Chaptalization

Sometimes when making wine, the winemaker will discover, before it’s complete, that it will simply not possess enough alcohol, as a result of a poor or cold growing season. Not enough heat renders grapes with less sugar, translating into lower potential alcohol. So what to do? The answer is “chaptalization”. Here additional sugar is added to the fermenting juice. The yeast feeds on the added sugar creating more alcohol, not sweetness, in the finished wine. More common in cooler wine growing regions of the world, this process is sometimes not allowed and the winemaker has to make do with what Mother Nature dishes out. Just part of the ongoing balancing act every good winemaker faces!

Barriques

Wine Doctor 072110 Barrique

file:///Users/edwardfinstein/Desktop/Wine%20Doctor%20072110%20Barrique.mp3

A “barrique” is the most famous wine barrel in the world. It’s considered the “cadillac” of barrels. Originating and still used to age wine in Bordeaux, it is now used by producers around the world. This 226 liter barrel seems to be the perfect size for aging wine, providing just the right volume and ratio of wood to wine. It also provides just the right influence of oak. Cost can vary depending on the barrel’s producer and where the oak is from. A new American barrique might cost around $300-$400. An Eastern European counterpart perhaps twice that, and French, considered the best, well over $1,000! So if you’re a commercial winemaker, you’re probably well advised to utilize a barrique or two.