7am - Pushed down the caps. The syrah/roussanne Brix is 3.0 with a very slow fermentation rate. Given the high starting point, 29.0, this will probably be a strong, sweet wine. The merlot is pretty much done; specific gravity is 0.0. The cap is still floating and should make it to Saturday.
4pm - Pushed down the caps.
Leaving for a 2 day conference in Rye Brook NY. Leaving the cap duty to my twin sons.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Day 24 pm
9pm - After chasing a baby squirrel out of the basement I pushed down the caps. How's that for excitement?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Day 24
6am - I tried something different this morning; not. I pushed down the cap. Merlot vat temperature was 63 degrees. Emptied the 4th merlot bucket into the remaining three and the main vat. Syrah/roussanne still fermenting. I should take a Brix reading of both this afternoon.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Day 23
6am - Pushed down the caps.
7pm - Ditto. The Merlot has maybe another day before adding one of the four buckets back in.
A plastic vat cover is $55 at Maltose. The sheet works just fine.
Dinner with the cabs after a day of breathing softened the taste.
7pm - Ditto. The Merlot has maybe another day before adding one of the four buckets back in.
A plastic vat cover is $55 at Maltose. The sheet works just fine.
Dinner with the cabs after a day of breathing softened the taste.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Day 22
8am - pushed down both caps.
8:30-3pm - Racked the zinfandel and cab suav/cab franc off the barrels. Bottled 2.5 cases of each in the process. Had a quick blending taste with the cabs and last weeks merlot. Very enlightning. Will follow-up after a few more of us try it out.
6pm - second cap push of the day. Thought I should purchase a plastic vat cover instead of using a sheet.
8:30-3pm - Racked the zinfandel and cab suav/cab franc off the barrels. Bottled 2.5 cases of each in the process. Had a quick blending taste with the cabs and last weeks merlot. Very enlightning. Will follow-up after a few more of us try it out.
6pm - second cap push of the day. Thought I should purchase a plastic vat cover instead of using a sheet.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Day 21
7am - Morning ritual; pushed down the caps. Syrah/Roussanne level is well below the vat rim. The merlot is settling down also.
8:30pm - Ditto.
8:30pm - Ditto.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Day 20 PM
Thought I could edit this morning's post. Guess not.
6pm - pushed down the two caps. The merlot vat spigot leaks a bit. Didn't have the small bucket under the tap. Oops. Used best cellar practices and cleaned with sulphur/water solution.
Good night wine.
P.S. The old vine zin is bubbling away in the barrel.
Thought I could edit this morning's post. Guess not.
6pm - pushed down the two caps. The merlot vat spigot leaks a bit. Didn't have the small bucket under the tap. Oops. Used best cellar practices and cleaned with sulphur/water solution.
Good night wine.
P.S. The old vine zin is bubbling away in the barrel.
Day 20
After becoming immersed in political blogs this campaign season, I decided to start my own. No, it's not political in nature; too many skeletons in my closet. Something everyone but the most stringent teetotaler would enjoy - wine making.
Unfortunately I'm more than halfway through the process for the 2008 vendage. But better late than never. And besides, this gives me a head start on next year.
I have two vats going. One with California syrah (84%) and roussanne (16%) crushed on 10/4. The Brix was an exceptional 29.0. This is a traditional belnd in the northern Rhone region of France. Roussanne, a white grape, is added in amounts up to 15%.
The second vat is North Fork Long Island merlot; picked, shipped across the Long Island Sound and crushed last Saturday. Nothing beats fresh grapes. Brix was 20.5. Purchased an additional 100+ lbs of grapes; too much for my 500 liter vat. I drained off about 15 gallons of juice/grapes skins so far.
The third batch is already in barrel; pressed this past weekend. Lodi California zinfandel.
*****************************************
6am - Pushed the cap down on the syrah/roussanne and merlot vats. Drained off another 4 gallons of Merlot juice and topped off my 4 side buckets. Brix of syrah/roussanne vat is down to 6.0. Sprinkled in the last of the yeast nutrients; ~1 ounce. A bit late given the Brix but the amount was small. Hoping the cap floats for one more week.
Unfortunately I'm more than halfway through the process for the 2008 vendage. But better late than never. And besides, this gives me a head start on next year.
I have two vats going. One with California syrah (84%) and roussanne (16%) crushed on 10/4. The Brix was an exceptional 29.0. This is a traditional belnd in the northern Rhone region of France. Roussanne, a white grape, is added in amounts up to 15%.
The second vat is North Fork Long Island merlot; picked, shipped across the Long Island Sound and crushed last Saturday. Nothing beats fresh grapes. Brix was 20.5. Purchased an additional 100+ lbs of grapes; too much for my 500 liter vat. I drained off about 15 gallons of juice/grapes skins so far.
The third batch is already in barrel; pressed this past weekend. Lodi California zinfandel.
*****************************************
6am - Pushed the cap down on the syrah/roussanne and merlot vats. Drained off another 4 gallons of Merlot juice and topped off my 4 side buckets. Brix of syrah/roussanne vat is down to 6.0. Sprinkled in the last of the yeast nutrients; ~1 ounce. A bit late given the Brix but the amount was small. Hoping the cap floats for one more week.
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