The Art of Wine Making: Choosing the Right Vessel for Wine Fermentation

A large stainless steel tank used for fermentation

Photo by Meg von Haartman on Unsplash

Another aspect of the art of wine making involves choosing the type of vessel used for fermentation. Fermentation vessels are available in several materials with each one allowing the wine maker to influence their wine's flavor, texture, and overall style.

Here's an quick overview of the main types for fermentation vessels and their pros and cons:

1. Stainless Steel Tanks

Stainless steel tanks are widely used in winemaking

• Pros:

  • They are made of an inert material — it doesn't impart any flavor to the wine

  • These tanks are easy to clean and sanitize

  • It allows wine makers to conduct fermentation at highly controlled temperatures

• Cons:

  • While being a “pro,” the fact that it does not impart flavor can also be a negative

  • Doesn’t allow for oxygen to interact with the fermenting wine, resulting in wines that can be sharper with harsher tannin

  • Very costly

• Uses: Crisp whites like Sauvignon Blanc, rosés, and some lighter-bodied reds

2. Oak Barrels or Vats

Used for traditional or premium red wines and some white wines

• Pros:

  • New oak can add significant flavors (vanilla, spice, toast)

  • The porous nature of oak allows “micro-oxygenation” that can soften tannin softening and add to a wine’s complexity

• Cons:

  • Harder to clean

  • Oak barrels are expensive, especially new barrels

• Used for: Chardonnay and Fumé Blanc as well as for most red wines

3. Concrete Tanks or “Eggs”

Often used for artisan and natural winemaking

• Pros:

  • Provides good temperature control during fermentation

  • Allows for micro-oxygenation without imparting significant flavor

  • Egg-shaped vessels promote convection currents — helps keep the lees in suspension

  • Can enhance a wine’s texture and minerality

• Used for: Both reds and whites

4. Clay Amphorae (or Terracotta Jars)

This type of vessel has been used in wine making for thousands of years

• Pros:

  • Allows for light oxygen exchange

  • Can retain the grape’s flavors and/or impart subtle earthy characteristics

• Cons:

  • These vessels are fragile and porous (some are lined with beeswax)

• Used for: Natural wines, often whites and light reds

So, the choice of fermentation vessel is indeed a factor in a wine maker’s artistic expression of their final product. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Gaia Pinot Noir Rose

2024 Domaine Bousquet Gaia Pinot Noir Rosé ($20)

Gaia, the Greek goddess of the Earth, has been the Bousquet family’s inspiration since founding the winery in 1997. According to Ancient Greek mythology, Gaia (Guy-uh) was one of the primordial deities, emerging fully formed from Chaos to become the divine personification of Earth and the mother of all life. Gaia labels depict the goddess in a festive headdress of colorful fruits and flowers.

Gaia wines are crafted with French winemaking sensibility and made from 100% organic fruit grown at a cool 4000 foot altitude.

This Gaia Pinot Noir Rosé was produced from 100% organic Pinot Noir grapes that were hand harvested. The full clusters were pressed followed by a five-day cold maceration. It was then fermented for 30 days.

Gaia Rosé is a pale copper in color with delicate aromas of red fruit (cherry & strawberry) and floral notes. On the palate, this light-bodied rosé has subtle notes of Maraschino cherry and strawberry with good acidity. It finishes soft and balanced with just a hint of sweet fruit. [ABV: 12%, TA: 5.47 g/L, pH: 3.31, Residual Sugar: 1.08 g/L]

Gaia Rosé from Domaine Bousquet is light, easy to drink and very affordable making it a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review.

Media Sample Provided by Domaine Bousquet

The Art of Wine Making: Picking the Right Yeast for Fermentation

Natural Yeast on the Surface of Grapes

[Photo by Wayne Christensen on Unsplash]

Wine makers have used yeast for centuries to ferment the juice of grapes into wine. And, part of the art of winemaking is choosing the right yeast to use.

Wine makers have several choices in deciding which yeast to use to ferment their wine:

Wild or Native Yeasts - Grapes naturally have yeast on their skins (see photo). There are also natural yeast in the vineyard environment and yeasts that live within the winery. So, a wine maker can simply leave the crushed grapes and their juice to “spontaneously” being fermentation.

