< blog | Brander Vineyard, I have a crush on you

Brander Vineyard, I have a crush on you

It’s that celebratory time of the year in wine country when the word “crush” is tossed about like confetti. Sure, we all know crush as the term for high school puppy love, but in this wine-soaked realm, it’s one of the absolute best seasons—the time after the grapes are plucked from the vines and then crushed (literally) to kickstart the next phase of winemaking.

Crush stands proudly as a key player in the grand scheme of winemaking, a partner alongside other essential steps in the process like harvesting, fermentation, fining/clarification, and the grand finale of aging and bottling. Winemaking might seem like a straightforward process, but truth be told, there’s a lot more involved than one might think. So, let the grape adventure continue!

SYV Buzz caught up with Fabian Bravo, winemaker at The Brander Vineyard, to watch the last of the 2023 crush commence as a special delivery of Torrontés grapes arrived from Dr. Alfredo Koch, enology coordinator at Allan Hancock College.

Torrontés is a white grape variety, mostly produced and grown in Argentina, producing fresh, aromatic wines with moderate acidity, smooth texture and mouthfeel, and with distinctive peach and apricot aromas on the nose.

“Torrontés is very common in Argentina,” explains Fabian. “It has Muscat-like qualities and the flesh is very pulpy. The berries and clusters are huge, like table grapes, and the grapes are very malleable compared with other varietals.”

Whole cluster fermentation & de-stemming

After harvesting the grapes, they undergo a meticulous sorting. Then the winemaker faces a crucial decision—to keep or remove the stems. Should the stems be retained during fermentation, it is aptly named “whole cluster fermentation.” This stem-inclusive method imparts a boost of tannin structure and flavor, but not all grapes crave that extra kick. Whole cluster fermentation is particularly advantageous for grape varietals like pinot noir, grenache, and occasionally syrah, given their thin skins and lower tannic profiles.

De-stemmed grapes are treated to a gentle squeeze to liberate their juice. For varietals like cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, mourvèdre, malbec, tempranillo, merlot, and sangiovese, adequate tannins are already present in the skin of the fruit and there’s no real motivation to boost tannin content or increase concentration.

About those grape skins

In days of yore, traditional grape stomping was the go-to method for crush, but nowadays, mechanical crushers typically take the stage, expertly separating grape skins from the juice.

For the delicate process of white and sparkling wines, a gentle press ensures a pristine separation of juice from skins and stems, keeping the juice pure and free.

The red wine game plays by different rules. During fermentation, keeping the juice and skin together is paramount, infusing the concoction with rich color, textured flair, bold flavor, and a full-bodied end result.

The other F word

F is for fermentation, the phase where grape “must”—the term for those divine juices and grape pomace—takes a leisurely rest. While spontaneous fermentation can kick off naturally, many winemakers introduce specific yeast strains to the must in order to jumpstart the process or gain more control over it. As the yeast activates, it feasts on grape sugars, transforming them into alcohol.

Post-crush, the winemaking journey unfolds with variations aplenty, all steering toward the desired end results. Techniques like malolactic fermentation, lees aging, and the intricate process of fining and filtration come into play. And mind you, all of these decisions are transpiring before the wine even hits the bottle!

So the next time you uncork a bottle of wine, take a moment to ponder the behind-the-scenes process that took place before it graced your glass.

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