Understand the different stages of winemaking. From harvest to bottling, the winegrower will put all his know-how into practice to produce his best cuvée.
The grape berries are mechanically separated from the stalk (peduncle supporting the berries). This step eliminates the herbaceous taste that the stalks could give to the grape must.
This is a very important step in winemaking, which consists, using a press, in extracting the juice from freshly harvested grapes for the whites, or the already fermented grape marc for the reds. The press or pressing separates the liquid and solid parts of the berries. If the grapes are immediately returned to the press after harvest, this step will define the color of the juice and its taste quality. Pressing after fermentation (for red wines) will allow the marc to be pressed to extract so-called “press” wine.
This stage allows for white and rosé wines to clarify the must before fermentation, and, for red wines, to clarify the wine after fermentation.
In the first case, settling occurs immediately after pressing the harvest. The musts then contain pulp, pips, suspended solids, grape skin, leaf debris, etc. Settling will allow the liquid to be separated from what is not (the fluff).
In the 2nd case, it is the action of gravity which will deposit the particles present at the bottom of the tank. After fermentation, the lees will be removed by suction, and then sent to the distillery.
Settling is carried out either by natural (temperature) or accelerated (enzyming) sedimentation, or by mechanical action using a centrifuge.
This operation consists of taking the must from the vats and reincorporating it from the top, sprinkling the cap with marc (solid particles from the harvest). Pumping over is done at the start of fermentation, twice a day, using a pump.
The purpose of this operation is:
Delestage consists of transferring the must from one vat to another, so that only the cap of marc, which is highly concentrated in polyphenols and sugars, is kept in the original vat. Under its own weight, the marc crashes to the bottom of the vat and the oxygen fills the rest. 2 or 00 hours later, the must is again reincorporated from the top of the original tank, with a strong flow to allow the cap of marc to be “broken”. Going up in the tank, the marc will bring a great richness to the must.
Pigeage consists of destructuring the marc by crumbling it to push it into the must, towards the bottom of the vat. This operation gently brings the components of the pomace, rich in tannins, anthocyanins, aromas, into contact with the must. Particularly suited to the vinification of grape varieties that are too sensitive to oxygen, it used to be done barefoot. Today, automatic pigging machines are gradually replacing traditional methods.
Alcoholic fermentation is a chemical reaction that transforms the sugar in grapes into ethanol.
This stage of vinification only occurs if certain conditions are met:
Shortly after alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation occurs for red wines, and for certain white wines. This vinification process aims to transform the malic acid, naturally present in the musts, into lactic acid, which is sweeter. This fermentation, by the presence of natural bacteria (known as lactic) will bring roundness to the wine and reduce the acidity. On the other hand, it is better to avoid it for white and rosé wines seeking aromas and freshness.
Once all the sugars have been transformed into alcohol, this operation consists of separating the must from the marc to put the wine “clean”, and rid it of all the solid matter (misplaced seeds, scraps of stalks, pieces of skin, etc.) . The must then becomes “free run” wine, and the marc will be used for “press” wine. The subsequent rackings will serve to gradually remove the finer lees.
Fining consists of clarifying the wine by adding a coagulating product without flavor or odor (such as egg white, bentonite, gelatin, casein, etc.) which, as it falls, drags the lees that have remained in suspension.
Blending is a very delicate winemaking operation since it consists of selecting several vinified cuvées from different plots and grape varieties, but from the same geographical area, to blend them according to criteria and complementary taste qualities. The objective is to produce wines with subtle, complex and unexpected aromas.
There are 2 types of wine ageing:
This operation consists of regularly filling the barrel as it empties by evaporation (called “the angels' share”), to avoid contact between air and wine.
The purpose of filtration is to clarify the wine as much as possible to make it clear, while eliminating bacteria and yeasts that could end up altering it. It is a delicate operation which, if poorly controlled, can destroy the structure of the wine by removing desirable elements from its quality and its aromas. This step is not necessary for wines whose aging is done over a longer period.
After filtration, the wine goes to the bottling group for bottling and corking. This is followed by the labeling and capping stage.
The wines of fine bubbles constitute a range of wines which made the history and the notoriety of Saumurois. The limestone soils known as tuffeau chalk give the wines a natural tendency to sparkle. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, a few entrepreneurs, having noted these particularities, developed the traditional method which gave birth to Saumur Brut and more recently to Crémant de Loire.
Wine is particularly sensitive to light (natural or artificial), heat or excess/lack of humidity in the air.
In fact, nothing is better than storing wines in a traditional cellar, in a horizontal position. However, wine cabinets are a good compromise and offer a number of advantages. Formerly reserved for professionals, they are becoming more democratic and are now common in homes.
Fancy a weekend alone, as a couple or with family? You want to please and gift an unusual and enticing stay? Don't hesitate any longer and book or gift one of our Destination Saumur Val de Loire weekends and stays.
Are you more into castles or troglodytes? Animal parks or parks and gardens? Cruises on the Loire or a ride on the touristic train?
We offer you a wide choice of tickets at reduced prices for visits or activities! We also offer the ticket office for many events in the area.
Match your accommodation to your stay! Saumur Val de Loire is an infinite range of accommodation (or almost) to get settled in the place that really suits you...
Travelers or locals of the region, you can find a wide selection of articles: posters, souvenirs, guides, gourmet products, etc.
For more choice, go directly to our gift shops.
