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CO VER S T OR Y respond well to barrel fermentation. For fermenting such a small amount, Peterson said barrels make a lot of sense. The method also enables him to match grapes with intense, robust flavors to new oak, resulting in a great richness and integration to the wine. "Where it does well, we really like the results," he said. The exact amount of barrel fermentation varies each vintage, but Peterson said it runs around 10% to 15% of the winery's limited production of less than 1,000 cases. The average retail price for the Ovid Napa Valley is $200, and the winery's second label "Experiment" retails for $90. At Ovid, Peterson's crew destems grapes with a Bucher Vaslin Delta E-1, sorted on multiple tables and dropped from the main crush pad into upright barrels. The barrel heads are reinstalled, and the barrels are lowered onto racks and moved to a cave for cold soak. For primary fermentation, the barrels are moved to the winery's machine room, where the temperature hovers around 80º to 85º F. The barrels rest on single OxO racks that can be moved by forklift and also enable Peterson and his staff to spin the barrels, which they do one to five times a day. Peterson said he installs a solid bung— hand tightened—and starts the spin with a half-turn. Once he feels the cap start to flip, he'll give the barrel a full turn. To monitor fermentation, Peterson employs a stainless steel tube to punch through the cap and separate some juice from berries. At press time, Peterson said he lifts barrels with a forklift and then spins them so the bunghole is above a sump with a screen. He will then pull the bung to drain the free-run wine, lowers the barrel back down and rolls it off the rack. He removes the head and either shovels out the remaining fruit or tips it directly into the press. What barrels to use? Choosing what barrels to use for fer- mentation has been a deliberate process based on the varying characteristics of the vineyard, Peterson said. "We keep all of our barrels separate through the first year so that we can evaluate how each cooper, toast level and forest blend works with each part of our vineyard," he said. "Having done this for a number of years, we have started to identify which barrels we like for each parcel. We end up aging the barrel-fermented wine in some of the barrels we ferment it in, so we tend to choose them based on what has historically complemented that lot over the course of a year." For Cabernet Sauvignon, Peterson said Taransaud medium-plus and Sylvain medium-plus has worked well— as has a barrel or two from French cooperage Orion. Peterson noted that it's not just the labor; one also has to keep in mind the logistics involved in dedicating some barrels for fermentation rather than aging. "It's really labor intensive to get the fruit into the barrel," he said. "You're filling twice as many barrels as you'll use for wine storage." Several winemakers confirmed this math, saying that two barrels filled for fermentation will yield one barrel of wine for aging. So while space and labor costs should be of primary concern, the method is not as much of a burden in terms of dollars if you're already set on purchasing new oak. "You're buying the barrels anyway; the cost is the amount of labor and the time it takes," Peterson said. The extra barrels needed for barrel fermentation can be used to store wine fermented in tanks. Two years ago, we told the world we could replicate the fl avors of a French oak barrel by alternative means. Experts balked, then proved our point in blind tastings, actually choosing our fl avors over those of prestigious French barrels. We didn't stop there. Today we're offering the tools to recreate fl avor profi les of a whole range of different barrels. Whether they come from France or Kentucky, Hungary or Spain. Never before have winemakers had such a wide array of fl avor controls at their command. ® StaVın Inc, P.O.Box 1693, Sausalito,CA 94966 (415) 331-7849 f (415) 331-0516 stavin.com Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2012 27 © 2010 StaVin Inc.