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Sometimes a different set of eyes Most typically, when we get that call from the person who is looking to start a winery, I wonder if they have seen our How to Start a Winery page. Here is an easier way to get a lot of that same information: The Enotools University podcast.  My Industry Partner Who Makes Tannins Well, Doug Manning (ex Napa, surrounding area winemaker, etc.) isn't making them by hand, his partner is our partner and he's our partner and one of us is making the stuff in France. We distribute a line of tannins called Amedee. ANYWAY! Here's what happened: I asked Doug about timing on when we should start gently distributing information on our liquid tannins (pure oak extract) to help folks make a better "fast to market" wine. You see, I am trying to have a good seat when the post- harvest fray starts and everyone is scrambling for corks, etc. to get those less complex wines ready to pay some bills. I mean seriously! Our liquid tannins are going to be great for helping you keep color, clarity, aromas, etc. in the wines in queue for this next surge of bottling. You can add them two weeks before bottling. So I email Doug asking for some timely info from a winemaker's perspective on what you should know on this topic before you order (something not as good) from a competitor. Holy cow. This is what he sends: from Doug Manning Consulting  Oenological Tannins In The Oxford Companion to Wine, Jancis Robinson describes oenological tannins as "commercial tannins produced by extraction of tannin from oak, chestnut, or birch woods and other suitable plant sources, including grape seeds." Commercial enological tannins are approved wine additives, which have the generalized potential benefits to wine production:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23301601/ We worship the O.A.K. B.A.R.R.E.L.……..if it is from France (think EU) we prostrate ourselves (spelled that right, eh?) as the flavor and texture of the O. B. gives our fermented grapes a standard to which we aspire (angels singing here “ahhhhh…..) So what is this about tannin that limits it to these tasks of repair and enhancement?
Here is the deal…..the O.B. imparts a rather narrow range of flavors and aroma into the wine. Remember you are adding an alcohol solution at a certain pH range and temperature for a certain amount of time Again: ALCOHOL pH TEMPERATURE TIME N.O.W. compare this extraction process of barrel aging to 2) above [We are not cooking our wine, we control the pH between 3 – 4, we work at cellar temperature, we take our time] N.O.W. perhaps our understanding of tannin can   Elevator Pitch 1st Floor EBX Tannins are produced by soaking only aged French and American Oak in cold RO water, extracting the flavors and aromas you would expect from filling a barrel with wine and waiting. An oak extract from French or American Oak. 2nd Floor Age your wines in a barrel, wait 6 – 12 – 18 months, finish and bottle. Add oak alternatives to your beverage and wait 6 weeks (chips), 4 months (7mm staves), then finish and bottle. Add EBX Tannin to your wine and wait 2 – 4 weeks, finish and bottle. Closing Are these processes identical? Nope Are they close and acceptable for most types of wines? Yup Are they cost effective and worth a try? (Oh Yes)  You can see the above is not from the desk of ENOTOOLS. But if you want clarification on why any of this stuff should be in your wines, contact us.
 Hindsight is 20/20. You usually know when it's too late to correct that you didn't have the right tannin on hand when the hurricane came in and didn't even have the common courtesy to rock you (Gen X link in text) in the process.
There's plenty of mediocre, bastardized tannin and accompanying advice out there. Armies of salespeople touting the latest thing until it becomes a cacophony of pseudo- science makes it hard to hear the voice of truth. The easy answer? Keep it simple with consistent, and reliable advice from Amedee USA and their EBX Tannins. From the desk of Doug Manning: "IF you decided to pick BEFORE THE STORM (or are forced to pick early) look at EBX 810* powder tannin to add back that ripeness, the maturity that Nature made you sacrifice. A low dose of 400gm/ 1000gl now, then half of that again after secondary fermentation. You are probably looking at a reasonable pH, but be mindful. Consider some EBX Protect instead of sulfites. See more info here. EBX 810 is pure French Oak tannin, untoasted, from 36 month aged wood. Technically a fermentation tannin, its’ use goes far beyond the actual fermentation. Mouth feel, softness and delightful and subtle French Oak aromas. This would be a great tool to keep on hand during those vintages when you think to yourself, "Here comes the rain; AGAIN!" *Add 15gm/hL (that’s 100 grams per ton) at pressing of the reds and another 10gm/hL after MLF (that’s 350gms per 1000gal). If you were unscathed by the hurricane and are picking at your leisure, think of EBX VBX2* powder as your color extraction, color stabilization tannin to add directly to the crushed fruit. High Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE), a blend of chestnut, grape seed and French oak: this tannin is a radical departure from other brands as the French Oak component softens the sensory and allows aroma development during the fermentation. Most other fermentation tannins have between 0 and none % oak, relying on other wood-type products. Often adding a bitterness, we confuse the post fermentation astringency with grape seed, stem, skin that requires removal later. Thus far, nobody measures the tannin effect of non-oak components in post fermentation flavors. *Add 80 - 120gm per ton of EBX VBX2 powder to your fresh grapes at harvest. KEEP IT SIMPLE: REHYDRATE AND ADD." The recommended dosage rate above do not equate to more, more, more. Please contact us with technical questions on the when, how much and why of Amedee USA's EBX Tannins. Doug Manning Doug Manning Consulting Learn more about Amedee USA at Enotools. |
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November 2024
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