Balancing act…
April 20th, 2010 | Posted by Kirk
Punching down – a 2-3-4 times daily occurrence as we attempt to reintroduce the floating ‘cap’ of skins into the vinous liquid below. The CO2 gas produced as a by-product of fermentation by the yeasts pushes the grape skins to the surface. In our fermenters the cap would easily be strong enough to support the weight of a person, such is the power the ferment. By punching down the cap we are not only stopping the top layer from drying out and potentially going bad, but the skins are were the phenolic compounds we love in red wine are – the colour and tannin. Macerating the fruit the way we do during fermentation is the way we extract these phenols. Theres a fine line of course because extraction is irreversible and too much would be bad news for a delicate variety like Pinot Noir. Its all about knowing when enough is enough.
BRUCE wILSON
July 1, 2010
Hi,
Have just opened A bottle of Balance Act 2008,and it is great , how much would a case be. Or do you sell from the cellar door ?
Hennie
July 1, 2010
Hi Bruce. Think you got us mixed up with the Pinot line from Annie Winmill of Southern Wines Ltd. She hasn’t got a website but you can contact her on 03 449 3157. She produces a new line of Pinot which she calls “Balancing Act”
Hope that helps!