Opinion: Would you clear a wine and then late it age?

[Wiccan_Lager]

So,

I was speaking with my father the other day about aging and fining agents and aging. Dad is a from the old school. born in italy, his wine techniques and approach to wine making is simple, squeeze, add yeaat, wait, drink. No agents, no sulfites, no hydrometer...nothing. But never the less I was educating him on fining agents and how they work and so on. But as the conversation went on we sort of got into a debate on this topic:

Is it advisable to add fining agents and then allowing the wine to age or let everything age as one, adding fining agents a month or so prior to bottling.

Here is what we came up with in terms of Pros and Cons.


Pro to clear wine then aging: I would assume that the particles that are suspended are alive, were once alive or part of a living thing (grape in our case), thus making them organic. And if my science hasn't changed, organic matter decays. Decay (in my mind) = bad in wine. So in my mind it would be logical to remove these particles as soon as possible so the wine can age with less of a risk of off tastes.

Con to clear wine then aging: While those same organic materials can create a fickle environment for our experiment, I would also like to think that the organic material in the wine is what gives depth of character, flavor and so on. So I would also think that removing everything from the wine too early may lead to a very bland tasting wine.

What are your thoughts and why?

 

[GreginND]

I rarely use fining agents myself but when I do I always age them afterwards for the same reasons you mentioned in the Pro section.

 

[Julie]

Most wines will clear on thier own. I normally let my wines age and slowly clear. It they do not clear by the time I want to bottle, then I will add a clearing agent. The particles in your wine are not decaying and destroying your wine, between the alcohol and sulphites your wine is preserved.

 

[Wiccan_Lager]

hmmm....conflicting responses..

Discuss

 

[ffemt128]

I'm also of the school to let them clear on their own unless it's something intended for early drinking such as Skeeter Pee. Even then I will allow to clear on it's own and in 2 months time it's generally clear. I don't believe at several months old the particles are alive or will harm your wine. My process is as follows;

1. Ferment to dry in primary container
2. Rack to carboy when sg is at or below 1.000
3. allow to ferment in carboy 2-3 weeks (depends on sediment dropping)
4. rack off lees in carboy
5. allow to age 30-60 days, rack, staibilize.
6. Backsweeten
7. Allow to age and further clear if needed(timing depends on sediment dropping and type of wine).
8. Rack
9. Filter
10. Bottle

Right, wrong or indifferent, that's my general process and it's seems to be working for me so far.

 

[GreginND]

Well, I don't rush it by using fining agents. I will rack a couple of times in the first three months after completion of fermentation and racking off gross lees. So, that's probably 4 rackings in the first 4 months: 1. rack primary to secondary; 2. rack off lees from secondary, 3. rack a month later, 4. rack a month later.

Then cold stabilize and rack again in a month or let it sit for 6 months to a year.

 

[Arne]

hmmm....conflicting responses..

Discuss

LOL, I like this response. I think as time goes on you will decide how you want to let your wines age. There are several ways, you can pick your own. My opinion, let them get thru primary, sit in secondary for a time, probably let em sit some more with a racking or two thrown in. If it needs it then, do some fining, If needed, stabalize, sweeten and let it sit for a while. If it stays clear, bottling time. I used to be in a hurry with this, now it can sit for a year or so while this stuff is going on. Still have to sample in the middle sometimes makes for not so much bottling. LOL, Arne.

 

[JohnT]

Most wines will clear on thier own. I normally let my wines age and slowly clear. It they do not clear by the time I want to bottle, then I will add a clearing agent. The particles in your wine are not decaying and destroying your wine, between the alcohol and sulphites your wine is preserved.

My thoughts exactly Julie! Let the wine age, then use a fining agent if it is needed.

I age most of my wines (in bulk) for two years. Most of the time, the wine is good and clear and does not need any filtering or fining.

 

[btom2004]

My thoughts exactly Julie! Let the wine age, then use a fining agent if it is needed.

I age most of my wines (in bulk) for two years. Most of the time, the wine is good and clear and does not need any filtering or fining.

Are you adding any K-meta or other preservatives during this two year bulk age stage? Is so how much and how often?

 

[Runningwolf]

Sorry for jumping in for John but yes keep your sulfites up at all times. The amount depends on you ph and whether it is a red or white wine. This is a link to a calculator I use everyday for adjusting S02.

http://www.winemakermag.com/guide/sulfite

 

[btom2004]

Thanks Dan.

 

[JohnT]

When I say that I age in bulk, I age in 500 liter batches. I regularly test the wine and maintian it at 30 to 40 ppm.