The Bottom of the Barrel - March 24, 2023

A trusted friend explained that in a business, there is relief that comes from having written processes.  Being a one-woman shop; however, I have not fully implemented that lesson. YET!

I am grateful that I now have experienced bottlers who come, and bottle wine based on what they’ve learned from me --- meaning how I do it here in Le Garage.  I did, however, forget one piece of that education.  The bottom of the barrel.

This past weekend we bottled wine and last night I finished drinking my second bottle. As I poured the last glass, it immediately came to my attention that I did not educate the bottlers on unfiltered wine and the wine on the bottom of the barrel.

This is where process comes first but updating written process with experiential steps is an absolute second! Unfiltered wine depends on racking to make it look clean and sparkle when light hits it in the glass.  We use ‘wands’ in winemaking to move wine from one container to another whether it be from barrel to barrel or from barrel to bottle. 

At the bottom of the wand is a hole (or two) where the wine is sucked through into the pump, below that hole is an adjustable ‘gadget’ that keeps the holes in the wand about an inch from the bottom of the barrel.  When extended the full inch, you can be pretty sure you are not picking up sediment.

If someone is unaware of the purpose of this gadget; in an effort to get every last drop, they may reduce the length of the gadget and suck sediment into those last few bottles.  This is the bottle I finished last night.   

What a disappointment to find that last glass of wine cloudy! Not only was this a disappointment but instantly fear shot through my body like an electrical current which was followed by a few expletives.

While my urge was to quickly open and drink another bottle, my next steps were to take a breath and break it down.  I knew exactly what had happened to those last few bottles of wine and I verified this by checking the bottom of the wand.

I will document this process immediately.  I will also continue to talk about unfiltered wine and the enhancement to its organoleptic quality. Lastly, this sediment is only in that last few bottles while the rest of the wine is clear (I did check). 

Process sets you free and I will continue to write and update the processes here at Le Garage.  I will also take the responsibility to consume that last case of wine myself – it’s all part of the job. 

À votre santé,

Sharon