing fame}). At this point in the process, the wine is ready for bottling.
Bottling lines are pricey - a typical line consisting of a bottle rinser/sparger, filler, corker, capsule/closure sealer and
can run at least a quarter million dollars or more depending upon the volume of output. Fortunately for us (and many other smaller operations) some nice folks invented the concept of a truck-mounted self-contained mobile bottling service which rolls to the winery location and provides the hardware to facilitate bottling of ther winery's product. The winery provides the cased bottles, corks/closures, capsules, labels and finished wine as well as some intrepid laborers to assist in the bottling operation. We usually have our Benders help with this process up close and personal. Mark, Lorraine and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts; and for those who are ever interested in helping, five words: Camaraderie, Good Eats, Free Samples (Mark and Lorraine work hard and play hard).
In the bottling operation the wine passes through one last filter before entering the filling line: and this last filtration is designed to ensure that the wine in the bottle is sterile. Because the wine has undergone a great deal of movement through hose lines, filters and the filling and bottling process, a bottle of wine fresh off the line tastes 'dull' and has little aroma - thus, the wine is said to be in 'bottle shock'. Wine is a living thing - it is affected by exposure to air and by agitation: and it takes approximately six to ten weeks for the wine to re-establish equilibrium once it has been disturbed. For us, the general rule of thumb has been that the better the wine tastes fresh off the bottling line, the better it will be in a couple months; and to the date of this publication, we have yet to be dissappointed.
In August, we will be bottling 2007 Merlot, 2008 Tempranillo and a special "reserva" Tempranillo which Mark has designated "Lot 56".
A toast to your good fortune with a glass of Scribner Bend wine until our next "Notes from the Winemaker".
Salud,
William Ghiglieri
PS: The bloom is on the vine - we take to the vineyard in our next newsletter.
