Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Unless you are making a LOT of wine, this doesn't make a lot
of sense.
• After three months, rack the wine into a clean secondary
fermenter, adding 50ppm sulfite to the must (one Campden
tablet per gallon). This will inhibit any malolactic bacteria
that remain. Allow to age for at least another month, then
bottle.
Fortification
Fortification is the addition of distilled spirits to wine in order
to increase its alcohol content. Wines are fortified for three
reasons: to bring them to an alcohol level suitable for the
development of what is known as a sherry flor; to arrest
fermentation before all the sugar has been consumed so it
retains sweetness; and to make a more biologically stable
wine for purposes of long storage and shipping. Being
distilled from wine, brandy is the most common spirit used
for fortification.
Sherry wines are fermented to dryness, their alcohol content
is assessed, and then they are mixed with brandy to reach an
alcohol level of between 14.5% and 16%. This range is
conducive to allowing the specific strain of yeast used in
sherries to develop a cap known as a flor that protects the
wine from further oxidation and promotes aldehyde
production. If the wines were good but unexceptional, they
are made into oloroso sherry by fortifying to a level
exceeding 16% so that a flor isn't formed. If they were really
bad, they are set aside to make vinegar or brandy.
