What Is The Dimmest Star Of Orion

Confessions of a Natural Wine Producer

I confess! I have! I took some sulfur in a lot of wine a few months ago. Was it or lose wine.

Potassium bisulfite Bag

But it is even worse! It was the first time we did so we were not very sure about the dose added. Is quite complex if you are not mathematical or chemical.

The result was that we spent. We just received the results of the tests sent to the laboratory, and it turns out we ended up with 240 mg / l. I think it is above the legal limit wine, even for conventional wine / industrial. If we talk about organic wine and natural ...!.

I think we were wrong by a factor of 10 because we wanted to do was to add 20 mg / l, and not 200 mg / l.

Some theoretical reflections

I've always said I have nothing against the rational and sensible use of sulfur. What I am against is the abuse, that is, add it at any stage of the winemaking process to cover the poor quality of the grapes or even worse handling in the winery. In general, I see no need to use sulphites at all if:

1) have good quality grapes
2) keep your warehouse clean
3) not over manipulate the wine

As they say: "There's always a first time," and this was the first time in 8 years for us. Hopefully it will be the last. Reflections

practices

What we do with this batch of wine now? Well, 'luckily', we planned to spend a good amount to "blend" and continue with that idea. We have to do some calculations (and ask a mathematician or a chemist that we review them) to ensure that the final level of sulfite in the mixture is low, and we will write that level in the anti-tag when finally bottled.

The lot in question was Graciano, which I wrote in this blog in October: " State of experiments."

We are thinking about making a parenting with 10% and 90% Graciano Tempranillo. This mixture should have a sulfite level of 24 mg / l, right? (Ie, 240 x 10%) plus the level of sulfur than Tempranillo take "naturally." We have not added sulfites to Tempranillo, but there is a small gift (between 0 and 20 mg / l) as a result / product of fermentation.

I have many more thoughts on sulphites, but I will not post them here and now! The savings and I am writing in draft to put them in a future section of my website (with which sleep for 2 or 3 years!)