The winery gets down to about 50 in the Winter for several months so whatever that cold temp is during the next year or so is what they will be stabilized to for the most part.
Chateau Michaelena Vineyard
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Great numbers... I was able to get 25.2 brix on my field blend. My pH is starting at 3.65 and I, too, was hoping to not have to do a MLF but I wonder what those numbers will look like later.... I think I'll go take a pH on the must before I press and then again after just to see....
71B is a different beast compared to normal yeast strains. Once you are reasonable sure you have driven off most of the CO2 through pressing, splash racking etc recheck your pH.
Cold hardy hybrids that are high in malic acid.
Really same answer as Mike - mine are mostly Millot, Foch and everything else thrown in. The 71B goes great guns at low (relatively speaking - 60*) temps.
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I almost exclusively use 71b for my grapes and fruits. It can be a little slow lag phase if it's cold but it always has finished very strong for me. The only wine I can't get going with it is rhubarb, for some unknown reason.
derekjames100
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Aren't you worried about MLF occurring in the bottle?
derekjames100
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I thought sulfite levels can dissipate overtime and if you have a sulfite resistant strain(such as vp41) it could take hold when you don't want it to? Mlf in the bottle is considered one of the disasters of winemaking--but maybe I'm wrong. I thought I read that all reds should be put through mlf to negate this risk
However, I tend to worry about low risk issues.
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Just one more reason NOT to rush to bottle. 2 years for me before bottling. If they are not stable by then they will never be.
Well, all wines contain malic acid and there is a risk of MLF - red or white.
Proper sanitation and sulfite levels are important if you want to prevent MLF. And if you are really worried you can add lysozme to all of your wines.
Point of information - Lalvin 71b does metabolize some of the malic acid, but it is not a malolactic bacteria. It is a yeast. It does not produce lactic acid. It converts the malic to other end products including alcohol. I think some folks are under the impression that 71b causes MLF. It does not.
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Good point Greg. Also remember that by dropping the malic acid levels it can also raise the pH very slightly. The combination can leave the wine in a more favorable state to begin mlf if so desired. Take for instance you have some Frontenac that is very borderline for beginning mlf. By using 71B with it you stand a better chance of getting mlf going with the proper mlb. I don't worry at all about using 71B. It is just a matter of determining the best yeast to use with a particular grape grown under certain conditions.
Well time to post some "Wine Garden" pics for 2016! The Marquette is (as usual) out of the gates as of last week and went crazy with the warm temps we had. We had a front push through all day yesterday and we had blowing cool winds all day up to 40mph sucking the moisture out of anything alive. This morning we got down to 34F of course so we are still not out of the woods but looks like it should warm up slowly over the next few days. Corot Noir and Noiret and pushing good but well behind the Marquette which is why slow and steady wins the race in these parts!
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We are just swelling here now Mike. Keep your fingers crossed and you will be OK.
Looks very nice! It has been a good spring here too. It's sure is nice after the horrible spring we had last year.
Another bullet dodged this AM. Little impulse front moved through yesterday. This morning the low was 35 for a few minutes before climbing back up a to 36 before I left for work. As you can see the low temps are never very accurate especially for me as we live in a cold air drainage location close to an arroyo. Think of it as a river for cold air instead of water. Looks clear for the next week or so...... I won't relax until Memorial Day weekend probably! 
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Some more pics of the vines as they continue to push and bust out all over after the nice weekend we had. You can really see the difference between how far along the Marquette is compared to Corot Noir and Noiret. Marquette has gone crazy. Baby clusters are forming everywhere.
