Monday, November 8, 2010

Viognier

Carolina Wine Supply just recently imported buckets of juice from California.  How could I resist the opportunity to make another white wine?  I picked out a six gallon bucket of Viogner that my wife graciously drove over to Yadkinville to pick up on a recent day off from work.
The juice was approximately 23.5o Brix, which will give a potential alcohol level of around 13%.  The pH meter is still on the fritz so I used some test strips.  The pH is 3.4, which will work out well.  A small sidenote, I just recently found out that Appalachian State in Boone will do free wine testing.  I am looking forward to sending it in, and getting numbers back on some of my recent wines to see how they compare with my readings.
The ICV-GRE yeast purchased earlier in the year didn't get used for what it was intended (a rosé), so it became the yeast for the Viognier.  It should enhance the tropical fruit and mouth-feel of the wine.  It is fermenting in our chest freezer with a thermostat to keep it at 55o F.  Keeping it cool while it ferments helps white wines keep their aromas and flavor.  We've had a cold spell here recently, so I recently pulled it from the freezer to let it continue fermenting in the basement at around 60o F.