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Wine Production
Making wine is an art. Each wine maker pursues a vision of a final masterpiece where not a single batch starts with the same canvas or palette. The incoming fruit is analyzed upon arrival for pH, acid, and sugar values. From these variables the wine maker begins to envision his final wine and begins the wine making process.
Some of the grapes are crushed and de-stemmed prior to pressing while others are whole-cluster pressed. The reds are usually fermented "on the skins" to extract the beautiful dark colors harbored there. Whites on the other hand are usually pressed prior to fermentation to preserve their delicate treasures.
Special yeast strains are selected for each varietal in an attempt to add dimension to the wine, and fermentation temperatures are controlled to capture the natural flavors and aromas present in the fruit.
Once fermentation has been completed, the wine is allowed to settle and clarify naturally before any filtering is done. Filtering is limited to reduce loss of color and flavor.
Once the wine has reached the expected level of maturity and clarity, we bottle, cork, seal, and label one bottle at a time. Many people ask how much time it takes to go from grapes to wine. The time varies with the style of wine produced. For some wines, it's a matter of weeks, for some it's months, and for our best reds, it may be a year or more before the wine is ready for sale.
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Wine Production
A peek through the window at a wine press used in our wine processing. |
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