Here’s my list of things we still need to get/do before we can make a shitload of incredible wine.
1. Barrels (2)
– We’re supposedly getting 1 from Revolution Wines (in Midtown)
– Sam has one we can buy from him, and he’s even offered to take it along with his other Barrels to get it refinished!
2. Yeast
– The guy at Winemaking 101 said he swears by Lavlin 254D.
Lalvin ICV-D254: For mouthfeel in Mediterranean-style reds Lalvin ICV-D254 was selected by the ICV in 1998 from Syrah fermentations in Gallician, south of the Rhône Valley. In red wines, Lalvin ICV-D254 promises high fore-mouth volume, big mid-palate mouthfeel, intense fruit concentration, smooth tannins and a mildly spicy finish. Red wines made with Lalvin ICV-D254 may be blended with Lalvin ICV-D80 or Lalvin ICV-D21 to create more concentrated, full bodied wines. In unripe reds, ferment 25-50% of the lot with Lalvin ICV-D254 and the balance with Lalvin ICV-GRE to help mask vegetative character. As a complement to Lalvin Bourgoblanc CY3079, winemakers in North America use Lalvin ICV-D254 for fermenting Chardonnay with nutty aromas and creamy mouthfeel.
Here’s a yeast comparison chart showing the relative merits of a bunch of different ones. 254D does sound like a good choice for our Cab Sauv: http://www.lallemandwine.us/products/yeast_chart.php. I’ll do some more research.
3. Primary fermenter.
– We might be able to borrow a macro bin from Sam if the timing is right. Or, we could maybe rent one: http://www.vipvr.com/rental_macrobin.shtml We’ll need a truck to haul it around in. Jeff has a connection for a land cruiser we could hook a trailer to. If the macrobin doesn’t work out, we can probably get 3 44 gallon food grade fermenters (aka ‘fancy trash cans’): http://morewinemaking.com/view_product/7790/103072
4. Grape Press.
– We should be able to borrow or rent one. Otherwise, start clearing up that athlete’s foot, cause we’ll be stomping!
4. Misc Winery equipment
– Proxiclean
– Potassium metabisulfite
– Barrel care items, including: sulphur, sulphur burner. anything else, Sam?
– Barrel bungs
OK. That’s probably a long enough email for now. I should start posting these to the website. Maybe I’ll do that.
-Chris