What is Wine Grape Fermentation?
Harvest 2024 is well underway. LDV Winery harvested eleven tons of Viognier fruit, and fermentation has begun. We inoculated the fruit, which added yeast and yeast nutrients, starting alcoholic fermentation. The yeast eats the sugar, and as sugar is consumed, alcohol, carbon dioxide, and heat are produced.
LDV has about 1,000 gallons of Viognier juice, translating to about 5,000 bottles of wine. This process is a big deal and quite violent during the fermentation process. The yeast goes crazy when it meets the sugar. It takes a few days, and then the juice will be racked into tanks for settling - letting dead yeast by-products sink to the bottom. The wine will be racked again and transferred into the various aging vessels - French oak or stainless steel tanks. Next up is harvesting the red wine grapes.
Curt Dunham, LDV winemaker, explains more in this short video.
LDV has about 1,000 gallons of Viognier juice, translating to about 5,000 bottles of wine. This process is a big deal and quite violent during the fermentation process. The yeast goes crazy when it meets the sugar. It takes a few days, and then the juice will be racked into tanks for settling - letting dead yeast by-products sink to the bottom. The wine will be racked again and transferred into the various aging vessels - French oak or stainless steel tanks. Next up is harvesting the red wine grapes.
Curt Dunham, LDV winemaker, explains more in this short video.