White wine

How do we make white wine?

Process managers at Vinprom Rousse carefully monitor the quality of grape even while it is still on the vines. Thus they are capable of judging the quality of the raw material and identify which grape will be the most suitable for the types of wine on our assortment list. After the harvested raw material is delivered to the plant, it is subjected to analysis to determine the quantity of acids, its sanitary condition and the level of ripeness.
Grape is fed to the grape mill, where it is processed in such a manner as to avoid breaking the seeds and the overly intensive contact of the must with the grape skins, which might result in an unwanted extraction of rough tannins. Tannins form the body and the structure of red wines; for white wines, however, this is an effect that has to be avoided, as these substances can easily replace the delicate taste and aroma.
The grape pulp, which is obtained in this manner, is processed by two different methods, depending on the wine variety:

– Aromatic varieties like Muscat or Sauvignon Blanc are processed after some infusion in a vessel or in the wine press, in order to release more aromas, contained in the grape skin.

– Non-aromatic varieties like Chardonnay, Rikat and Dimyat, are not subjected to infusion and are directly transported to the pneumatic wine press, which is used to treat grape.
Two fractions are obtained – free run and pressing (the so called musts), which are treated in a different way and are used to produce wine with different qualities. The wine, extracted from solid particles after alcoholic fermentation and before pressing, is called free run. The remaining solid particles are passed through a wine press, and the resulting wine is referred to as pressing. The substance remaining from the solid particles after pressing, is called mask and is used for fertilizing vineyards. Free run and pressing are stored separately.

Next follows a period of purification of must performed at a constant low temperature, in order to avoid the fermentation of natural yeast. This period is usually between 10 and 48 hours long.

Final adjustments of the must are made after decanting, and then a yeast culture is introduced in order to initiate the process of alcoholic fermentation.

Our wine making experts decide whether white must should be left to ferment in a stainless-steel vessel or in oak barrels, and this decision depends on their understanding about the style of wine they would like to obtain.

The wines, which have fermented in stainless-steel vessels, are clear and fresh. They fully manifest the qualities of the grape variety from a given terroir. On the other side, fermentation and aging sur lie in oak barrels aims at obtaining fullness, oiliness and complexity of wine and extraction of aromas from oak.

Usually wines are left to ferment until all the sugar is converted into alcohol or until the time, when the process manager decides to stop the process in order to preserve some of the sugar in the wine. We employ low fermentation temperatures which allows juices to slowly turn into wine. Thus we preserve the intensity of fruit and create a higher complexity.

The wine series produced at Vinprom Rousse – Chardonnay, Chardonnay Reserve, and Chardonnay Limited Selection are subjected to a specific type of fermentation, during which carboxylic acid is converted into lactic acid. this process is performed by lactobacterias and is called lactic fermentation. Lactic acid is less sharp than carboxylic acid, and the wine becomes softer and more exquisite at the end of the process.

Lactic fermentation for producing the variety Chardonnay of Vinprom Rousse is performed in stainless-steel vessels under a constant technological control. The two other lines – Reserve and Limited Selection – employs fermentation in small oak barrels made of Bulgarian, French and American oak.

The inside of the barrel is burned before starting the process. Burning is related to the technology used to make the barrels. Barrels may be slightly or deeply burned, and this defines the intensity and the nature of the aromas, which is transferred to wine.

Wines are left to age in barrels above the yeast sediment, set after fermentation. The French refer to this process as “sur lie”. With the advance of time, yeast cells start to disintegrate. Wood is a porous material and it allows some of the water and of the alcohol to evaporate during storage. This, in a natural way, we obtain a greater depth and intensity of the wine taste.

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