Feeling the need to check this year's wines before I leave on vacation for a few days; I tasted them all and racked the Sauvignon Blanc.
The Pinot Grigio is tasting OK... it seems lacking in any real character, not bad, just an ordinary white. Isn't that the rap on Pinot Grigio anyway?
Malvasia Biance is tasting very good just like my 2007 at this stage. The 2007 turned out very good. Thick, floral, clean with good acid.
The Sauvignon Blanc is going to be a big wine. Lots of flavor, but perhaps a little hot in the finish with some bitterness as well. Acid level may need some adjustments... I'm thinking I may need to do some blending with this one...
The Nebbiolo is very light in color. I'm disappointed since I thought I was making a heavier red wine. That said, it has great fruit flavors, a little coffee in the nose, and a bramble like finish... It will make a pleasant light red.
The Zinfandel is also light in color. More raspberry in color where the Nebbiolo is more brick red.
The flavors mirror the color with light raspberry fruit and good acid.... another light red.... {good thing I've made some heavy reds in the past that are available in the cellar!}
So, no disasters wine making wise, but maybe no real standouts either this year... but really too early to tell.
On another note: I always check out Trader Joe's wines to see what bargains they may have. The "Blue Fin" Pinot Noir at $3.99 is a nice light red with good fruit character and clean finish.
I mention the "Blue Fin" wine since I'm going to post an entry very soon talking about the costs involved in Home Wine making. "Think you are going to save money-think again!" So watch for that and check out "Blue Fin" and also "Down Under" Chardonnay.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Grape acid levels, PH, what to do about it, or not
So you get some grapes from a grower you are interested in the "numbers".
Measurments of the sugar level {Brix}, Acid level {PH} , and Total Acidity {TA} are typical measurements that home wine makers are interested in.
Brix and PH should be easy to measure with a hypdometer and a PH meter. TA is not so easy.
I always measure brix since this will determine if I can just start fermentation or if I have to adjust the sugar level before fermentation starts. Sugar level adjustments will get a separate blog entry.
I'm not so concerned with meauring PH and TA, though perhaps I should be..?? Mostly I am relying on getting good grapes {proper numbers} from a good source.
For me, acid level adjustments are done by taste and usally late in the wine making year when the wine is more of less finished with whatever changes it will go through.. The key question for me is; does it taste the way I want it to? e.g. is the acid level too high or too low?
A reason I rely more on taste than a PH measurement is that I have seen widely different numbers from different sources on the same grapes! What if the PH number is not accuate!
Note: a low PH wine tastes like it has high acid taste-wise. e.g. the lower the PH number, the higher the acid level to the taste... can be confusing no?...
If the acid level is too high, I can lower the level through blending in a lower acid wine.
If the acid level is too low, I usually add tartaric acid to bring the acid level up....I'm talking about small levels of acid adjustments like 1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons of wine. I can always add more if needed....
Though I don't usually measure the PH, I probably should since it is a quantifable number to tell me where the wine is, and how I have changed it during adjustments.
What is "normal" PH for wine? Does that make a difference? --> Yes! for stability. See the article link below!
What is most important is what tastes good to you! This is your wine, make it for your taste! But it should not be out of a normal acid range due to spoilage and stability.
Here's a good general description of PH levels and how it impacts wine and the making process:
http://www.eutechinst.com/techtips/tech-tips42.htm
Wine Characteristic
Low pH Range(3.0 - 3.4) --> more stable, less Bacterial Growth, tastes more acidic...
High pH Range(3.6 - 4.0) --> less stabled, more Bacterial Growth, tastes bland, flat...
The Sauvignon Blanc numbers were: 24.5; TA = 4.7 & pH = 3.7
A PH of 3.7 is on the high side {lower in acid} and would indicate that something should be done to get a more stable wine. I think both Joe and Mike added acid to lower the PH. Perhaps they could comment on this...
There are formulas for computing how much acid to add to change a PH of x to y for z gallons of wine, so it is a fairly straightforward process, just don't add too much!
My thinking about the Sauvignon Blanc is that I have two other wines that I think are high in acid, the Malvasia Blanc and Pinot Grigio, and that blending for these wines with the Sauvignon Blanc is definitely in the plans.
Here's another link that points up the value of tasting the wine when adding acid...
http://www.winemakermag.com/stories/article/indices/6-acid/344-high-ph-low-ta-bottles-wine-wizard
But now that I say that the Malvasia and Pinot Grigio are high in acid {low PH}; I'm thinking that a PH number would be good to have.... Think I'll get a new PH meter....
Measurments of the sugar level {Brix}, Acid level {PH} , and Total Acidity {TA} are typical measurements that home wine makers are interested in.
Brix and PH should be easy to measure with a hypdometer and a PH meter. TA is not so easy.
