Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/107279
WINEMAKING to alcohol, and if the must is unusually difficult to ferment, a yeast that has capabilities of strong fermentation. Nicault has a Diemme Vintage 23 hydraulic press used for all red pressings. "It's a very gentle and very sanitary way to extract the press wine. I firmly believe that it has allowed us to add a larger volume of press wine back to our free-run wine." He uses concrete eggs for white fermentation, but for red fermentation the egg is only about two-thirds full, so it's just like fermenting in a regular concrete tank. The Signature bottling line can fill 55 bottles per minute. ety, the vineyard and the finished product we aim for," Nicault notes. He says there are times during the growing season when he doesn't want the vines to struggle—such as at bloom, at veraison and when the days are in the 100°F range. "On the other hand, if the plant is healthy, we reduce the water after set to keep the berries and clusters smaller." He notes that in the middle of summer, when mid-day temperatures reach 100°-110°F, it is important to shade the afternoon sun side of the canopy and open it up later, when the temperature doesn't spike as high. Otherwise, too much sun exposure can lead to sunburn and overproduction of phenols. Nicault says he only picks riper fruit when it is necessary to achieve the right flavors and color development. "Last year, one of our most beautiful Merlots for Pedestal was harvested at only 24.3° Brix," he reports. "Riper grapes are sometimes inevitable, but it is important to retain the balance of the wine and the freshness of the fruit." He says that when the maturation is optimum with brown seeds, he does some cold soaks on Merlot and Syrah for up to four days at 40°F. "I like to then warm up In the vineyard Grapes for the Long Shadows partners' wines come from a number of vineyards, including the impressive Benches vineyards, which tower over the Columbia River not far from the winery. Nicault likes to drop some fruit while doing shoot thinning before and after bloom, cluster thinning after set (if necessary), color thinning at veraison to even up the maturation and one more pass to reject any fruit with sunburn or other defects before harvest. "The final yield will depend on the growing season, the vari- Winery managing partner Allen Shoup is a big fan of Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly. The on-site Chihuly room features many of his custom-built pieces. the must to 70°F to avoid a sluggish start of fermentation." Gilles Nicault has some of the biggest challenges facing any winemaker, as he works with some of the world's best-known winemaking partners. It also gives him unique opportunities—and fortunately, he has the equipment and resources to match. P ro s p e ro E q u i p m e n t C o r p. h a s t h e s o l u t i o n s yo u n e e d fo r t h i s ye a r s b o t t l i n g a n d h a r ve s t s e a s o n s . C a l l t o d ay t o s p e a k t o a s a l e s re p re s e n t a t i ve . BOTTLING & PACKAGING CRUSHERS PRESSES TANKS PUMPS REFRIGERATIONS Th e W i n e r y S o l u t i o n FILTERS West Coast AWS/Prospero 7787 Bell Road Windsor, CA 95492 Phone: (707) 838-2812 Fax: (707) 838-3164 westcoast@prosperocorp.biz Finger Lakes P.E.C. Geneva 1902 Route 14N Geneva, NY 14456 Phone: (315) 719-0480 Fax: (315) 719-0481 geneva@prosperocorp.biz Main Office Prospero Equipment Corp. 123 Castleton Street Pleasantville, NY10570 Phone: (914) 769-6252 Fax: (914) 769-6786 info@prosperocorp.biz Win es & Vin es F EB RUA RY 20 13 49