When it comes to acidity and pH levels in their wines, natural winemakers take a holistic approach that prioritizes minimal intervention and a focus on the vineyard and fermentation process. Let’s delve into how they address these issues.
1. Vineyard Practices
Natural winemakers believe that healthy grapes make better wine, so they pay close attention to their vineyard practices to ensure optimal acidity levels. Here are some ways they approach acidity and pH levels from the vineyard:
- Choosing the right vineyard site with suitable soil and climate conditions that naturally support acidity in the grapes.
- Practicing organic or biodynamic farming to promote soil health and biodiversity, which can impact the acidity of the grapes.
- Harvesting the grapes at the right time to ensure they have the desired acidity levels for winemaking.
2. Minimal Intervention in the Winery
Once the grapes are harvested, natural winemakers continue their approach of minimal intervention in the winery to preserve acidity and pH levels. Here’s how they do it:
- Avoiding additives like tartaric acid or acid adjustments to artificially manipulate acidity levels in the wine.
- Allowing for spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, which can contribute to the complexity and acidity of the final wine.
- Using neutral vessels like old oak barrels or concrete tanks for fermentation and aging to minimize the influence of oak on the wine’s acidity.
3. Fermentation Techniques
Fermentation plays a crucial role in determining the acidity and pH levels of the wine. Natural winemakers employ specific techniques to manage acidity during this process:
- Extended skin contact during fermentation can extract more acidity from the grape skins, resulting in a wine with higher acidity levels.
- Allowing for malolactic fermentation, where malic acid is converted into lactic acid, can soften the wine’s acidity while adding complexity.
- Avoiding temperature control during fermentation can allow for a slower, more natural process that can help preserve acidity in the wine.
4. Monitoring and Adjusting pH Levels
While natural winemakers prefer minimal intervention, they still monitor and sometimes adjust pH levels to ensure the wine’s stability and drinkability. Here’s how they approach pH levels:
- Regularly testing the wine’s pH throughout the winemaking process to track its evolution and make informed decisions.
- Considering natural ways to adjust pH, such as using potassium bicarbonate or calcium carbonate, instead of chemical additives.
- Aiming for a pH level that is in balance with the wine’s acidity to ensure freshness and longevity.
5. Embracing Variability
One of the key principles of natural winemaking is embracing the variability and uniqueness of each vintage and wine. Natural winemakers understand that acidity and pH levels can vary depending on factors like weather conditions, grape variety, and fermentation methods. They see this variability as part of the wine’s charm and authenticity, rather than something to be corrected or standardized.