Pressing day + 19, 2009: more clarity

Same 750 of overflow Muscat.  Now much more clear - hard to believe it would have happened given the opaqueness of the juice on pressing day.

We should expect to rack the weekend of the 7th / 8th November?

Pressing day + 8, 2009: more colors

A week past pressing day, colors are starting to change for real. None of the yogurt color left in the Grenache. And the Muscat has turned the color of lemonade or orangeade as sediments fall out. On one of the overflow 750's of the Muscat the wine in the neck has nearly turned clear, and you can see the very thick lees forming. Which, of course, raises the question: battonage anyone?

No real delta to the Syrah or Merlot blend colors.

Bubbling has died down considerably.

Lending the new press

Going to lend the new press to the 4th Ave group this evening or tomorrow. They're also working with grapes from Lapide and started 7 or 8 days after our crush.

About the press: after washing it when we were done with our pressing, I used mineral oil (food grade) on the screw and the ratchet - anything that would have skins ground into threads. And the ratchet seems to be moving more freely.

Colors

The top picture is the Grenache with a little Syrah. The bottom shows the Cab/Merlot on the left and the free run Grenache on the right.

Moving the Wine to Carboys

A happy day of wine making brought smiles to everyone's faces.

Wicked sneezing and the color of Grenache

Yes, all that sneezing was the trumpet call of a wicked cold. But on the plus side, I get to stare at the wine.

The neck and top quarter of the Grenache is turning a more wine-like color, less yogurty. Last evening one of the Syrah cbs - a little over-filled - kept pushing up its rubber cork. Rather than take wine out, I switched the cb over to one of the orange caps, which seem to be more forgiving.

That is all.

Pressing day, 2009

A beautiful day.

Started puttering around at 7:30. Combined the muscat into a 5 gallon cb, 2 750 ml bottles, and on 375 ml. Approaching dry. Put another cup into the fridge to taste.

Peter came by at 10, we put the new press downstairs, and we got to work, Peter scoooping and Lori and I getting the juice into carboys - 20 gallons of free-run. Then we tried to get to work pressing and found ourselves pretty much unable to get the ratchet working properly. It got a bit better as we went - still not quite right - and we bulled a full 5 gallons of pressed wine out of the lees. So - the 10 cases / 360 lbs. for the Merlot blend yielded 25 gallons.

Mike & Pam arrived 11ish and got ot work.

The Syrah juice came up a bit shy of 6 gallons. 5 went into a cb, and the spare was set aside to top off the Grenache, if needed.

The Grenache was pink & opaque. 1 cb was filled with free run, and the second cb was about 4.5 gallons mixed free run and press, and a couple quarts of the Syrah.

We stopped for some bread and cheese. David D. came buy with a bottle of the 4th Ave. group's 2008 effort from juice & concentrate. They'll likely borrow the new press for next week.

Lori did most of the topside cleanup, and I rearranged and cleaned downstairs. By 2 I was sunning myself out back. Life is worth living, and filled with wine.

Well, we closed our eyes and threw our money...

... and it landed in a 40 cm dual ratchet basket press at Lapide's. The deal is done. Let's hope our nieces' and nephews' children are still enjoying it when we're a-mouldering in the grave.

Malolactic culture added

I just added the malolactic culture to all three red wines. We're using Chr Hansen Viniflora Oenos. 1.5 gram package, shared out amongst all the containers.

Ferment day 7 AM, 2009 - quietude

Hummmmmmm.

Didn't bother with temps. No cap action in Grenache. Little or no in Merlot blend. Everything (except Muscat) says go.

Will ask M if he wants me to combine the Syrah to protect it.

We can add malo bugs today and let it work before crush.

End of ferment day 6, 2009

Mike & Pam are set to press on Sunday, and that looks fine for their juice. Little delta in either the Syrah or Grenache. Temps within 1/2 degree of last reading. Light sizzle.

Merlot blend, even though it last read around zero Brix, has legs and is still forming a small cap. May press Sunday, may push it off until Monday.

