Roccograndi wine

09/20/14 All vats and pails of juice have completed fermentation. Wine smells and tastes great. Only time will now tell how the wine develops.  Aging will be 12-18 months..

09/17/14 Brix measurement this morning shows fermentation is slowing.The temperature of the must has dropped 5 degrees which is also an indication the fementation is slowing. Brix scale is at 1 in all but 2 wines.  The Zinfandel is at 5 brix and the Syrah/Grenache blend is at 6 Brix. Looks Tonight I will add the malolatic culture.  Adding malolactic culture is known as Malolactic Fermentation and helps to add complexity to a wine.  Looks like I'll be pressing the grapes Friday evening or Saturday morning.

09/16/14 Brix, the measurement of  the conversion of sugar to alcohol, is at about 1/3 before fermentation is completed.  This morning I added yeast nutrient to make sure the yeast has enough energy to convert all the natural sugar to alcohol and ferment the wine dry.

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This evening I sampled the wine, yes wine. The sugar is converting to alcohol so I now have wine. I sampled each of the wines and I amazed of the flavor developing. When you first start, all you taste is grape juice but as the fermentation progresses a great transformation takes place. Each wine has it's own distinct flavor. As for aroma, at this stage all you really smell is the alcohol conversion and that is a good thing because at this stage off aromas can develop and that spells "TROUBLE".

09/15/14 Fermentation looks great!  All the grapes and juice are in an active fermentation phase.  Grape are rising in the vats.  I did my first punch down this morning. Punch down is where the winemaker pushes the rising grapes (cap) down into the wine. As the cap rises during fermentation, it creates a nice resting place for bacteria.  Daily (3 to 4 times) punch downs are required to keep the cap moist. In the evening my boys helped me punch down the cap. 

09/14/14 Today I started the yeast. Trying something new with oak during the primary fermentation.  I added French oak powder to the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah/Grenache blend and white American oak to the Old Vine Zinfandel.  Adding oak during fermentation helps infuse the oak aroma into the wine, later when the fermentation is finished, I'll add oak staves and balls for 6-9 months until I get the desired oak aroma.

Picked up juice and grapes today. Added sulfite to keep wild yeast at bay until I add my own yeast tomorrow. The juice (also called must when containing grapes) is at 48 degrees and needs to reach at least 60 before yeast can be added.

09/13/14 Cleaned and sanitized fermentation vats and carboys. Ready for juice and grapes.

08/14/14 Today I ordered my California juice. I selected Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Old Vine Zinfandel, and Grenache. Expected delivery is early to mid-September.

Progress Notes

Syrah Grenache Blend,Syrah is a noble grape variety that can produce some serious, long-lived red wines. The usual aroma and flavor descriptors include blackberry, black pepper, smoke, as well as dry, dark and tannic. The Grenache grape characteristic flavor profiles include red fruit flavors (raspberry and strawberry) with a subtle, white pepper spice note. Grenache's lower tannin and lighter color makes it a nice grape varietal to blend with Syrah.

Cases anticipated: 6.5

Old Vine Zinfandel, As grape vines begin to age the amount of grapes harvested becomes less as the vines produce less fruit. The fruit tends to be more concentrated in flavor.  While there is no legal definition of the age a vine must be to be called Old Vine, most agree that 75-100 years is the appropriate age. The vines yield fruit that is darker, richer, and spicier. Blackberry, anise, and pepper notes are typical.

Cases anticipated: 9

Cabernet Sauvignon, The classic profile of Cabernet Sauvignon tends to be full-bodied with high tannins and noticeable acidity that contributes to aging potential. Cabernet Sauvignon tends to produce wines with blackcurrant notes that can be accompanied by green bell pepper notes, mint and cedar. With hotter climates the currant flavors can veer towards the over-ripe and jammy side.

Cases anticipated: 9

For the Fall vintage I decided to step up production. I am making about 27 cases of wine using juice and grapes from California. In the Spring I made wine from Chilean juice, and prior Fall I made wine from Italian juice.  

2014 Fall Vintage

Syrah, Syrah is a noble grape variety that can produce some serious, long-lived red wines. The usual aroma and flavor descriptors include blackberry, black pepper, smoke, as well as dry, dark and tannic. 

Cases anticipated: 2.5

​Vino fatto con la famiglia e gli amici.

01/24/15 Racked Old Vine Zinfandel, Syrah/Grenache, and cabernet Sauvignon.  Ready for bulk aging..

07/02/15 Filtered and polished 50 gallons today. Removed oak.