March 2002 NEWSLETTER Vol. 6 Issue 2

March's Specials
Finings: Part 2 Bentonite
Sodium Metabisulphite vs Potassium Metabisulphite
Grape Profile: Nero D'Avola
HWBTA Wine Competition: Medals won by Brew King
*******************************************************

March Specials (March 16 to April 10) 15% off the following wine kits (sorry, no other discounts apply):

Vintner’s Reserve 4-week:
Gewurztraminer (with F-pack)
Italian Pinot Grigio (new Passport Series www.homecraft.on.ca/profiles/passport.htm )
Vieux Chateau du Roi
Australian Shiraz

Selection Premium kits:
Australian Murray River Reserve (www.homecraft.on.ca/profiles/murray.htm )
Barolo
*******************************************************

Finings: Part 2 Bentonite

Fining is the name given to the clarification phase of winemaking. The fining method should not take away from the essential aromatic and flavour compounds of the wine. Fining agents work on the principle that all of the particles responsible for clouding a wine have an electrical charge. As an example gelatin has a positive charge meaning that it can attract negatively charged materials. In binding to the negatively charged materials the combined weight increases resulting in settling to occur.

Bentonite (montmorillonite clay) is named for the place where it was originally mined - Fort Benton, Montana. It is an extremely fine, clay material, and has a negative electrical charge. It is used to remove positively-charged particles from wine, and to clarify & remove excess protein from white wine. It is also effective in fruit wines. In the wine kit industry, Bentonite is used at the beginning of the fermentation to provide yeast nucleation sites & speed the onset of fermentation.

Bentonite can strip wine flavours or aromas, (and colour in red wine kits) if overdosed. Never use more than 2 grams per gallon.

Dose: Normally 1 to 2 grams of dry bentonite per gallon of wine. For general clarification, 1g/G is sufficient. To remove protein from white wine, use 2g/G.

Usage: In a blender, add (for 5 gallons) 125ml of hot water. Turn the blender on and slowly add up to 10 grams of Bentonite. When the mixture has cooled, place in the refrigerator for 24 hours to hydrate. Add the hydrated solution to the carboy while stirring continuously. One level teaspoon = 3.5 grams
Bentonite does have one other disadvantage: fluffy sediment, and a lot of it, which can make racking difficult.
*******************************************************

Sodium Metabisulphite versus Potassium Metabisulphite

The use of anhydrous sulphur (or more commonly SO2) is the very foundation to the preservation of wine. But, have you ever wondered what the difference between POTASSIUM metabisulphite & SODIUM metabisulphite is?

Apart from the chemical formulae, there are a few reasons why potassium metabisulphite salts (KMBS) are used in winemaking instead of the cheaper sodium metabisulphite (sodium metabisulphite is still available for those wishing to use it as a form of sanitizer for equipment).

Potassium metabisulphite has a higher sulphur content, and also keeps better, therefore making it a more efficient additive (sodium meta starts to smell like lye after exposure to air). The main reason sodium metabisulphite isn't used anymore, is that it may be risky to diabetics. The potassium version is safer. As for campden tablets, (tablet forms of sulphite), you should only be using tablets of potassium metabisulphite.
*******************************************************

Grape Profile: Nero D'Avola

The Nero D'Avola grape is grown in Sicily and is one of the island's best red grapes. It is also known as the Calbrese, which suggests that it may have originated from Calabria on mainland Italy. The area around the town of Avola in the extreme south-east corner of Sicily has a particularly good reputation for the quality of the Nero D'Avola grown there.

The wine is bright ruby red in color with a nose of plum, cherries and sometimes vanilla and spice. Soft and mellow with gentle tannins, it is dry with a light/medium body. The fruit is nicely balanced, with no oak. The finish is clean and pleasant.

Nero D'Avola is capable of producing wines of great potential with complexity, richness and texture that are capable of aging for many years. It is also often found in blends.
*******************************************************

The Home Wine and Beer Trade Association recently held its annual amateur wine competition to recognize the best wine products for Canadian and American home winemakers. Out of 450 entries, 150 were from Canada, and among those, Canadians earned several medals thanks to some Brew King products:

Concentrate/Kit Category:
GOLD MEDAL & BEST OF SHOW to Peter Mills with a 1999 Selection French Chardonnay
GOLD MEDAL to Mark Haines with a 2000 Selection Australian Cabernet-Shiraz

Fruit-Flavoured Wine Category
GOLD MEDAL to Darcey Fullerton with a 2000 Island Mist Green Apple Riesling

Specialty Wine Category
GOLD MEDAL to Darcey Fullerton with a 2000 Selection Sherry
*******************************************************

Subscribe to receive via email: info@homecraft.on.ca