Question:
Has anyone written a how-to book that discusses making wine with grapes grown in hot climates? The books I’m familiar with are all written by winemakers in cooler climates and don’t necessarily address hot-climate issues. For example, here in the Chihuahuan desert our grapes build lots of sugar but don’t have much acidity. Our typical pH numbers are much higher too. 3.8-4.0 is not uncommon. The 2001 Merlot grapes I used were picked at 25 Brix, 5.5% TA, and 4.0 pH. Obviously we have to handle these grapes much differently than cooler climate grapes. pH is always a concern, but I’m hesitant to just keep dumping Tartaric in until the pH is down to what my books consider a desirable level. Similar issues arise with choice of yeast strains since the Brix levels are so high. Can anyone direct me to some resources specifically for hot-climate winemakers? Ricardo El Paso, TX (the desert) — Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server – http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – snip….. For example, here in the Chihuahuan desert our grapes build lots of sugar but don’t have much acidity. Our typical pH numbers are much higher too. 3.8-4.0 is not uncommon. The 2001 Merlot grapes I used were picked at 25 Brix, 5.5% TA, and 4.0 pH. Obviously we have to handle these grapes much differently than cooler climate grapes. pH is always a concern, but I’m hesitant to just keep dumping Tartaric in until the pH is down to what my books consider a desirable level. Similar issues arise with choice of yeast strains since the Brix levels are so high. Can anyone direct me to some resources specifically for hot-climate winemakers? Ricardo El Paso, TX (the desert)
Your numbers look very familiar to me Ricardo. Most of the fruit I work with has pH values greater than 3.8. Several years ago, a memorable Zinfandel from came in at 29, 0.41 and 4.29. I decided not to added any water, I brought the pH to 3.7 with tartaric acid and used Prise de Mousse yeast . It fermented out dry and completed MLF in about five six weeks. It made a pretty fair wine, but the winery doesn’t like to pay that extra tax. I agree, simply adjusting pH to 3.4 does not produce the best quality wine when working with hot climate fruit. You might find something of interest here: http://home.att.net/~lumeisenman/ Regards, lum
Response:
I agree, simply adjusting pH to 3.4 does not produce the best quality wine when working with hot climate fruit. You might find something of interest here: http://home.att.net/~lumeisenman/ Regards, lum
Hi Lum, Yes, your book is excellent. What are your thoughts on foregoing MLF with hot-climate juice since you’re making the pH adjustment with tartaric acid alone, especially if a malic-eating strain like 71B is used? Many thanks, Ricardo — Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server – http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Response:
Hi Ricardo I work with very similar numbers, my juice and grapes come from the central valley. I usually touch up the acid with tartaric, I am not going over 6.5 g/l currently; if I get to 3.7 pH I am also satisfied. I only use 71B on high acid wines from here in the Northeast. (I’m in Pittsburgh.) I usually use K1V or EC1118 on the low acid juices and have been satisfied to date. I never encourage MLF on these particular juices, they just seem to get too limpid if the acid gets below 5.0 g/l. Also, malic is not predominant with extra ripe fruit as I recall. RegaRDS Joe – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …What are your thoughts on foregoing MLF with hot-climate juice since you’re making the pH adjustment with tartaric acid alone, especially if a malic-eating strain like 71B is used? Many thanks, Ricardo
Response:
Hi Lum, Yes, your book is excellent. What are your thoughts on foregoing MLF with hot-climate juice since you’re making the pH adjustment with tartaric acid alone, especially if a malic-eating strain like 71B is used? Many thanks, Ricardo
Hi Ricardo, Most, but not all, high pH wines contain little malic acid, so titratable acidity (TA) does not change very much when these wines go through malolactic fermentation. When working with high pH wines, I think malolactic fermentation (MLF) is primarily a stability issue, and I find preventing MLF in high pH wines is difficult. ML bacteria can be easily controlled with sulfur dioxide (SO2). But, SO2 decreases slowly after wine is bottled, and sooner or later the ML bacteria can become active. I don’t worry much about MLF in my home wines, but it’s a different story when I am working at the winery. Consumers are not happy when they open a bottle of red wine that is fizzy and smells like pickles. About six weeks after sugar fermentation, I start checking all red wines for MLF (by paper chromatography), and I inoculate any wines containing malic acid with commercial bacteria . In fact, I verified our last red wine had completed MLF last week . Finally. That is a long time to hold a wine without SO2 protection, and I always get nervous. Regards, lum
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