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TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT WINEMAKING January 2018 WINES&VINES 109 415 293 5700 | BARARCH.COM W I N E R I E S C L U B H O U S E S R E S O R T S C U S T O M H O M E S S T A R M O N T W I N E R Y N A P A , C A Functional Surfacing LLC in- stalled antimicrobial anti-slip flooring throughout the fermen- tation and barrel rooms. "We needed to either replace or re- surface the floor, and resurfacing made the most sense. Anti-slip makes it safest in the cellar," Kelly said. Fruit arrives at the production warehouse's covered exterior 1,872-square-foot crush pad by means of an open-bed truck and trailer using Macro 28s lugs. Mayfield sometimes consults with mentor and friend Phil Coturri, a noted California organic vineyard manager, during harvest. "He does remind me to push my boundaries on pick decisions," Mayfield said, "and wait as long as I can. Hang time is a plus, but nerve wracking." Picking usually commences with Chardonnay from Yakima Valley, moving to Syrah, Rhône whites, Grenache and Rhône reds from The Rocks, the Gorge (Ancient Lakes AVA) and Red Mountain, then circles back to Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain, before finishing with Portuguese varietals. After hand sorting by seasonal and full-time staff, the grapes head to a Delta Oscyillis 100 de- stemmer by way of an incline con- veyor. The winery uses a Bucher Vaslin basket press, which applies even, consistent pressure, thereby reducing harsh tannins. BDI (Basin Disposal Inc.) removes and composts all harvest waste, in- cluding the press pomace cakes. "Fermentation lengths de- pend on varietal," Mayfield said, "and what we are trying to achieve and what the vintage calls for. Reds (range) anywhere from 10 to 12 days. We will do extended maceration if it's a good vintage for that. Our meth- ods are also different per vari- etal. Whites, we'll typically see fermentations last upwards of 30 days or longer. We make a deci- s i o n i n t h e b e g i n n i n g a s t o whether or not we want some- thing to go native, or whether or not we inoculate it. Our tem- peratures vary depending on which yeast we use. Usually nothing is hotter than 86º F for reds, and whites no higher than 60º F, and potentially cooler if they can handle it. For malolac- tic fermentation, we go between 65º and 70º F for reds, (while) post-fermentation reds are at 55º F." Punchdown and pumpover proprieties also vary depending on varietal and vintage. The team uses a pneumatic punch- down system, while a flexible impeller pump agitates the juice a n d f a c i l i t a t e s p u m p o v e r s . White wines undergo no fining; filtration occurs via cross-flow. JVNW 1,300-gallon stainless- An incline conveyor moves fruit through the crush process at The Walls. The Oak Infusion Spiral® is the fastest, most effective way to deliver true oak integration in ways other alternatives like staves, sticks and blocks simply can't match. ON A TIMELESS TRADITION A WHOLE NEW TWIST V I S I T I N F U S I O N S P I R A L . C O M T O D A Y Available for both BARREL & TANK systems "I have tried all the alternatives out there. I found these to be the absolute best." — Rick "Kaz" Kasmier, Kaz Winery, Sonoma, CA