Wine Making Area has natural light

[winemaker_3352]

Can the area you make wine have natural light (windows)? My wine is not in direct sunlight - but the room is lit up by the natural light. Is this alright - or do i need to invest in shades?

 

[djrockinsteve]

No your carboys don't need sunglasses (shades). If it's a lot of light get a adjustable rod and put up a sheet/cloth etc.
Many folks have indirect light into their area with no problems. What you really don't want is the sun heating up the wine or hitting the wine.
My wine room has the Northern light and being anal I put up a rod with a thick cloth as I had wine next to the window.
How many restaurants and stores have lots of light shining into their businesses. Some wines are in dark bottles but not all are.

 

[Lurker]

Each of my carboys has it own brown paper shopping bag. With a hole in the bottom for the top of the carboy, they're protected from light.

 

[winemaker_3352]

No your carboys don't need sunglasses (shades). If it's a lot of light get a adjustable rod and put up a sheet/cloth etc.
Many folks have indirect light into their area with no problems. What you really don't want is the sun heating up the wine or hitting the wine.
My wine room has the Northern light and being anal I put up a rod with a thick cloth as I had wine next to the window.
How many restaurants and stores have lots of light shining into their businesses. Some wines are in dark bottles but not all are.

This brings up a good point - gonna side step here for a sec - the temp in this room is controlled by the time of year - so summer time it is about 75 avg, winter it is about 65 avg.

I can really never get it down to the 50 degree range for bulk aging - is this a problem?

 

[Runningwolf]

Each of my carboys has it own brown paper shopping bag.

My wine is good enough looking I didn't have to put a bag over their head.

I use to put t-shirts over mine, but being in the basement I found it was just easier to just cover the windows.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Jon, over the last few years I've learned that wine in the making should be allowed to slowly change temp. as the seasons change. I once kept my room chilled during spring thru fall and cold during winter. That wine (many different kinds) had much late sediment dropping. I'm guessing the cold kept sediment in suspension.

Now I will keep it between 60's to 70's year round and have little if any additional deposits after a year. These warm temps will naturally degass the wine too.

No two people here do the exact same thing and yet they produce wonderful wines.

Avoid quick and high temps., direct sunlight, vibration continually and you will do fine.

P. S. Runningwolfs carboys use to be ugly, that's why he bagged them but now they have blossomed into real beauties.

 

[winemaker_3352]

My wine is good enough looking I didn't have to put a bag over their head.

I use to put t-shirts over mine, but being in the basement I found it was just easier to just cover the windows.

Thanks guys - this post got me laughing - guess we have a new wine now - the butterface wine .

 

[djrockinsteve]

the butterface wine .

I almost said that. My wife never heard that before and I made the remark recently that that girl had a butterface.

My wife looked at me trying to understand what I meant. When I told her she burst into laughter and said there really is something wrong with you.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I almost said that. My wife never heard that before and I made the remark recently that that girl had a butterface.

My wife looked at me trying to understand what I meant. When I told her she burst into laughter and said there really is something wrong with you.

Yeah same here - my wife had no clue what that meant - she actually thought it had something to do with butter on a girl's face

 

[Wade E]

I dont worry about temps when bulk aging. Colder temps will help the wine clear and drop wine diamonds and warmer temps will let the wine degas better so iy actually helps yje wine here to go through slow temp changes. This is not a good thing while in the bottle though.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I dont worry about temps when bulk aging. Colder temps will help the wine clear and drop wine diamonds and warmer temps will let the wine degas better so iy actually helps yje wine here to go through slow temp changes. This is not a good thing while in the bottle though.

I am hoping by the time i bottle my wines - about a year - that i will have a fridge by then to store my bottled wine.