Sweet and Savvy!

April brought with it a change in varietal focus for the BRI Research Winery, with Sauvignon Blanc arriving on the 1st of April, kindly supplied by Indevin.

A large rectangular metal and wooden crate is secured on the back of a white pickup truck inside a garage. The crate is marked with faded blue lettering and appears to be sturdy. Trees are visible through the open garage door.

A large, industrial container with a worn, beige surface, labeled "CHEP," stands in a cluttered warehouse. A red hose is attached to a valve at the bottom. Shelves with various items are visible in the background.

A close-up of a shiny, metallic surface, possibly a sheet or cover. There is a round white vent or cap in the center. The surface reflects light, creating a mix of blue and silver hues. The background is out of focus.

Images: 1000L Pallecon transporting the Sauvignon Blanc (aka Ginormous bag in box)

The Sauvignon Blanc had already been pressed and floated at Indevin, so the team set out with a Pallecon on Monday April 1st to be filled with juice. Our portion of juice came from a greater volume that went to 3 x 5000L tanks, providing the commercial comparison for the trial. Having the grapes already pressed made the collection of the juice a quick process. The nerve wracking and slower part of the process was the journey home, while well within weight limits of the flat-deck truck it was still a tense ride back with such a big weight on board. With a major sigh of relief, we made it back without incident.

A laboratory setup with several large stainless steel tanks connected by numerous cables and pipes. The tanks are arranged in a row, with control panels and valves visible. In the background, there are additional pipes and a control box mounted on the wall.

View of a large, cylindrical metal container with some liquid and foam at the bottom. Two rods, one metallic and one plastic, extend into the container. The interior is smooth and shiny.

A person in a black shirt leans over a large stainless steel vat, measuring its depth with a yellow tape measure. The room has various bottles and jars on shelves and countertops, with a window in the background.

Image: Pinot Noir bin being prepared for transport back to the BRI Research Winery; LinLin Yang (Plant and Food Research) Standing with the bins ready for transport.

Lines were set-up and juice pumped direct from the Pallecon into our tanks to a set dip height, filling the 200L tanks to 160L, the 17L tanks to 16L and 7.5L into Plant and Food’s fermentation tubes. As the juice had already been clarified at the winery and with Indevin inoculating their tanks that night, we followed suit. Following the winemaking protocol set by Indevin, we inoculated the tanks with X5 yeast setting up a culture for each individual tank.

By Wednesday the 3rd of April a healthy yeast population had built up and we started to see the Brix levels drop in the juice. That night fermentation really kicked in. After the initial brix drop was seen we made a nutrient addition, following the same timing as Indevin. In contrast to the Pinot Noir, fermentation for Sauvignon Blanc occurs at much lower temperatures – in this case we are fermenting at 12 degrees.

Close-up view of a container with a light-colored powder inside, sprinkled with small brown particles. The container appears cylindrical and metal, viewed from the top.

Image: Sauvignon Blanc fermenting in a 17L tank

A big thanks to Indevin for supplying the Sauvignon Blanc that made these trials possible. We are just about half-way through fermentation now and the tanks are all smelling sweet and savvy!

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