Paul Santoriello’s Advice on Lowering Acidity in Cool Climate Grapes

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2 Responses

  1. Tom Plocher says:

    Nice article and solutions offered by Paul to the constraints posed by producing fruit and grape wines in the same facility e.g. no malo permitted!
    I do have to question the statement, “Like all cold climate grapes, Foch, etc. often have problems with acidity.” There is a new generation of grapes being introduced, some, like Petite Pearl, from my own work. These consistently come in at a TA of 0.7 and pH of 3.4-3.45. There is no issue of reducing acidity in these grapes. Hopefully, with time, more winemakers will seek out these new varieties and not have to face the annual issue of how to manipulate the acidity.
    Thanks!
    Tom

    • Dave Anthony says:

      The article is a nice review/reminder of winery acid adjustment practices. A point that needs to be stressed in relation to malo-lactic fermentation is winery sanitation. Malo-lactic fermentation is a great tool and should be used regularly on reds, but if your equipment is not sanitized between each use, you run the risk of introducing it to other unintended wines. Converting malic acid to lactic acid in white and fruit wine is usually a disaster. Malic acid is distinctive and a must in many wines. Malic is the acid that gives apples their character. Once again winery sanitation is the solution to many risky challenges in cellar work.
      Dave