Something a Little Different

As you may know, we crushed grapes 10 days ago. They have been fermenting in their tubs and all tubs are at different stages of fermentation depending on the grape type, the type of yeast used, and the desired organoleptic experience. One small accident at this point could cause loss of the entire barrel of wine and we had just that accident!

To monitor fermentation, we don’t just test for sugar depletion — we test for temperature, too. A thermometer is rotated between tubs to make sure no fermentation goes above 80°F which will cook the fruit causing less fresh fruit flavors. While in the process of punch down and thermometer rotation, we lost the thermometer!

Since the thermometer is glass, shatters easily, and is full of mercury or some other most likely poisonous material, if broken would pose an enormous and costly situation. To find the thermometer I had to go sleeveless into the winery and push my arm into each fermentation tub to fish around and try to feel it.

The first day I tried unsuccessfully, but the experience was not entirely unpleasant. Once my (clean) hand went through the floating skins, I got to the juice/wine, after which my hand scraped along the bottom and I could feel the seeds. Some wines had more skins and less juice. Some had more seeds on the bottom than others but no thermometer!

The second day I went back into the wines just before pitching cultures for secondary fermentation. I assertively swished around in each tub finding nothing again. After I pitched and punched down gently again, I looked into the Pinot Noir tub and there it was! Just peaking it’s head up out of the cap of skins. I pulled it out and it was intact!! No broken glass, no loss of wine, and a new experience that I think everyone should try just once in their life!

Sunday we well press the skins and pump the new batch of 2024 wines into their barrels. Another year down!

To new experiences!

Sharon