Muscat has barely budged sugar level in last 36 hours. Well, we'll just go a long for the ride. Won't chill it. Did aerate it a bit. Might combine it to a full 5 gal and a 1 gal after tomorrow's Market trip, and then just tip my hat to it.

Ferment day 6 AM, 2009

Everything looking fine.

Grenache and Syrah pretty much have hit steady.

Blend still cooling, cap down to 2".

Added a tad of ice to the bucket surrounding the Muscat - not as much as I'd like, but what I had. Should take Brix again this evening.

End of day 5, 2009

All singing, all dancing. All wine temps continue to fall except the Muscat, which still has the furthest to go.

Syrah Brix is aprox. zero.

Grenache is sooooooo ready to press.

Merlot blend is still throwing up a heck of a cap. Lori's decided that if she wakes up in the middle of the night she'll punch it down again.

Syrah Juice Fermenting

Making wine from juice for the first time is challenging Steve's on-line oenology degree. While these are definitely throwing off his rythym, they are showing signs of life. The Grenache needs a partner and hopefully this will work out.

Day 5, 2009, AM

(I should probably point out - because I won't remember it next year - that I'm counting days of fermentation, and calling the crush date Day zero.)

Both the Merlot blend and the Grenache have brix readings near zero. Both are still fermenting, the Merlot pretty vigorously (and still 76 F), and the Grenache at a much lower level (73 F). The Grenache looks definite fr Saturday. We might be pushing it a bit to do the Merlot then.

Spent some time with the Muscat. One carboy bubbling vigorusly, and the larger one not. Took Brix from the large one, though, and it's down to 10. Temp 72 F. I blended some of the juice from the two cbs together, and added ice to the tubs holding the cbs.

Syrah is at 72 F. Ran out of time and did not get to take the Brix, but it was at 2.5 on the 29th. Will get a reading this evening. On the weekend it will likely go into a 6 gal. carboy - if it goes stiller before then, I might combine the two half-filled 5's into a full 5 and a 1 gal. jug, to minimize air contact.

End of day 4, 2009

Pietro looked in on the wine at about 18:30. We didn't do a full punchdown, but fiddled about and discussed purchasing a new press on Saturday. Was very happy to see that the smaller Muscat cb was in full fermenting swing - plopping the bubbler. Will watch the temp tomorrow AM and may decide to ice it down.

M&P here at about 8 PM. We punched down the grapes and chatted through what supplies might be needed.

9:30 temp check of everything, but too pooped to take Brix reading. Everything continues to descend except the Muscat, which is rising. Everything seems right-on. Injected a couple of squirts from the ore active small Muscat cb into the less active large one. Hopeful for Saturday, but might need to push off a day or two for the Merlot blend.

Plus ultra.

Day 4, 2009 6:30 AM

For the Merlot blend, the Grenache and the Syrah, nothing of special note except to say that it looks like M&P will get a very good yield from the Grenache - grapes are almost fully dessicated and going to need very little pressing. Will be lots of free flow.

I can't tell what the heck is happening with the Muscat. If Brix isn't lower in this evening's read, it'll be time to worry.

End of day 3, 2009

Pickle jars of Muscat juice over chilled, solidified lees. Gooooood morning!

Grenache (1 Brix) and Syrah (2.5 Brix) nearly dry! Will recalibrate tomorrow, but it was pretty obvious that the Grenache was speeding through things quicker than the rest of the wine. Mike and Pam should expect to press Saturday or Sunday, for sure.

Merlot blend is at 5 Brix (subject to the same calibration). Cap is still rebuilding every few hours (punched down at 6:30 and at 9:30).

Muscat... I started trying to cool it at 7:30 and am considering moving it outdoors. Currently at room temperature and only down 1 Brix. Buy room temp is 10' higher than textbook for whites. (On the other hand, we did not use a low temp yeast.) We'll see.

I also added back the chilled juice from the lees that I refrigerated after the initial settling. Total loss was between 2 or 3 cups. Nice.

Day 3, 2009, AM

Grenache seems like it's starting to slow - same temp as last evening. Cap maybe a little less vigorous.

