"Then love was the pearl of his oyster, and Venus rose red out of wine."

Swinburne

The basics techniques of how to handle red wines in the cellar are covered in this chapter with particular focus on the extraction of color and flavor. It goes into considerable detail about the subject. Aging of red wines is also addressed.

Chapter 19

Red wine maceration and extraction

The maceration or cuvaison of red fruit is the second most important aspect of making red wine. Only optimizing the fruit quality in the vineyard has greater importance. To make the best possible red wine, you must first improve the quality of your fruit. (This is not the case for white wine, which can be successfully made with medium-quality fruit. Technique can increase white wine quality, whereas the function of technique in red wine is to protect the quality inherent in the vineyard and vintage.) Red wines reflect vineyard quality much more than whites. This critical subject of flavor management in the vineyard is discussed in detail in the winegrowing portions of this book. As cellar tasks go, maceration is the winemaker’s most important activity. Maceration occurs during the first 1–3 weeks of the red wine’s life in the winery. This period is critical, as the color as well as the structure of the wine are determined during maceration. All other things being equal, the perfection of extract is the best predictor of quality in red wine.[1] If maceration is done incorrectly, the losses in quality will be irreversible.

I will address various aspects of maceration sequentially. Some points relating to maceration have been discussed in prior sections on juice amendments, yeasting, and fruit reception.[2]

Destemming & crushing

In California, the entire harvest is often referred to as “The Crush.” This harks back to a time not so long ago when most fruit was crushed by rollers as the first stage of processing.  Actual crushing of fruit has become increasingly rare. Most modern winemakers want to carefully control exactly which parts of the grape cluster end up in the fermenter and in what proportion. Crushing the fruit does not allow for this degree of flexibility. Great investment, both in labor and equipment, is made in order to control the proportions—everything from close to 100% intact whole berries to 100% intact whole clusters, and every possible variation thereof. The machinery helping the winemaker achieve their specific aim continues to evolve. Talking with other winemakers and watching specific equipment in operation is the wisest way to guide any purchase. Several practical factors— including availability of labor, pace of fruit reception, and budgets—must be kept in mind when making equipment purchase decisions. Take your time and decide carefully. If all goes well, you’ll be living with your choices for a long time.