VINIFICATION OF WHITE WINES
The grapes are harvested either by hand or machine. After reception at the winery, the bunches are placed into a press to extract the juice, which is then immediately pumped into a tank. The juice settles for a period of ten hours, where the process of clarification takes place. After clarification, yeast is added to provoke the alcoholic fermentation during which time temperature is maintained between 16º and 19º C.After approximately ten days, the fermentation is complete. The wine is removed from this tank and stored in the cellar for a period of six months. It is here the subsequent malo-lactic fermentation occurs, resulting in the stabilization of the acidic structures of the wine.
Next, it is prepared for bottling. The wines are blended and fined, and after some weeks, undergo a light filtration prior to bottling.
VINIFICATION OF RED WINES
The harvest of the grapes is performed manually. After reception at the winery and destemming, the grapes are placed in a tank for a period of 10 to 15 days. For the first three days, the vat is maintained at a temperature between 16º and 18º C. On the fourth day, the fermentation is provoked by adding yeast; then the following day, the tank is heated to 25º C. The fermentation naturally elevates the temperature to between 28º and 33º C.
During this period, two processes occur:
• The fermentation converts sugar to alcohol
• The maceration process extracts teh color and aroma
of the grapes by pumping over and plunging the cap.
The plunging of the cap pushes the grape skins into the juice so that the solid particles (skins and seeds) are in contact with the liquid.
Pumping over is facilitated with a pump to irrigate the cap with juice to extract color and aromas.
These two operations are performed once a day during this period of maceration. After this period, the wine is pressed and left for 15 months in the cellar. It stays between four and nine months in oak barrels with age of less than five years old. The wine is then stored in old barrels or tanks. During the first month of this period, the malo-actic fermentation occurs, allowing for stabilization of the structures of the wine. The wines are then prepared for bottling, where they are blended, then fined with albumen or gelatin. After some weeks, a light filtration precedes the bottling.
LINWOOD WINE & SPIRIT LLC