Day 27 17th March

Tested the Cabernet Sauvignon this morning and it is right to go. (23.4 B pH 3.25 T/A 6.5 g/l)

So I have organised some pickers for tomorrow and we’ll see how far we get before the rain.

The fruit looks healthy and fully ripe with what I think will be only a moderate juice yield.

Cabernet is usually the last variety picked in most vineyards but ours is so hard grown that it comes in a week or so before the Shiraz. As more than nuisance rain is forecast over the next few days, we have decided to harvest what we can with the pickers available and grab what’s left after any rain.

It is what is called the one bunch in the tank is worth two on the vines philosophy of wine production.

Another job for today was pressing the Cabernet Franc to tank to complete what’s left of the primary ferment (about 1 Be) and the malic acid conversion.

This involves draining the free run from Fermenter 1 and exhausted Mark pressing the remaining exhausted marc.

We press before the completion of primary fermentation so that the wine is protected from excessive oxidation and so that it arrives in one of our insulated holding tanks at or over 20 C.

The malo-lactic conversion is very temperature dependent and gets upset if it drops much below 20C during the process. An insulated tank which we can also warm if necessary is very useful in this regard.

As you will all know by now, wine making 101 states that the tank should be full.

No biting is in full training at the moment and for a young Kelpie pup he is becoming more relaxed.

While we were doing analyses in the winery this morning, I commanded him to “Stay”..which he did.

I find it useful training to be able to step over a pup on the “stay” command but No Biting is showing signs of being a bit too relaxed.

At one stage I think I could hear him snoring.

The most efficient method to unload the last of a fermentation tank is to Mark get inside it and physically push the marc out the door into the press.

This requires a bit of physical dexterity and a determination to prevail over the remnants of the warm and ever so slightly sticky late ferment residue. It also demands a good fan delivering plenty of air through the emptying tank to disperse any latent C02 and is yet another chance to get your pants off.

So it’s not a fun job..That’s why I can’t work out:

Cheers,

Stephen and Rhonda