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I can certainly see that you know your wine. Most of the guests who stay here wouldn't know the difference between Bordeaux and Claret!
John Cleese as Basil Fawlty. Fawlty Towers
Red wine is mostly produced from black grapes, although some white grapes are now being used, mainly the in the Shiraz-Viognier blend found in the Rhône Valley and in the New World. It is very important for red grapes to picked at the right time and in the right condition, to eliminate the danger of colour and taste defects in the wine.
After the grapes are picked, they are returned to the winery to be destalked and crushed. The resultant mass, which includes the skins and pips, is then put into a vat where it is allowed to ferment. Red wine gets its colour from contact with the grape skins.
Fermentation of Red Wine
Fermentation of red wines should begin at 20°C and should not exceed 35°C. Some winemakers choose to heat the grapes before fermentation to encourage the skins to release their colouring matter to the maximum. The main objective is to extract as much colour as possible, which can be achieved in a number of ways. In modern wineries, rotary fermenters regularly bring the juice back into contact with the skins and pulp, which will have amassed to the surface of the vat.
Colour extraction occurs most rapidly at the beginning of maceration (how long the wines and skins are left together) and slows as fermentation continues. Maceration typipcally lasts 6 days for wine with good colour and moderate tannins and 12 or more days for tannic wine destined for bottle ageing.
The length of time to complete fermentation can vary from 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the area and winemaker. The objective, however, remains almost the same: to convert all the sugar into alcohol.
Maturation of Red Wine
Wines need high levels of tannin, acidity and alcohol for mid- to long-term ageing, as well as dominant fruit flavours which can develop over the ageing period. American oak barrels tend to give sweet, vanilla and coconut flavours and a relatively small tannin, where as French oak offers a broader spectrum of flavours and tannins that help a wine to age better in bottle. New wood adds an aroma and flavour of oak to the wine, usually identified by vanilla or a smoky character, as well as good tannins.
Normally, a cask-aged red wine will spend a maximu of 18 months to 2 years in cask before bottling. For example, a Spanish Gran Reserve can only be classified as such if the wine has spent a minimum of 2 years in barrel.
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