On June 10th, the Emory Study Abroad group took a tour through the Barone Ricasoli vineyard in Tuscany. It was a beautiful morning and we were all giddy with excitement. We started in the actual vineyard where we learned how the grapes were planted, grown, and cared for. After the plants have been planted, workers come, ripoff any unnecessary parts, and stand them straight up using a series of metal wires. This helps them grow faster and keeps the grapes from touching the ground. Also, we learned the very strict regulations of Chianti Classico. This type of wine must have 75-80% of Sangiovese grapes while the other 20% can be from other varieties.
Next, we saw the fermentation tanks. This room was filled with twenty to thirty large, metal tanks. During the fermentation process, the sugars in the grapes are changed into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. The grapes are put into these tanks through a large hole in the ceiling and are guided down a track into the tanks. The winemakers then add yeast to aid in this transformation. Then, Lactic Acid Bacteria are added to help transform the malic acid to lactic acid. Further, Acetic Acid Bacteria is carefully added. This is a very important step as the Acetic Acid Bacteria can spoil the wine easily, ruining the taste. To counteract this, winemakers add sulfur dioxide to stabilize the solution. This entire process can take as long as eighteen months.
The third part of our trip was to see the immaculate storage room. Rows upon rows of French Oak barrels rested as they were filled to the brim with Ricasoli wine. We learned that the French Oak was the best type of wood for storage because it was thin and gave off a rich taste to the wine. We would soon test this theory as we had a wine tasting. After a few tasting tips, we “tested” a red and a white wine to make sure the process was carried out appropriately. To our tour guides delight, we all gave both our stamp of approval.
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I think we all enjoyed the visit to Barone Ricasoli! I was very interested in the specific acids and components combined for the proper chemical processes to take place. I wish we had questioned further in how the chemical combinations may vary between different kinds of berries and wines, if they do at all. Also, I wanted to know comparisons between Italian wine-making and perhaps French or American approaches. Beyond materials and resources available, I have heard there are even chemical differences between the countries, such as Americans adding more sulfur dioxide, that result in distinct flavors.
ReplyDeleteI concur with Mike that we definitely gave the wine our approval, and next time we pop a bottle, we will all give a little more thought to the hard work behind it.
I particularly enjoyed walking around among the vines. It was interesting hearing about the different soils used for different types of grapes (or even the same type). This shouldn’t be surprising since the growing conditions are so important to the quality of the wine. Vineyard soil in general is full of rocks to help drainage. Too much water decreases the concentration of sugar which is so important for the alcohol production. I heard from Natalie, who worked at Brolio last year, that there are some strange practices do when there is too much rain. She wasn’t sure if the sonic vibrations used had scientific reasons or were more superstition. Another interesting aspect to the vineyard agriculture was the grasses that were allowed to grow between the lines of vines. These grasses, which were allowed to grow between every other line, promoted the hardiness of the vines by providing competition. They also offered a mud free path after rain.
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