Ready to Bottle

Preparing Wine For Bottling

In Tips & Tricks, Vintners Corner, Whites by Jan NilssonLeave a Comment

February’s Nanaimo Winemakers club zoom meeting featured a presentation by our own Ian Baker who shared valuable preparation reminders to improve success in bottling your wine.

We are pleased to include Ian’s notes from his presentation and a link to a PDF file if you choose to download.

FINISHING WHITE & ROSE’ WINES IN PREPARATION FOR BOTTLING

1. WINES ARE READY FOR FINISHING

    • Alcoholic fermentation complete.
    • Blending for fine tuning of aroma, fruit, mouthfeel, or acid balance should be completed 1 – 2 months prior to bottling and before Cold Stabilization.
    • Fining, Protein and Cold Stabilization after Alcoholic Fermentation

2. PROTEIN STABILITY

       

    • “Heat Haze” can occur in wines that are not protein stable.
    • Typically occurs when the wine gets warm.
    • Protein stability achieved by the addition of Bentonite early in the fining process.
    • 20 – 0.75 g/liter.
    • Test for protein stability via Hot Water Bath for 30 minutes at 80 degrees Celsius.
    • Check Wines for clarity 24 hours after Hot Water
    • Stubborn unstable wines can be treated with a repeat of Bentonite addition.
    • Additional Bentonite settles very quickly.

3 TARTRATE STABILITY – “Cold Stabilization”

    • Tartrate instability evident by the precipitation of tartrate’s, “Wine Diamonds” in the carboy or bottle.
    • Achieved by chilling the wine to around 0 degrees Celsius for 2 weeks or more.
    • Will precipitate and reduce some Tartaric Acid.
    • The amount of Tartaric Acid precipitated varies by pH and Wine.
    • Tartrate Stabilization can be facilitated by the “Contact Method” with the addition of Potassium Bitartrate (Cream of Tartar).
    • 4g Potassium Bitartrate/liter of chilled Wine with some agitation and a contact time of 1.5 to 2 hours works efficiently.
    • Crystalflash by AEB – Speeds up Tartrate Stabilization to 3-5 days.
    • Caution: Gases are absorbed more easily at low temperatures increasing the risk of oxidation.
    • CELSTAB by Laffort – an alternative method for Tartrate
      • Wine must be Protein Stable.
      • CELSTAB forms a haze in Wine treated with Lysozyme.
      • Add 1ml CELSTAB/ liter of Wine 24 hours before bottling.
      • Cost = $0.72 per 23 liter carboy.
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4. BALANCE

The relationship between Titratable Acidity (TA)and Residual Sugar (RS)

    • The key to maximizing the potential of any wine.
    • Often starts early in Winemaking with Blending and various methods of Acid adjustments.
    • TA can still remain high prior to bottling.
    • Wine may benefit by Balancing with some RS.

The Stigma on RS in Wine!  Examples of RS in Wine:

      1. TANTALUS OLD VINES RIESLING 2018

ACCOLADES

    • 93 POINTS – Chris Waters, Globe and Mail
    • 93 POINTS – David Lawrason, Wine Align.com
    • 93 POINTS – Treve Ring, Gismondi On Wine
    • 92 POINTS – Anthony Gismondi, The Vancouver Sun
    • Varietal: 100% Riesling
    • Alcohol:            12.6%
    • RS:                    11.41 g/L
    • pH:                    2.77
    • Total Acidity:    10.7 g/L

 

 

 

2. NK’MIP CELLARS QWAM QWMT RIESLING

    • Varietal: 100% Riesling
    • Alcohol:            12.38%
    • RS:                    7.5 g/L
    • pH:                    2.87
    • Total Acidity:    8.83 g/L

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. NK’MIP CELLARS DREAMCATCHER

    • Varietal: 35% Riesling, 20% Ehrenfelser, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, 18% Pinot Blanc, 8% Chard & 1% Semillon
    • Alcohol:            13%
    • RS:                    13.0 g/L
    • pH:                    2.89
    • Total Acidity:    8.14 g/L

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. NK’MIP CELLARS QWAM QWMT CHARDONNAY

    • Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
    • Alcohol:             13%
    • RS:                    3.12 g/L
    • pH:                    3.41
    • Total Acidity:     6.56 g/L

 

 

 

 

 

 

Analysis of Wine Tasted at Zoom Meeting

5. GEHRINGER BROS. ESTATE WINERY PRIVATE RESERVE DRY RIESLING 2020

 

    • Alcohol      13.0%
    • Total Acidity     6.5g/L
    • Residual Sugar  7.6g/L
    • pH 2.94
    • 2020 Vintage:
    • BEST OF CLASS/GOLD – Cascadia Wine Comp
    • GOLD – All Canadian Wine Comp

 

 

 

5. BENCH TRIALS – Balancing with RS

    • Encourage Spouse, Partner(s), Significant Others etc. to Participate.
    • Dissolve 5 grams of Sugar into 500 mls of the Trial Wine = 10 g/liter RS.
    • Measure out 300 mls of the Trial Wine unadjusted = 0 g/l RS.
    • With a non-permanent marker label 5 wine glasses.

#1 – Control

#2 – 2.5 g/l RS

#3 – 5.0 g/l RS

#4 – 7.5 g/l RS

#5 – 10.0 g/l RS

 

 

 

Using a 100 ml graduated cylinder measure into each glass:

#1 – Control         100 mls of unadjusted Trial Wine

#2 – 2.5 g/l RS    75 mls unadjusted Trial Wine + 25 mls 10 g/l RS Wine

#3 – 5.0 g/l RS    50 mls unadjusted Trial Wine + 50 mls 10 g/l RS Wine

#4 – 7.5 g/l RS    25 mls unadjusted Trial Wine + 75 mls 10 g/l RS Wine

#5 – 10.0 g/l RS   100 mls 10 g/l RS Wine

    • Taste through Wines to determine the preferred RS Range.
    • Repeat Trials within the RS Range to fine tune preference.
    • Bench Trial with previous Vintages.
    • Record Acid/RS for comparison with Future Vintages.
    • Option: Label glasses Alphabetically to disguise RS Levels.

 

 

 

 

6. FILTRATION

    • Filtration recommended to achieve Brilliant lasting Clear Wine.
    • Unfiltered Wines often will produce some sediment in the bottle after a period of time.
    • 5 micron “sterile” filter pad will render Brilliant Clear Wine.
    • 45 micron Absolute Filtration provides true Sterile Filtration.
    • 45 micron Nominal cartridge Filtration – next level for the amateur winemaker.
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7. PROTECTING/PRESERVING WINE

  • Measure and adjust Free SO2 prior to bottling.
  • The amount of Free SO2 needed to protect a Wine is pH dependent.
  Free SO2 Free SO2
 

pH Reading

 

 Minimum effective protection (0.8 mg/L molecular SO2) Maximum protection before sensing (2.0 mg/L molecular SO2)
2.8 9 23
2.9 12 29
3.0 14 36
3.1 18 45
3.2 22 56
3.3 28 70
3.4 35 87
3.5 44 109
3.6 55 137
3.7 69 172
3.8 87 216
3.9 109 272
4.0 137 342
4.1 172 430
4.2 216 540
  • Wine is protected from re fermentation in the bottle???

READY TO BOTTLE!

PREPARING YOUR WINE FOR BOTTLING  – pdf download 

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