A trend right now is that wine consumers want lower levels of alcohol in their wines. This can be a challenge for wine producers when the temperature rises in the summer. One solution is to harvest grapes that are not quite ripe and thus not so rich in sugar.
But at the same time, you don’t want the wine to lose complexity and ageing potential. Therefore, the grapes should be harvested when the grapes have a maximum of fresh fruit aromas but not a maximum of sugar. However, the producers need to pay attention otherwise, before they know it, the grapes will have reached full maturity or beyond.
The consultants at l’Institut coopératif du vin (ICV) in Languedoc recommend that, as the harvest approaches, they regularly taste the grapes, measure the total acidity of the must and the malic acid, and check the weight of the grapes.
A long and gentle extraction at low temperature is recommended. By choosing the appropriate type of yeast, you can soften the green character and get more volume in the mouth. Carbonic maceration (fermentation with whole bunches in CO2 atmosphere) and flash pasteurisation (rapid heating of the must) can also be possible ways to soften the wine when harvested for low alcohol.
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