Merlot blend seems at it's height. +5" cap, up 1.5' temp from last night.

Grenache same temp as last night, pinprick bubbles have started to form foam over 1/2 surface. Will get Brix this evening.

Muscat temp raised 4.5' from last night to 76.5. 1/2" foam on larger cb, less on smaller. Want to start cooling this. Will check references for optimal temp. Have moved to a hopefully cooler spot in the cellar, and placed cbs into galvanized tubs for icing down.

Everything is where it ought to be, ladies and gentlemen.

End of day 2, 2009

Blend climbed 7' from this morning and is down to 15 brix.
Grenache climbed another 5.5', to 82', and it's brix is approaching 10 - very quick (and will want to recalibrate the hydrometer, to be sure).

The caps are at the max on both these wines - Pam and Mike are missing a good show. Punchdowns are psychedelic.

Did not record brix from the Syrah, but it is continuing to be very active, temp 79', same as this morning.

Muscat is starting to do something - ferment or rot - and is only up .5' from this morning at a still cool 72. This is really right on schedule. Should have action in the AM.

The room is the warmest it's been - 72'.
Lots of CO2, lots of grape smell. No flies. Floor is pretty clean.

A boy and his masher

Ever since seeing a couple of CrushNet videos showing workers doing punchdowns, I've realized that our hereditary approach to punchdowns needed some adjustment. Some oomph. A commercial stainless steel punchdown tool is $85, and I couldn't get my brother to make us one - so today I hit the Bowery, and in the first restaurant supply place I went into I found this lovely mammoth potato masher for $13.95. No tax. Vavoom!

Grenache in Action

The birth of the Savino Grimaldi Family vineyards "Melo's Blend" Genache, Syrah. We are all about the hope now.

Destemming

Pam destemming grapes for the first time. A task she was seemingly born to do!

The Operation

Thanks to the Lewis Cheatle Family winery for lending us their state of the art operation! Savino Grimaldi Family wine has begun.

Day 2, AM, 2009

Very vigorous caps in the Grenache (76.5') and the Merlot (73.5') blend.

No real start in the Muscat, but the temp is starting to rise. No worries unless there's nothing by tomorrow AM.

Syrah very active pinpricks of CO2, no foam, 79'.

End of day 1, 2009

Good strong caps in the Grenache and the Merlot blend.
Grenache has risen 6.5' in last 12 hours, and is at 69.5 - above room temp.
Merlot has risen 4.5 degrees in same time period (and is more than double the volume of the Grenache, so the slower delta matches what we've seem in the past.

Lots of pin-prick bubble activity in the Syrah juice.
Nothing yet in the just-yeasted Muscat.

Muscat racked & yeasted

Racked the Muscat off it's lees, losing abut 2 quarts. Divvied the racked juice between 2 carboys, and yeasted. 70.5', up a few from this morning, and Brix about 21. (Image shows 2 to 3 cm of lees in about 2 gal of juice let sit 24 hours. Juice is still opaque.)

Warrick or Ivers talks about taking the lee-mixed waste at this point, refrigerating it to force the lees to drop again and solidify, and then working the juice back into the working wine. Why not? Am giving it a shot.

In the racking I forced the racking wand through the new caps we've been buying - works very nicely. You can set the wand at the height you want above the lees and turn your attention elsewhere. (Image: Dude, remember to pull off the venting nipple next time.)

2009 daily readings

I'm publishing this to this link.
I'll also put it in the right hand column.

Nothing notable on 9/27 AM. Punched down at about 9 AM. Light fermentation in grapes and Syrah juice. KSo2'd the Muscat juice lst night to keep things from happening until we rack it today - still the opaqueness of unfiltered cider, but a serious layer of solid lees forming.

Small vessels are at about room temp - which means a nearly 20' change for the Syrah juice. Larger vessels are still cooler by about 5' or 6'.

New press now?

Chat yesterday afternoon about buying a replacement press, as the Barbers' Special will be heading to Staten Island before next year's use. If now, then we'd use it for next week's red press.

