Poppyseed Cellars

At some point I bottled the wine, but I took no notes. This fall I entered one of the last few bottles into the harvest fair. We drank all the rest, so it can’t be too bad!   

Here are the tasting notes from the three judges. Compare them to the SB tasting notes. The Zin  judges were a tad bit lazy!

• I have kept very poor notes.
• Racked at least once in the winter of 2007
• Moved to farm for stable cool storage in May 2007
• Tasted both carboys. Very similar. Not very smooth, but nothing bad. Very nice color. Light garnet, not a depp zin.

Much better than before. The back of the tongue badness has gone away.

• Measured SO2 at BevPeople = 11.1 mg/L (ppm)
• Bob at BevPeople suggeted 25 ppm more
• Campden tablets  75 ppm = 1 tablet/gallon
  • 25 ppm = 75 ppm/3 =  1 tablet/gallon * 6 gal / 3 = 2  tablets
  • 25 ppm = 75 ppm/3 =  1 tablet/gallon * 3 gal / 3 = 1  tablets
• Taste: Better than before, but still something off a little. Paul thinks it is just green wine.

• Measured SO2 at BevPeople:   2.8 mg/L (ppm)
• This wine is eating the SO2…
• Add Campdeb tablet this time for 50 ppm
  • 4 for 6 gallon = 50 ppm
  • 2 for 3 gallon = 50 ppm

• Racked everything into 20 gal tub.
• Sugars: 0.3%
• TA: 6.5 g/L
• SO2: 40 mg/L
• Racked back into 6gal, 3gal almost full. 3 gal needs to be topped off. Topped of with Bogle Old Vine Zin.

Measured the SO2 at BevPeople:

• 2.4 mg/L (ppm)
• Added 43 ppm:
  • 4 tbsp 3% to 6 gal
  • 2 tbsp 3% to 3 gal

Racked with lots of splashing, aeration.

H2S nose gone.

Decided to go all the way to 0.5 ppm copper sulphate.

• Want to add 0.3 ppm to both carboys
• .45 mL/gal * 6 gal = 2.7 mL
• .45 mL/gal * 3 gal = 1.35 mL

• Tested for SO2 at BevPeople: NONE!
• BevPeople comment from the short guy…”smells like a swamp”  
• Add 43 ppm meta:
  • .66 tbsp/gal * 6gal = 4 tbsp
  • .66 tbsp/gal * 3gal = 2 tbsp
• Add copper sulphate 0.2 ppm
  • 0.3 mL/gal * 6gal = 1.8 mL
  • 0.3 mL/gal * 3gal = 0.9 mL
• Topped off with 2004 Rodney Strong Knotty Vine Zin

Moved everything indoors. Using space heater to keep temp at 75F.

5PM:

• 6 gal carboy clinitest shows sugar = 0.4%
• 3 gal carboy clinitest shows sugar = 0.6%
• 1 gal jug clinitest shows sugar = 0.4%

8:30PM:

• 1 gal jug clinitest shows sugar = 0.4%

8AM: Everything still bubbling slowly…

6AM: All 3 containers bubbling

9PM: Transferred wine from 1 gal H2O jug to new glass jar with airlock. Everything still bubbling.

7AM:

• Punch down
• Temp at 75F.
• Sugar at 1 Brix.

4PM:

• Unable to rent a press, and I want to press now to keep wine light and fruity.
• Press by hand with a cheesecloth. What a pain!
• Transferred into carboys, 6gal, 3gal, 1gal.

9AM:

• Punch down
• Temp at 78F.
• Sugar at 4 Brix

5PM:

• Punch down
• Temp at 76F.
• Sugar at 2 Brix.

8AM:

• Punch down
• Sugar = 9 Brix

3PM:

• Punch down
• Sugar = 7 Brix

10PM: Punch down

7AM:

• Punch down
• Brix = 18
• Added 2 teaspoons of Fermaid K, because of slight H2S smell, I think.

4PM:

• Punch down
• Temp = 80 F

10PM:

• Punch down
• Temp = 85 F
• Sugar = 13 Brix

7AM:

• Punch down.
• Temperature at 70 F.
• Brix at 26.

10PM:

• Punch down.
• Temperature at 77 F.
• Brix at 22.
• Fermentation is really going. Possible smell of SO2, but I am not sure.

7AM: Must slightly fermenting

6PM: Temperature at 65 F.

10PM Temperature at 67 F. Still only slight fermentation.

7AM: Removed the ice jugs from the must to start letting it warm up. Time to start the fermentation. The color looks gorgeous!

9PM:

• 25 Brix
• 65 F
• Added 3 tsp DAP (1 tsp/5 gal * 15 gal = 3 tsp)
• Added yeast starter mixture, using 10g French Red yeast from Beverage People. I sprinkled the starter over the top without stirring it in.

9PM: Continues cold soak, using milk jugs of ice.

• Added 6 tsp pectic enzyme (.5 tsp/gl * 15  gal = 7.5tsp…I used a little less).
• 25 brix
• 5.8 g/l TA
• ~20 ppm SO2

I went and got the crushed grapes from Paul at his house in RP.

Initial measurments:

• Temp 58F
• 24 Brix, 13% PA
• 5.0 g TA; 5.5 g after stirring the must
• 10 mg/L free SO2

Additions:

• Sodium Meta 11 tsp 3% solution. Target is 43 ppm. (17 gal * .66 tsp/gal = 11.2 tsp

Added 1 gallon jug of frozen water to bring down must temp for cold soak.

I’ve lived in Sonoma County for 19 years, and I have been drinking and tasting wine all that time. Now I am going to try and make it. I’ll try and keep track of it here…

I was lucky enough to get 15 gallons of de-stemmed and crushed Zinfandel must from a friends vineyard near Alexander Valley:

I haven’t made wine, but I have been reading Home Winemaking by Iversen. Here is the plan for this wine. I want a light fruity Zinfandel, meant to be drunk quickly. No saving this one. It will start out with a several day cold soak. This supposedly will extract color without too much tannin extraction, or at least the softer tannins only, as the soaking is done without alcohol.

I will use French Red yeast, which Paul and Beverage people say is good for reds. I will take the grapes off the skins before fermentation is finished. This also will help too produce the light fruity zin.