color factors??

[Sage]

My buddy makes Pinot, I make Syrah and Cab. He has trouble getting a good dark color. We've been trying to figure out why. I leave mine cooking for 7-10 days before pressing, and he leaves his up to a month on the skins before pressing.

Why doesn't he get the dark color? Is it ripeness, variety ?? I don't seem to have any problem with color.

 

[cmason1957]

There was an article about making Pinot a few months ago in Winemaker magazine. I think you have to add enzymes to get that wonderful color and blend in a bit of a really dark grape like petite syrah. I am going from memory and sometimes that isn't great.

 

[Sage]

Thanks, that's the kind of information I was looking for. I'll pass it along and let him do more research on it. He's been going nuts trying to get more color!!

 

[ceeaton]

I usually use Lallzyme EX or EX-V 12 hours after the initial Kmeta addition and 12 hours before pitching the yeast, and the two wines that resulted could stain any carpet, even with stainmaster coating added (I know from experience).

Now they were Cab Sauv/Merlot/Malbec and Dornfelder grapes, which are all very dark to begin with, so maybe the added enzymes just made me feel better, don't know. Guess I'll have to try my next red grape batch without it. I was considering a Pinot Noir this Spring.

 

[salcoco]

Pinot Noir is light in color. enzymes will help extract color also add oak chips art beginning of fermentation. additional tannin will hold the color.

 

[JohnT]

Agree that Pinot is lighter in color than, say, a cabernet.

I suggest that if he likes a dark wine, then switch to a darker varietal.

 

[4score]

Attended the Sacramento Home Winemakers monthly club meeting last night where Chik Brenneman was the guest speaker. Chik is the winemaker for the University of California’s Department of Viticulture and Enology and he discussed varietal differences in wine making. I remember him saying that the grapes will give most (if not all) of their color to the wine in the first 7 days. So your friend's extended time may not be much of a contribution to his color.