It'll be a basket press. The question is 35, 40, or 45 cm diameter basket size. These descriptions are from Grape & Granary:

• 35: Basket diameter is 35 cm. Basket dimensions are about 14 inches by 18 inches. 12 gallon capacity basket. Holds 2 cases of grapes uncrushed or 7-10 cases crushed. ($465, single-ratchet.)
  
  
• 40: Basket dimensions are about 16 inches by 22 inches. Capacity is 18 gallons. Basket diameter is 40 cm... Holds 3 cases of uncrushed grapes or 11-15 cases of crushed grapes. Diameter of base is 23.5 inches. Overall height of press is 55 inches. ($535, double ratchet.)
  
  
• 45: Basket diameter is 45 cm. Basket dimensions are about 18 inches by 24 inches. 25 gallon basket capacity... Holds 4 cases of grapes uncrushed or 15-20 cases crushed. ($670, double ratchet.)
  

Figuring out our existing press is not so easy (and that's not so surprising - it's been a long strange trip): 15" diameter to the inside, 17" to the outside, 18" tall. So we need to find a reference that tells us how the diameter is measured. If it's to the center of the slats, we have 40 cm.

The larger sizes have double ratchets, the smaller single. Which means only different speeds?
Here's the answer, at leeners.com: "The larger presses #40 & #45 are supplied with a two slot ratcheting head which will operate fast (key in inner slot) or slow (key in outer slot). More pressing torque is available at the slow setting."

Locally, both Lapide and Pagano have the presses (which means no shipping costs, and that can matter given that the presses are damned heavy). If we decide to hold off until next year, we can wait on sales, shop for price, etc.

Opening day, 2009 (day zero)

8:15 AM - Note from B & L saying they are dropping out f the 2009 production. The sound of my jaw slapping against the sidewalk.

8:30 AM - Mike Savino drops in. He & Pam are making wine with us this year!

9:00 ish - We hot the road: Savino and me in one car, James and Peter and Lori in another. Peter is set on Muscat. Lori and I are set on a Merlot - Cab S. blend, somewhere around 75% / 25%. Mike is set on a Rhone blend, if Syrah can be found.

9:30 ish: we haunt Lapide and Pagano. James makes mysterious calls that result in a discount at Lapide. Peter sticks with Muscat. Mike finds Syrah juice at Pagano (Lodi), and buys it to blend with Grenache grapes from Lapide (Pagnani). Steve and Lori decide to change the blend to 70% Merlot, 20% Cab. S., 10% Petite Syrah. We all go with the default yeast of Lapide - Montrechet Red Star.

Until 2:00 ish: after a quick coffee at Provini and Mike picking up Pam, we start by pressing the Grenache (4x36 #), and dividing the Syrah juice (6 gal) between 2 carboys. The juice is very cold (~50'). Pam sets to destemming the Grenache.

We crush the blend into two 50 gal. drums. Lori starts destemming.

I break out the last of the anisette and a little cheese, which keeps James and me from fainting away. James leaves ~ 2:30.

2:30 ish: Lunch! Mike has brought lobster salad and Rolls from the Red Hook Lobster Pound. Life is worth living again.

Until 5:00 ish: Pam yeasts the Grenache and the Syrah juice. The Savinos leave.

Lori continues destemming.

Peter and Steve pick over the Muscat, and crush it, then press it. The grapes taste delicious, but there are a surprising number of broken and browned ones. Crushing yields only about 7 gallons - only half of what we were expecting. Lots of difficulty with the press, and the grapes clearly have a bunch of juice left in them. We divvy the juice between two carboys with the plan of letting it settle for a day, then racking it, then yeasting it. The white juice is the opaqueness of apple cider - we're hoping for a lot of settling.

(I should say that the Merlot grapes were beautiful. The Cab. S, had minimal rot, and the Petite Syrah had a bunch of mild / mildew. All grapes and must tested between 24 brix and 26 brix.)

