Cold Fermentation - How and Why?

[MedPretzel]

I was browsing the Internet and stumbled across (not quite, but let's just say) this website (Sutter Home) and something struck my eye on it:

After harvesting, the grapes are immediately pressed and the free run juice is cold-fermented in stainless steel for 10 days at approximately 55 degrees F. The wine spends no time in oaks and is bottled shortly after the first of the new year to preserve its fresh, fruity qualities.

Does anyone know what cold fermentation is and why do you do it? What yeast would be tolerable for something like that? Are there advantages or disadvantages to Cold-Fermenting? Why do they only ferment for 10 days? How do they do it that quick? Do you think they filter out all those yeasties to keep the alcohol level low?





This just puzzles me. I thought wine was a thing of patience, not 10 days!!!!

 

[NorthernWinos]

I am not sure about cold fermentation, but I do know that Champagne yeast will ferment at 55*F...like in cellars.
I believe the term White Zinfandel was first used by Sutter Home to market some 'off color' wines that didn't fit other names....and it was a hit. They didn't copyright the name nor process and many others are now marketing that style of wine.
Sutter Home on a TV interview also used a term 'Freeway-Aging'...meaning it ages on the truck to market...so it is indeed 'fresh' wine.
So, they are mass producing a fairly good wine...kind of a upper cut of 'Two Buck Chuck'...so.....10 day fermentation must be their ticket to profit.

 

[smurfe]

Would be kinda like in the movie "The Jerk" where he tell the waiter to do away with the "old" wine and bring them some "fresh" wine, something made "this year".

Smurfe

 

[smurfe]

I was browsing the Internet and stumbled across (not quite, but let's just say) this website (Sutter Home) and something struck my eye on it:

After harvesting, the grapes are immediately pressed and the free run juice is cold-fermented in stainless steel for 10 days at approximately 55 degrees F. The wine spends no time in oaks and is bottled shortly after the first of the new year to preserve its fresh, fruity qualities.

Does anyone know what cold fermentation is and why do you do it? What yeast would be tolerable for something like that? Are there advantages or disadvantages to Cold-Fermenting? Why do they only ferment for 10 days? How do they do it that quick? Do you think they filter out all those yeasties to keep the alcohol level low?





This just puzzles me. I thought wine was a thing of patience, not 10 days!!!!

One thing I notice. It says at harvest the grapes are pressed and juice is cold fermented for 10 days. When is harvest? Is it like in September? October? July? Just when is it?


It then says after the first of the year, the wine is bottled. So the wine may ferment for 10 days then sit in secondary for a bit with fining agents added. It actually sounds like they make their wine just like we do here at home from the kits.


Smurfe

 

[NorthernWinos]

Google 'Search' "Two Buck Chuck" Charles Shaw/Franzia [relation to Gallo] It will make you feel good about your own wine. There is such a gut of grapes in California [lucky them]that they are just marketing their wines any way they can to get rid of it.Like take a boxed type wine put it in some bottles and the public lick it up, for the same price per liter as a boxed wine. Have Friends out there that say it is drinkable..sending them some of my wine for Xmas...not saying mine is good, just want their opinion of the type of wine we can make with fruits we grow and hunt-down in the wild...Think we are all on the right track making our own....and sharing our experiences....wish we would have started years ago.

 

[Dean]

My understanding is that white wines are cold fermented from the free run juice in order to preserve more of the fruit boquet. The cooler the fermentation, the more of the varietal characteristics of the grape will remain in the final product.


Reds on the other hand, they like to keep somewhat cooler as well to allow more time on the skins for color and tannin extraction. Obviously, whites don't need this time. So, sometimes with red grapes, they will do a cold soak to extend the time the must has with the skins first. Fermentation of red wines is typically done at higher temps to get bigger bolder red grape flavours. I would imagine the warmer fermentations on the red grapes can help to bring out the "tobacco, leather, and peppery" notes that some detect in those wines.


So, in short, whites are fermented much cooler to make them taste better due to being free run juice without skin contact. Of course non of this matters with kits, just with regular grapes. You might experiment with some of your fruit wines and cooler temps though.