Pinot Noir Winemaking 101
The Decisions Involved in Making Pinot Noir
Source: Oregon Pinot Camp
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one”
Elbert Hubbard
Harvest
Determining ripeness: sampling for sugar, acid, tasting for tannins and flavors, visual indicators of
ripeness.
Picking: decision and timing, picking methods, picking containers.
Reception
Equipment & Processes: refrigerating/freezing picked grapes, dumping grapes from picking
containers, sorting, de-stemming/crushing/whole clusters, jack sorting, method for filling fermenters.
Pre-Ferment
Modification of Must: concentration, saiginée, chaptalization, addition of water, addition of acid.
Additions to Must: dry ice, SO2, tannins, enzymes, oxygen and heat, yeast and yeast nutrients.
Fermentation
Management of Extraction: fermenter size, shape, material, open top or closed top, cold maceration
method and time, punch down/punch over/Pulsair/rack and return, mixing regime, temperature regime.
Pressing - Managing Tannins and Texture: decision to empty fermenter - before, at, after fermentation,
extended maceration (length of timing and decision making), method for moving wine, method of
emptying fermenter, type of press and method of pressing, separation or mixing of press and free-run.
Aging
Maturing: settling in tank (if yes, how long), aging in tank or barrel, alternatives to barrels (oak
products, micro-ox), lees contact and stirring, racking regime - frequency, indicators, methods,
malolactic fermentation (inoculated or not and when), SO2.
Barrels: barrel size and age (percentage new/used/how old?), oak origin (country and forest), cooper
and toasting regime, method for filling and emptying barrels, system for storage of barrels, barrel aging
regime (time, temperature, humidity).
Finishing
Blending: purpose and methods
Stabilization: lab tests performed - purpose and techniques, fining (materials, purpose, methods),
filtration (purpose, equipment, techniques), last minute adjustments (acid, SO
