Vines and winemaking
in Burgundy
The vineyard
The grapevine (botanical name: vitis) is a plant belonging to the Ampelidaceae family. It grows mainly in warm or temperate regions and includes a large number of species, including vitis vinifera, which provides all the grape varieties used in Europe, particularly in Burgundy. It is a climbing, woody shrub whose main organs are the roots and the vine stock. The life of the vine begins at the end of winter, with the first rays of sunshine. According to Baggiolini, the vegetative cycle is divided into 10 stages. And the care required for the plant is even more extensive.
Winemaking
The grapevine (botanical name: vitis) is a plant belonging to the Ampelidaceae family. It grows mainly in warm or temperate regions and includes a large number of species, including vitis vinifera, which provides all the grape varieties used in Europe, particularly in Burgundy. It is a climbing, woody shrub whose main organs are the roots and the vine stock. The life of the vine begins at the end of winter, with the first rays of sunshine. According to Baggiolini, the vegetative cycle is divided into 10 stages. And the care required for the plant is even more extensive.
White wine production
Special features of white wine production
A vintage represents the year in which a wine was grown, harvested, and vinified. This is more commonly referred to as the age of a wine. This allows anyone buying a bottle to know and judge the wine's organoleptic evolution; from one year to the next, wines from the same appellation are likely to be completely different. Do you know why?
Pressing and sulfiting
Pressing prevents solid materials from remaining in contact with the juice for too long, reducing the risk of herbaceous odors and bitter flavors being transferred to the wine.
Sulfiting: SO2 (sulfur dioxide) selects ferments, facilitates clarification, and has an antioxidant effect.
Settling and yeast addition
The settling process removes any astringency from the wine (by eliminating plant matter) but, if the must is too clear, it can slow down fermentation.
The vats can be inoculated 24 hours after filling, using CY 3079 yeast from the BIVB. This is known as yeast addition.
Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation
During alcoholic fermentation, sugars are converted into ethyl alcohol, energy, CO2, and many other components that contribute to the richness of the future wine. Malolactic fermentation: this is the microbiological transformation (by lactic acid bacteria) of malic acid into lactic acid, which has the effect of deacidifying and stabilizing the wine.
Racking
Racking involves separating the clear wine from its lees. This process can also oxygenate the wines. In Burgundy, wines are racked only two or three times.
Additional techniques (often in red)
Destemming: separates the stems from the berries
Crushing: breaks the skin to release the pulp and juice
Next: sulfiting (if necessary) and yeast addition (optional)
After 1 to 3 weeks of fermentation at 28-32°C, the tannins and anthocyanins are extracted → this is maceration.
Opérations post-fermentaires
Alcoholic fermentation (reminder)
Racking (at the end of maceration, obtaining the free-run wine)
Pressing the marc to obtain the press wine, to be blended
Pumping over: stimulates fermentation, aerates the must
Punching down: immersion of the marc for extraction
Chaptalization (if necessary): addition of sugar to increase the alcohol content
Last step before aging: malolactic fermentation
