Our First Mistake - Oops!

Yesterday, as I started reading "Making Red Wine", a chapter in an online UC Davis book for home winemakers, I realized that I'd need to find and sanitize a household item for punching down the must during fermentation. I'm not even sure what I'm using -- it appears to be a potato masher, but it's working pretty well. We're getting nice color and fermentation is in full, bubbly swing!

I figured I should also take a look at "White Winemaking" and was in part disappointed and in part amused by one of the first statements: "... importance of separating the skins seeds and pulp as early as possible." Oops! I'd not only treaded the Chardonnay by foot, but it was sitting two feet from me, happily beginning to ferment, seeds, skins and pomace fully intact. (I guess I spent too much time in a Port winery!) Good thing we're viewing this as a big science experiment and not seeking one of those coveted 90 point scores.

Thankfully, our wine supply store offers a 24 hour press rental for $35. In less than an hour, Patrick pressed enough to fill one and a half eight gallon containers with juice. (We were told we'd only need one for the Chard, one for the Pinot, so it looks like we'll be back to purchase more.) Maybe there's something to the foot trodden love - ha! We're hoping the increased skin contact allows for some "enhanced varietal aroma and flavor". I'm frankly not sure what fermenting Chardonnay is supposed to look like --it's a deep gold color, but it sure smells yummy.

We're now anticipating another 5 or so days of Chard fermentation, then we'll rack into a "carboy". The Pinot should be done in 10 days, at which point we'll press and transfer it to the eight gallon containers.