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. 10/1/02
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Party
Time… Now
is the time to relax and rest a bit, as the young wine is
resting in the barrels. You have done well, so let's start
by enjoying a glass of last year's wine. I think I shall
have a bit of white, thank you.
You pulled it off,
the harvest is over, and the wine is made. Now we pray that
it turns out as good as we hope and pray. Let's look back at
the pre harvest time. Were there any problems getting the
equipment ready for the crush? Is there any way of doing
things that needs to be corrected? Do we need to repair or
purchase new equipment? Did you allow enough time to have
everything ready? Let's take out a notebook RIGHT NOW and
make a list of things to do this winter while we enjoy the
wine we made.
It would be best
to make a section for each year. Then divide each year into
pre harvest, harvest and crush, fermentation, aging, and
bottling. It is good to keep records of how things went so
that if the wine is great you can do it again; and if the
wine is bad, you will not mess up again. So keeping records
is a win, win situation.
Be sure to list
the quality of the grapes, along with the sugar, acid and
pH. The temperature of the must is a good record, along with
the yeast and amount of time on the skins. The amount of
free run juice and pressed juice is good to know yields. Any
problems should be listed and highlighted so as to be
avoided next season. Please pass the bottle, as my glass is
close to empty…thank you.
As the wine ages,
keep it topped off and with a proper level of SO2. Records
of the aging allow you to track the wine, as you would track
the development of a child. You need to know when to rack
and when to fine the wine. God will take care of the nature
thing, but YOU have to take care of our part.
So the long and
the short…KEEP
RECORDS…and
your wine will improve year by year…How about one more
glass in friendship?
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