Wine Education: Clarification Processes in Winemaking
Introduction
- Presenter: Jimmy Smith
- Focus: WCT Level 3 exam preparation on winemaking
- Part 1 of 2 videos; Part 2 is exclusive to e-learning portal.
- Offers additional resources on winwithjimmy.com
- 100+ hours of video content, flashcards, multiple-choice questions, and more.
Exam Format
- Four short written questions
- Winemaking and grape growing covered in these questions
Preparing Wine for Market
- Focus on post-fermentation and maturation processes
- Key step: Clarification for clear wine
Types of Clarification Processes
-
Sedimentation
- Utilizes gravity to settle particles at the bottom of the vessel
- Steps:
- Wine is left in a vessel with sediment
- Over time, sediment falls to the bottom
- Wine is racked (transferred) to another vessel, leaving sediment behind.
- Benefits: Suitable for vegan/vegetarian wines
-
Fining
- Addition of a fining agent to bind sediments
- Agents like albumin (egg white) help sediments settle or be filtered out
- Traditional anecdote: Using egg whites to clear wine
-
Filtration
- Wine is passed through filters to remove sediment
- Types of filters:
- Depth filter: Series of different material filters
- Surface filter: Similar to a large sieve
Disadvantages of Clarification Processes
-
Sedimentation
- Slow, requires longer time, delaying market release
- Occupies storage space and delays potential income
-
Fining
- May adversely affect wine's flavor and texture
- Some winemakers believe it reduces complexity and body
-
Filtration
- Similar to fining, believed to affect flavor and texture
- Filtration can remove color, aroma, and body
Conclusion
- Processes like fining and filtration are common in commercial wines for a faster market release
- For more in-depth questions, visit the e-learning portal
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Jimmy Smith welcomes feedback and questions via comments below the video.