Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/70679
WI ne MAKI n G If I have put a slow-fermenting wine down to barrel, and I do not see enough activity, I will hit each barrel with 10ppm of SO2 . This helps knock down acetics a touch and allows the yeast to keep going. We monitor the volatile acidity by either running it in the in-house lab or send- ing it out to a lab. We then make further decisions and may re-inoculate and stir the barrel to keep yeast suspended in the wine. W&V: Did you face any additional difficul- ties with fermentations in the 2010 vintage? Cohn: 2010 was a bear of a vintage for everyone, and I was not left out. I was fortunate that I was able to get all my fruit very ripe. That is, the fruit that came in. I lost all my Roussanne and Marsanne in Santa Barbara and all the Syrah in Santa Barbara. There was way too much rain and not enough sun. On the other hand, I lost two Zinfandel vineyards due to too much sun. Each of these vineyards went from 65º to about 116º in one day, early on in the season, before the fruit was ready for this type of heat. This spike bleached the fruit and then fried it. "Many times when I have sluggish fermentations, the wines I produce have the highest levels of complexities." —Jeff Cohn, JC Cellars Our biggest issues with fermentations in 2010 were that our fruit came in so late in the year and that it became so cold early on. Being in Oakland, the cool Bay Area, and the fact that my winery has no heating capacity, made certain fermenta- tions sluggish. The ferments are taking a couple months longer to finish primary than I'd like. In the past I have found that many times when I have sluggish fermen- tations, the wines I produce have the highest levels of complexities, both aromatically and in flavors. What does not kill us makes us stronger, I guess. A resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Laurie Daniel has been a journalist for more than 25 years. She has been writing about wine for publications for nearly 15 years and has been a Wines & Vines contributor since 2006. To contact her or comment on this article, e-mail edit@ winesandvines.com. Wines & Vines APRiL 2011 41 ESEC_UNICOVITISVELVET TR.indd 1 01/03/11 10:18