Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon grapes
It is already October and time for Kathy and me to get interested in making wine this autumn. We spent most of the day in Virginia, promoting our book, A Wine Journey. Pearmund Cellars and Vint Hill Craft Winery will hold a book signing event. A date will be determined once we receive a release date by our publisher. While at Pearmund Cellars, I mentioned to Chris Pearmund that I would like to experiment making a white Cabernet Sauvignon. Last month, while traveling to wineries in Ontario, Canada, we tasted a white Cabernet Sauvignon. Earlier, we’ve tasted white Merlot, white Pinot Noir and white Cabernet Franc. We enjoyed the white Cabernet Sauvignon and wanted to experiment with making a white cab.
Chris said they were pressing some Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon and I was able to get a couple gallons. The juice measured a specific gravity of 1.068. That would produce almost a 10% alcohol wine. I added sugar to the juice raising the specific gravity to 1.094. That can produce a little over a 13% alcohol wine. For the two gallons of juice, I added just under a pound of sugar.
I went with a Lalvin DV10 because this saccharomyces bayanus yeast is considered very reliable for white wine fermentation. A few other winemaking products were added to the juice. Opti-White by Lallemand was added to enhance the smoothness of the wine. It also helps avoid browning from oxidation and protects fresh aromas during aging. Next, added was Fermaid K also by Lallemand, a nutrient for the yeast. Scottzyme® Cinn-Free is a pectinase that can help release aromas, something we are interested in with a white Cabernet Sauvignon. Kathy added this to the juice before we drove home.
The juice was a grayish burgundy color. Now that the yeast has been added, we’ll wait and see what happens. We may have another chance to make a couple gallons of a White Cabernet Sauvignon with Maryland fruit. Early October and winemaking has started.
Cheers,
Terry
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