After purchasing two plots of arable land on the outskirts of Barham, Kent, in 2013, this year was the third harvest for Simpsons Wine Estate’s Roman Road vineyard and the first harvest for half of its Railway Hill site. Continue reading “Leveraging a French connection”
Previously I worked in music but after 20 years, I had all but stopped listening to music and needed to find a new passion. Continue reading “Meet the manager: Adrian Pike”
Enzymes are proteins which act as biological catalysts that facilitate and accelerate specific reactions and are useful tools during pre and post alcoholic fermentation. Post ferment enzymes, in particular glucanases enhance organoleptic attributes as well as improving stability and they aid filtration by minimising clogging compounds. Maryam Ehsani of Laffort explains further the role Extralyse can play during wine stabilisation. Continue reading “Pectinases and glucanases”
Meeting with Richard Balfour-Lynn on a sunny terrace at Hush Heath Estate, overlooking the flourishing, newly planted Nannette’s vineyard, sipping coffee from a mug inscribed “I’d rather be drinking Balfour Brut Rosé” I could easily have forgotten I was just outside Staplehurst, Kent. Continue reading “Sites, expertise and experience”
Factors affecting amino acid accumulation in berries are broad; cultivar, rootstock, soil management (in particular pH), climate, disease pressure, mineral nutrition and ripeness are all contributing factors. It can be said that the yield this year is big so dilution of YAN (Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen) might be why there is a lower than normal nitrogen content in the berries available as a starting platform for wine makers. Quality and source of supplementary nutrition is critical to the fermentation for both the yeast and the Malo lactic fermentation. Outlined below is some key pointers to help decide on what nutrient sources to use; Continue reading “Yeast and nutrition”
With harvest in full flow, looking at using some techniques to protect the grape must is essential especially if there is risk of disease. Continue reading “Tannins”
Our recent research has shown the role of the nutritional environment on the aromatic metabolism of wine yeast. Based on these results, specific nutrients have been developed to maximize the yeast capacity to uptake aroma precursors from grapes and to optimize their bioconversion in volatile varietal aromas. Added at the beginning of fermentation, these nutrients stimulate efficiently the enzymatic activity of the yeast, increasing the revelation of varietal aroma such as volatile thiols. Continue reading “Yeast and enzymes”
With harvest fast approaching take comfort in the words of an iconic Frenchman to get you through the crush cycles and long hours ahead: “All you need is a 10-minute nap and voilà, a slurp of rosé and I feel as fresh as a daisy,” – Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu. Continue reading “Stabulation”
There’s a common saying bandied around among winemakers that 80% of great winemaking is cleanliness. It is the least glamorous part of winemaking but essential to the process, keeping microbes in check by removing areas of deposit. It is important to manage on an ongoing basis. Continue reading “Cleaning and sanitising”
Urban wineries are somewhat of an enigma in our blossoming industry. While the original London-based producers are now engaging with UK growers and rolling out their lines of English wines, their decision to import fruit from Europe has resulted in suspicion and trepidation from the English and Welsh wine community – after all no one want to be seen to be supporting ‘British wine’. Continue reading “Proud Londoners, exclusively English”
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