Advantages:

• Because wild yeasts are unique to each vineyard and winery, the add to the ‘terroir’ expression of the wine, making it even more unique

• Wild yeasts can produce unique chemical interactions that don’t occur with commercial yeasts

• Wild yeast is often viewed as more natural or pure

Disadvantages:

• It takes longer for fermentation to begin since the wine maker is relying on the yeasts in the air versus adding quantities of yeast directly

• Some natural yeast are not able to survive the rising levels of alcohol and die before fermentation is complete

• While also listed as an advantage, the unique flavors associated with natural yeast may result in undesirable results

Commercial Yeasts - This is the most common approach.

Advantages:

• Commercial yeasts are easy to purchase, transport and store.

• The fermentation process becomes more predictable and easier to control

• Some yeast will help reduce the volatile acids in the final product

• These yeasts will help to promote malolactic conversion

Disadvantages:

• Reduces a wine makers unique expression associated with native yeast

So, once again, choosing the ‘right’ yeast is just another part of a wine maker’s artistic expression. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon

2022 Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)

Gaia, the Greek goddess of the Earth, has been the Bousquet family’s inspiration since founding the winery in 1997. According to Ancient Greek mythology, Gaia (Guy-uh) was one of the primordial deities, emerging fully formed from Chaos to become the divine personification of Earth and the mother of all life. Gaia labels depict the goddess in a festive headdress of colorful fruits and flowers.

Gaia wines are crafted with French winemaking sensibility and made from 100% organic fruit grown at a cool 4000 foot altitude.

This Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon was produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that were carefully hand selected. They were fermented with native yeast for 15 days followed by 30 days of maceration. The wine then underwent full malolactic conversion before spending 10 months in used French oak.

This Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon is deep purple in color with medium aromas of black cherry and black plum. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has flavors of black fruit along with herbal notes. There is a hint of chocolate from the oak aging. It has rich flavors and a nice finish with spicy and jammy notes. [ ABV: 14.5%, TA: 5.2 g/L, pH:3.68, RS: 1.9 g/L]

This Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon is very tasty and quite affordable, making it a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

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Sample Provided by Domaine Bousquet

The Art of Wine Making: Deciding When and How to Macerate the Grapes

Photo by Being Organic in EU on Unsplash

Maceration is part of the winemaking process, especially for red wines, and it is considered part of the art of wine making. Maceration extracts color, flavor, tannins, and aroma compounds from the grape skins, seeds, and sometimes stems into the juice (i.e., the must).

What is Maceration?

Maceration is the soaking of crushed grape skins in their own juice. This allows compounds like tannins and the pigments that give red wine its color to be extracted from the solid parts of the grape.

• In red winemaking: The juice is fermented with the skins.

• In white winemaking: Usually, the juice is separated from the skins.

When Does Maceration Happen?

1. Cold Soak (Pre-Fermentation Maceration)
   Grapes are chilled and soaked before fermentation begins. This helps extract color and fruit aromas without pulling out too many tannins (which are more soluble in alcohol.

2. Maceration During Fermentation
   This is where color and tannin extraction intensify as the alcohol content rises. Winemakers will “punch down” the floating grape skins or “pump over” the juice maximize skin contact.

3. Extended Maceration (Post-Fermentation)
   Some winemakers leave the wine on the skins after fermentation ends, which can soften tannins and add complexity.

The Art of Maceration

Winemakers tailor maceration depending on:

• Grape Variety: Thick-skinned grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon can handle longer maceration; delicate ones like Pinot Noir need much less.

• Wine Style Desired: Full-bodied red wines have longer maceration periods and tend to be done at warmer tempeatures. A fruity, medium-bodied red will have a shorter and cooler maceration.

• Vintage Variation: In cooler years, maceration may extract more compounds to boost the wine’s intensity. In warm years, less extraction avoids overly tannic wines.

While there’s a lot of science going on, the artistry of wine making lies in the timing, temperature, and tasting decisions that a wine maker makes. Cheers!