All About the Barrel, All About the Barrel
Note - this post was originally published 01.29.2015
Life slows down a little bit in Napa Valley in the winter. The tourists are mostly at home, the vines are dormant, and we get prepare for the coming vintage. This week Francisco helped worked at a winery clearing out the cellar and moving old barrels out.
Lees
Note - this post was first published 3/8/2014.
lees: the sediment of a liquor (as wine) during fermentation and aging > Merriam-Webster
lees: Heavy sediment left in the barrel by fermenting wines; a combination of spent yeast cells and grape solids > winemag.com
lees: sediment consisting of dead yeast cells, grape pulp, seed, and other grape matter that accumulates during fermentation > Wine School of Philadelphia
We took this photo when we racked some of our wine off the lees (just taking the clean wine, taking care).