Red Wine Vintage 2011 pressing

Posted on 24 March, 2011 by tone

Today was wine pressing time.

After careful consideration- [tasting the must] it was decided, and all by myself, that there was not enough sweetness to pursue my goal of making some port. Bugger! I had some excess spirit to add as well.

People may like dry port, I do not.

So the next procedure was to choose to press now and separate the skins, or let it ferment out for a few more days.

Press it.

The homemade press was wrestled out of the [crowded] Alcoholery to the lawn and the hose readied to wash down everything after a bit of a scrub and sanitisation of containers and press.

Before the rain arrived. Again.

More time cleaning and preparing than pressing- what is it with pressed for time anyway- it was over and done with between job shifts!

Ended up with about 7 and a bit liters, with any luck about 6 bottles in the end. Again!

The taste at the moment is not lush and ‘thick’ like last years vintage, which had to be diluted and blended. This years vintage is lighter- I think because of the mix of Shiraz and Pinot Noir, at about 6 to 1.

It is not that pleasant as yet, after a few more days and some some more treatment with the bentonite, it may be nicer- fingers crossed- or to the Still It Goes.