Wines & Vines

April 2017 Oak Barrel Alternatives Issue

Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/804714

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 75 of 83

76 WINES&VINES April 2017 GRAPEGROWING WINE EAST - B E C O PA D - Y E A S T & E N Z Y M E S - C R U S H PA D E Q U I P M E N T - S T E R I L E F I LT R AT I O N - W I N E R Y H O S E - O A K A LT E R N AT I V E S EASTERN WINE LABS Serving the Analytical needs of East Coast Wineries WWW.EASTERNWINELABS.COM Ph 609-859-4302 Cell 609-668-2854 chemist@easternwinelabs.com AOAC Member EasternWineLab_Mar09.qxp 1/22/09 9:47 AM Page 1 • Cold-hardy grapes' natural acidity remains a chal- lenge. "The bad news is that if you want to get rid of malic acid and keep the tartaric in these grapes," he said, "It just doesn't hap- pen." He also lamented the hybrid grapes' tendency to bind tannins to proteins. That vexing dilemma was the topic of an entire talk by Cor- n e l l ' s M a r k S k o g l u n d , w h o started by noting that the pulp of cold-hardy grapes generally contains more protein than vinif- era grapes, and that "the tannins love to bind with the protein." His research involved a three- pronged plan of attack: 1. Act immediately; 2. Isolate the pro- tein; 3. Treat it. "The most promising treat- ment," Skoglund said, was using a "(protein-fining) bentonite slurry, which got the proteins to a level we can work with." He noted that in a trial last year, these steps produced the desired results: crush and press, set aside the skins, add a maceration en- zyme to the juice, wait a day, rack, add bentonite, rack again, recombine with the skins and then ferment. Ranging far and wide The conference covered a pleth- ora of topics, with separate ses- sions on enology, viticulture and business. Among the more topical subjects: Soil: After a study seeking to discern the best yields and quality for cold-climate hybrids, Carl Rosen touted sandy loam and silt loam but added that "these grapes can tolerate a wide range of physical and chemical proper- ties in soils." The University of Minnesota soil scientist strongly recommended testing every four or five years for these soil traits: physical (texture and structure), chemical (nutrients, pH) and bio- logical (microbes). Martinson mentioned in his NGP talk that the only cold-hardy grape that seems sensitive to sulfur in the soil is St. Croix. Spraying: Safety first, last and always was the overriding theme of Dean Herzfeld's presen- tation. The University of Min- nesota educational program manager stressed that "it's all about exposure, not toxicity.… Low toxicity but long exposure is as dangerous as high toxicity in shorter exposure. We should treat all pesticides with the same level of care as the most toxic ones." The University of Minne- sota plant pathology professor s t r e s s e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f proper pesticide applicators (which "have more control over exposure than toxicity") and un- lined, waterproof gloves at least 14 millimeters thick and 12 inches long. Fortuitously, he added, every country in the world has adapted the same safety language. "We're globally harmonized. If you're from the '60s that's a really cool thing," Herzfeld said with a chuckle. Yeasts: Nichola Hall from Scott Laboratories covered a lot of ground but brought home a predominant message: "Yeast needs your help to drive certain characteristics (in wines). Yeasts are amazing, but they are not in- fallible. Microbes can and will drive style, but you need a style to drive toward." Oxygen et al.: Drew Horton urged his audience to add sulfur dioxide during cold-settling, to have three inert gases (CO 2 , ni- trogen and argon) as well as a two-stage gas regulator on hand during fermentation and beyond, and to ignore the "myths about sulfites" and use sulfur dioxide as needed. "A dollar's worth of sulfur can save $100,000 worth of wine," he said. Most of all, the " We should treat all pesticides with the same level of care as the most toxic ones." —Dean Herzfeld, University of Minnesota Your lender of choice for agricultural capital • Agricultural real estate since 1917 • Long-term fixed or adjustable rate mortgage financing • Real estate secured revolving line of credit • Competitive interest rates • Flexible terms and structuring Rates are attractive —contact us today. www.metlife.com/ag 559.435.0206 Agricultural Finance © 2016 METLIFE, INC.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Wines & Vines - April 2017 Oak Barrel Alternatives Issue