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Notes From the
Vintner
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Welcome
to our column. We hope that you will return to
learn interesting notes on wine, and related
subjects. Wine is a great gift from God to be used
for the enjoyment of man. It is a food, and should
be treated as such. It is meant to lift up the body
and lighten the soul. 07/1/03
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How
did you make this great
wine???
Now that is a question we like to hear. But is it a question
that you can answer? One can fly by the seat of their pants
only so long before you have a crack up. RECORDS are
a must in making wine. You have to know how and what you did
to make the great wine again, and to avoid making that stuff
you called wine and your friends do not.
So, let's us talk
about this. We live in an age that is run, run, run. We
never have time for everything we want to do. There are
people to meet, places to go, and things to do. And the
outcome of this busy life is a tired, stressed, not so happy
body. So, slow down, make a good wine, and enjoy life.
Everything does not have to be done. There are only a few
important people, things, and places in life, the rest is an
optional.
When you receive
the fruit, the first thing is to observe the condition and
note it. Is it ripe, full of leaves and vine, does it have
bad fruit in with the good, and is it fresh. Then the sugar
needs to be checked. This is a simple matter of taking
several samples and using a $6.00 hydrometer to get a
reading. A simple acid testing kit will give you an acid
reading. And if you have moved up the latter of wine making,
you may have a pH meter. The last thing to check is the
temperature of the fruit at crush. It is best to receive
fruit that has been gathered early in the morning, and not
late in the afternoon.
Make note of your
tests, along with the notes of the crush, fermentation, and
pressing. Then you need to note the amelioration amounts and
secondary fermentation notes. Be sure to taste and note the
wine at the first racking, and each additional racking.
Observe the nose, color, taste and body of the wine. Follow
the wine in records up to the point of opening the bottle
and enjoying the wine.
Which does not
sound like a bad idea at this time. So let us open a
bottle!!! And remember, when a friend asks how you made this
great wine…You can say, "I keep good records".
To you and to me, and
to records…
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