Until 6:30 ish: Clean-up - Esteban and Nixon from Peters' restaurants come over to help put, breaking up and bundling the crates, washing, etc. An amazing help. Bernardo visits, and brings desperately needed cold beer. We combine the two partial barrels of the blend, and Lori yeasts it. Worried about the white juice sitting for a night, I KSO2 it, 3/4 tsp to the 5 gallons. Caps and airlocks on the white juice and the Syrah juice.

7:30: We're too pooped (long silences, staring) to make good guests at the Savinos' , but not too pooped for Peter to scooch us in to Locali. Then a nightcap at Provini. Then... back to the cellar.

10:30: The Grenache and the blend are both already showing early fermentation signs. There's slight but real bubbling on the Syrah. Photographed everything, and will start the regular measurements in the AM.

Mudd Lite

The 2006 Mudd that Lori and I love so well is 72.6% Merlot, 19.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.4% Blaufrankisch and 1.5% Dornfelder. Blaufrankisch is dark and spicy, Dornfelder dark and plummy and maybe sweet. Well, we can't but either.

But shooting for a 300 lb / 20 to 25 gallon batch of Mudd lite could be:

(a) 7 cases, 252 #, Merlot, 78% - 2 cases, 72 #, Cab. S. 22% (324 #)
or
(b) 6 cases, 216#, Merlot, 75% - 2 cases, 72 #, Cab. S. 25% (288 #)
0r
(c) 5 cases, 180 #, Merlot, 70% - 2 cases, 72 #, Cab. S. 30% (252 #)
or
(d) 8 cases, 252 #, Merlot, 80% - 2 cases, 72 #, Cab. S. 20% (360 #)

or mix and match a share of the Cab. S. for something your friend might have.

And hello to Mike & Pam

Mike and Pam Savino are interested in making a small amount of wine with us this year. Maybe 2 to 4 crates of Grenache. So I've suggested that Mike pick up a 32 gal. Roughneck and either we'll pick up the grapes for him or he'll meet us at the Market.

Mike's also interested in whites other than Muscat. (If Mike and Pam go white, they should pick up a couple carboys or a carboy and some 1 gal. jugs.)

And, I've sent an invite to Mike for the 11th Street Blog. Howdy, Mike.

Quick sizing reference

I can never keep this in my head:

1,020 # red grapes = 75 to 80 gal., depending on grapes, press, etc.
1,020 # white grapes = 80 to 85 gal, depending...

A muscat is a muscat is a muscat...

sort of.

The Brooklyn Terminal sellers don't say which muscat they have, but looking at M&M you can see that the central valley and Lodi muscats that they are selling (including Papagni, which is the Lapide source) is Muscat Alexandria. Full reference at wiki. I know Peter is intrigued - he should know:

This grape is used for sherry, moscatel or muscatel wines, Moscatel de Valencia, Muscatel Passito and other Muscatel liqueurs and also as a raisin and table grape.

and

Wine made from Muscat of Alexandria tends to be sweet with an earthy taste. It is not particularly aromatic. In Málaga the grape is often blended with Pedro Ximénez to create a strong wine that varies in color from gold to dark black. In Australia, the grape is often used in the production of cream sherry. ^[1] In Portugal, Vinho Moscatel (Moscatel Wine) is a sweet wine widely produced in the Setúbal Peninsula region, just south of Lisbon, as well as in Favaios, Alijó and other areas of the Portuguese Douro, in northern Portugal.

I have to say, that makes me curious to see what an 80% muscat, 20% alicante would look like, all pressed as a white wine.

Obama Sauvignon

I opened a bottle of the Obama and let both of us breathe a little. It's the most effervescent of the wines we have made--I don't know it that means it's still in play to a greater degree than most of our other wines have been. It's a pretty wine--purple and clear but there's still a distinctive aftertaste that's more agreeable but still a little off the spectrum from what cabernet sauvignon serves up--a fusion if I have to put a name to it of naughahide and Schedule B, 2007 1040 EZ.

Trip report: Brooklyn Terminal market

Lori and I visited both Lapide and TP&S (Tony Pagano) today. Here's what we saw.