I always measure brix since this will determine if I can just start fermentation or if I have to adjust the sugar level before fermentation starts. Sugar level adjustments will get a separate blog entry.
I'm not so concerned with meauring PH and TA, though perhaps I should be..?? Mostly I am relying on getting good grapes {proper numbers} from a good source.
For me, acid level adjustments are done by taste and usally late in the wine making year when the wine is more of less finished with whatever changes it will go through.. The key question for me is; does it taste the way I want it to? e.g. is the acid level too high or too low?
A reason I rely more on taste than a PH measurement is that I have seen widely different numbers from different sources on the same grapes! What if the PH number is not accuate!
Note: a low PH wine tastes like it has high acid taste-wise. e.g. the lower the PH number, the higher the acid level to the taste... can be confusing no?...
If the acid level is too high, I can lower the level through blending in a lower acid wine.
If the acid level is too low, I usually add tartaric acid to bring the acid level up....I'm talking about small levels of acid adjustments like 1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons of wine. I can always add more if needed....
Though I don't usually measure the PH, I probably should since it is a quantifable number to tell me where the wine is, and how I have changed it during adjustments.
What is "normal" PH for wine? Does that make a difference? --> Yes! for stability. See the article link below!
What is most important is what tastes good to you! This is your wine, make it for your taste! But it should not be out of a normal acid range due to spoilage and stability.
Here's a good general description of PH levels and how it impacts wine and the making process:
http://www.eutechinst.com/techtips/tech-tips42.htm
Wine Characteristic
Low pH Range(3.0 - 3.4) --> more stable, less Bacterial Growth, tastes more acidic...
High pH Range(3.6 - 4.0) --> less stabled, more Bacterial Growth, tastes bland, flat...
The Sauvignon Blanc numbers were: 24.5; TA = 4.7 & pH = 3.7
A PH of 3.7 is on the high side {lower in acid} and would indicate that something should be done to get a more stable wine. I think both Joe and Mike added acid to lower the PH. Perhaps they could comment on this...
There are formulas for computing how much acid to add to change a PH of x to y for z gallons of wine, so it is a fairly straightforward process, just don't add too much!
My thinking about the Sauvignon Blanc is that I have two other wines that I think are high in acid, the Malvasia Blanc and Pinot Grigio, and that blending for these wines with the Sauvignon Blanc is definitely in the plans.
Here's another link that points up the value of tasting the wine when adding acid...
http://www.winemakermag.com/stories/article/indices/6-acid/344-high-ph-low-ta-bottles-wine-wizard
But now that I say that the Malvasia and Pinot Grigio are high in acid {low PH}; I'm thinking that a PH number would be good to have.... Think I'll get a new PH meter....
All the 2009 wines are now aging, what's next?
Wine making seems to proceed at a frantic pace for a short time, followed by a more leisurely period during late fall and winter, then picks up again in the spring.
With the heavy rains in the bay area today, fall has finally arrived and wine making has changed speeds from fast to slow...
So what's next?
All of my wines have finished fermentation and are now in the cellar, clearing, and beginning the year long aging that is my wine making cycle.
The main task right now is racking the wines off the sediment when they clear, checking for any problems, tasting, and thinking about any blending that I may do with this years wines. This is a very relaxing and reflective time during the wine making year.
Time to reflect on what went right, what went wrong, talk about some wine making topics that I didn't cover, and to think about how I might want to improve my process next year.
Here are some topics I am thinking about for the next few posts:
Since the acid level in the Sauvignon Blanc was a topic of conversation between me, Joe and Mike who all got the same juice at the same time ; this topic seems like a good place to start.
If the rain continues I should get this blog entry posted soon - "Grape acid levels, PH, what to do about it, or not."
With the heavy rains in the bay area today, fall has finally arrived and wine making has changed speeds from fast to slow...
So what's next?
All of my wines have finished fermentation and are now in the cellar, clearing, and beginning the year long aging that is my wine making cycle.
The main task right now is racking the wines off the sediment when they clear, checking for any problems, tasting, and thinking about any blending that I may do with this years wines. This is a very relaxing and reflective time during the wine making year.
Time to reflect on what went right, what went wrong, talk about some wine making topics that I didn't cover, and to think about how I might want to improve my process next year.
Here are some topics I am thinking about for the next few posts:
- Grape acid levels, PH, what to do about it, or not.
- High sugar levels in grapes.
- Grape sources
- The wine making year - a one year cycle
- Make wine yourself or with a group?
- Blending
- Do you even want to consider wine making as a hobby?
- ....
Since the acid level in the Sauvignon Blanc was a topic of conversation between me, Joe and Mike who all got the same juice at the same time ; this topic seems like a good place to start.
If the rain continues I should get this blog entry posted soon - "Grape acid levels, PH, what to do about it, or not."
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