Red Wine Maceration

Jim Harbertson Washington State University

Red Winemaking
Fermentation Temperature Skin and seed contact time Extraction Techniques
Cold Soak Thermovinification Extended Maceration Pre-fermentation Juice Runoff Enzyme Additions

Red winemaking

Mixing Techniques Pressing Some Experimental Results

Reds Ferment Warm

Most reds ferment at warm temperatures (70-90F) Oxidation is generally not an issue because surface layer of CO2 Skins and seeds are less dense than fermenting liquid forming a cap (about 1/3 volume) Cap requires mixing to prevent drying Mixing techniques vary and influence the color and astringency of the wine

Seed And skin Contact

Duration of contact time is controlling factor for extraction of color and tannin extraction. Tannins impart astringent character to wine and act as a color stabilizer Alcohol also helps to extract color and tannin Higher tannin is desirable in wines that are meant to be aged (unpleasantly too tannic young)

Red Fermentor
Anatomy of a red fermentation

Pigment Extraction
Anthocyanins are the water soluble pigments that are extracted from the skins of the grapes. Copigmentation:Anthocyanins interact with themselves and other colorless cofactors to provide color beyond what would be expected from themselves. Anthocyanins are susceptible to bleaching by sulfur dioxide. Small losses due to this are
acceptable during winemaking.

Tannin Extraction
Tannins are water soluble compounds that impart astringent character. Tannins and other compounds can combine with anthocyanins to stabilize color known as polymeric pigments. Polymeric pigments are more stable to sulfur dioxide bleaching.

Rates of Extraction
Anthocyanins
Extracted after two to three days Decline after maximum reached

Tannins
Extracted slowly and increase with contact time Polymeric Pigments Formed during winemaking and aging

Extraction Profile
tannin and anthocyanins

Polymeric pigment
Formation

Mixing Techniques
Punch-Down
Device used to break up cap and submerge it into fermenting liquid

Pump-Over
Volume of liquid is taken from racking valve and pumped back onto cap to wet it.

Rack and Return

Entire volume of liquid is racked off and then poured back onto cap to fully submerse it. Often seeds are removed from bottom of tank during this process to avoid extraction of bitter compounds.

Punch-down

Punch-down
Example

Punch-Down
Mechanical device

Pump-over

Pump-over
Fixed irrigator

Punch-down vs. Pump-over

Which method is more effective?
It depends on the cultivar. Also depends on whether mechanism is mechanical or manually based. Pump over has been found to be extractive technique in many cases. Pump over variables Duration of pump over Cap temperature during pump over Skin content of liquid

Special Apparatus: Rotary Fermentors and Pulsed Air

Rotary Fermentors
Horizontal Fermentor Mechanically rotates Mixes during rotation

Pulsed Air
Compressed gas at bottom of tank Inert gas Forced through cap

Pulsed Air to Mix Cap

Rotary fermentor

Cold Soak
Must is held at low temperature prior to fermentation (10 to 15C) Winemakers claim it improves color Done with varieties that are low in anthocyanins such as Pinot noir. Prominent technique for Oregon Pinot noir production

Cold soak continued

Aqueous extraction supposedly improves wine color Anthocyanins are extracted early in fermentation while tannins are later. Heat and alcohol are prominent extraction elements Anthocyanins are unstable and highly reactive and can degrade or be stabilized by other compounds Stable color = Polymeric pigments formed through reactions with tannins and anthocyanins No good evidence it enhances stable color formation. Likely cold soak combined with other extraction methods may be able to help improve wine color but not on its own.

Thermovinification
Procedure: Pre-fermentation heating of skin/seeds (140 to 160F) for a short time Extract with juice Press Cool Start Fermentation

Thermovinification
Results:
Damages skin cells (hypodermal cells) Denatures oxidative enzymes Release of anthocyanins No tannin enhancement Good for color improvement

Suggested for varietals that have low color Research demonstrated effective with Pinot noir

Extended Maceration
Prolonged skin/seed contact after primary fermentation is complete Cultivar not a factor Tannins and anthocyanins Time period variable 7, 13, 21 and 44 days have reported in literature Tank space can be become an issue Winemakers discuss this method as a means of building body for the wine not just astringency

Pre-fermentation Runoff
Saigne: Bleed off Removal of free run juice before fermentation Increase of skin/seed to juice ratio Used to simulate variation in berry size w/out change in berry composition. Phenolic Enhancement Color, tannin, polymeric pigment, total phenolics Varietal Differences Enhancement lost in some cases over time

Enzyme Additions
Pectolytic enzymes Enzyme = protein that is able to accelerate reaction without being used as substrate Lysis=breakdown Pectins are water soluble polysaccarides that are found in the cell walls of plants Most enzyme preparations are impure Can contain enzymatic activities that will destabilize anthocyanins

beta-glycosidases destabilize anthocyanins

Enzyme additions
Enzyme mixture cocktail Difficult to know what enzyme activity you have in cocktail Research findings: Anthocyanin extraction not enhanced Tannins and other phenolics are enhanced Polymeric pigments Enzymes are affected by pH, EtOH, Temperature Some empirical investigation required

Role of Pressing in Red Winemaking

The end of extraction of skin/seed components Determining when to press depends on wine type Different types of presses are used to achieve different outcomes Bladder presses are the most commonly used Screw and basket presses are old effective means Continuous presses are more rare Both screw and continuous presses are avoided because they often damage seeds and skins and extract unwanted components

Treatment Control High Alcohol Low Saigne High Saigne Extended Maceration

Saigne %
0% 0% 18% 22% 14.60%

Water Addition 17.50% 5% 14.50% 11% 10.60%

Volume Change +17.5% +5.0% -3.50% -11% -4%

Brix Target 23.8 Brix 26.8 Brix 23.8 Brix 23.8 Brix 23.8 Brix

Contact Time 7 days 7 days 7 days 7 days 20 days

Experiment
Merlot (Columbia Basin 5 ton/acre) 10 ton fermentor (2 reps)

Anthocyanins
7 days not 3 days

Tannin Extraction

Control

High Alcohol

Low Saigne

High Saigne

Extended Maceration

Skin Tannin Seed Tannin Wine Tannin (Calc) Wine Tannin (Act.)

42% 58%

26% 74%

40% 60%

27% 73%

22% 78% 1704 mg/L

622 mg/L 976 mg/L 803 mg/L 977 mg/L

552 mg/L 665 mg/L 547 mg/L 811 mg/L

1080 mg/L

Extraction Proportions

Conclusion
Many mixing techniques Many maceration techniques Experiment to find the ones that fit your style Acknowledgements: WAC Chateau Ste. Michelle