Confirmed: both have only Central Valley CA grapes. And pretty much the same range of grapes. What Lapide has today (and next week will be similar, but not identical) is:

• Alicante, 42#, $38
• Barbera, 36#, $34
• Cab. S., 36#, $39
• Grenache, 36#, $34
• Merlot, 36#, $38
• Zinfandel, 36#, $41
• Sangiovese, 36#, $38

We looked at Pagano's list - it was similar, but we did not think to pick up a copy. Both shops also have a couple / three whites, most notably Muscat.

We also looked at equipment.

Neither shop rents destemmers (damn them) but both sell motorized versions for about a thousand bucks. Pagano also had a hand-cranked destemmer for $600 or $700. All had stainless steel hoppers and painted body parts. The one at Lapide also had some plastic body parts. Pagano had a wider variety of primary fermenters (which I have in mind for the cruel 2010 season when Bernardo will be ensconced on S.I.). We picked up a couple of 5 gal. carboys, since we still have three in the cellar with 2008 and 2007 wine in them.

Anyway, a nice outing. Pagano had more equipment and supplies, but Lapide had more buzz. Damn soon we'll be there buying, no?

(PS: have a new & greatly improved route to the market.
Ocean Parkway to a left on Avenue J.
Avenue J 2.4 miles to a left on Flatlands.
Flatlands .5 miles to a left on 87th.
87th, a coupleof blocks later, is the main entrance to the Market.)

CA grapes

Ciao tutti,

We're for California grapes this time, and though we'd be interested in trying grapes from a more renowned region in CA, we don't have time for a drive to Hartford. Zinfandel is always fun, so is Barbera.

Best,

Bernardo

Selecting the '09 grapes

Bernardo is wanting to go back to CA grapes.

Steve & Lori both want to hold off on LI grapes until we see where the Cab S. is at next year, and want to go with either CA or WA grapes. More on that, below.

Peter doesn't seem to be as focused on the source of the grapes as the method for gathering them - does not want to do the multi-hour in each direction drive thing.

Re CA grapes:
We've made pretty good wine from the Central Valley grapes we've purchased from Lapide. There are better growing regions to buy grapes from, both CA and WA, at higher cost. Do we want to pursue that? M&M (Hartford) has grapes from 7 WA AVAs and from 8 CA regions (including Central Valley).

Anyone closer sell non CV CA grapes?
I've checked the listings for the Bronx Terminal market, and wine grapes are not included at all. The other provider at the Brooklyn Market is TP&S Winegrapes, Inc.: 718-209-4108.
M&M deliver?

We need to decide very soon.

Tasting the 08 Cab S

We tasted the Cheatle / Lewis and the Sclafani '08 Cab S. today.

Comparing the 2, the nose of the Sclafani is smoother. I'm guessing this is from it's being lower alcohol. Color is very similar, and I think it's just where we expect and want for it to be. Does the Sclafani taste under-proof? Can't quite tell, because...

The C/L seems a bit bitter and the Sclafani seems a bit tart. Sigh.
Our assumption is that time will continue to improve things, and we do have time. Might want to replace the Sc. carboy for the 09 production. Leave the C/L in the tank until at least after the 09 racking: at that point we'll decide to leave the 09 L/C in carboys or bottle the 08 or... buy another aging tank? (Cha-ching!)

We decided that if the oak is floating in the C/L we'd remove it now - but it's not: it's sunk to the bottom. Need to decide whether to go fishing.

Last note - when we re-inflated the lid the tank was not completely level, and after a couple of minutes it actually popped off. Moved it now to a level spot, have inflated it to 0.5 bar rather that 0.7 bar. Will make sure it stays put, then go up by .1, repeat.

Grape choices for 2009

I know B is leaning toward California grapes. Lori, I think is interested in looking widely. I think I'm leaning toward north fork again. Lori's mentioned trying to hok up with the Red Hook operation to buy grapes with them, to get better quality and lower price.

Starting to think about it for real, I've been poking into the M&M site - the folks up in Hartford that I've often seen ads for. Wide variety of grapes from a wide variety of California growers. I like this harvest reference page. They also sell juice from Washington, Chile, etc.: will call them to find out if they wil bring in WA grapes.