Global Vintners Wine Making Instruction

STEP 1: DAY 1 - PRIMARY FERMENTATION

1. Clean and sanitize equipment to be used. Bring all kit components up to room temperature.
2. Pour 2 L (8 cups) of hot tap water into bottom of the primary fermenter and stir in Bentonite. Mix well. It is normal for Bentonite to not fully dissolve in water.
3. Pour contents of the juice base bag into the primary fermenter. Rinse out bag with water and pour into fermenter.
4. Top primary fermenter up to 23 L (6 gallon) mark with good quality, cool drinking water.
5. Add Grape Skins. To do this, sanitize the included muslin bag by dipping it into your sulphite solution. The included sulphite/sorbate packet is not used for this purpose. Rinse thoroughly. Line a clean/sanitized 5 L (20 cup) container with the muslin bag. Open grape skin cap or cut along the bottom of the bag and squeeze grape skins into the muslin-lined container. Rinse out grape skin bag with 250 mL (1 cup) of water and add to container. Pull the sides of the muslin bag up and tie with a single knot. Place bag of grape skins in primary fermenter along with any juice left in the container.
6. If your kit contains Oak Chips or Granular Oak, stir in now. If your kit contains oak cubes, they will be added at a later stage.
7. Stir vigorously for 3-4 minutes and take S.G. reading immediately. If S.G. is not in range, wait 10 minutes and repeat stirring.
8. Sprinkle Dry Yeast on top of juice base (if your kit contains two packages of yeast, add both now).
9. Place loose fitting lid, or primary lid with airlock filled halfway with sulphite solution on primary fermenter.
10. Keep fermentation area warm (20°C to 25°C or 68°F to 77°F) for the entire winemaking process.

GRAPE SKIN BAG MUST BE PUNCHED DOWN (SUBMERGED) DAILY UNTIL STEP 2

STEP 2: DAY 14 - STABILIZING/DEGASSING

1. Check chart for required S.G. reading. Measure the S.G. If wine is not in range, check again in 48 hours. If in range, record the number.
2. Using sanitized spoon carefully remove the grape skins bag from the fermenter. Gently press the juice out of the bag and into the fermenter. Discard bag.
3. Using sanitized equipment carefully syphon (rack) wine into a clean/sanitized carboy leaving sediment behind.
4. Add Sulphite/Sorbate directly into the carboy of wine.
5. Agitate wine using a sterilized stirring spoon. Vigorously stir wine, changing direction intermittently for 10 minutes. Alternately, wine can be degassed using a drill with degassing attachment for 2-4 minutes at medium speed reversing direction every 30 seconds. See General Information for more detail on degassing.
6. Stir in Kieselsol. If your kit contains two, add one package now. The other will be added at a later stage.
7. Fit airlock filled halfway with sulphite solution into the neck of the carboy and leave for 24 hours.

STEP 3: DAY 15 - CLEARING

1. Stir in Chitosan(s).
2. If your kit contains a second Kieselsol, stir in one hour after Chitosan addition.
3. If your kit contains Oak Cubes, stir them in now.
4. If your kit contains Reserve(s), stir in now.
5. Replace airlock and leave wine to sit in a warm (20°C to 25°C or 68°F to 77°F), undisturbed area away from direct heat and light.
6. After 5 days, give the carboy a twist (without lifting) to allow any sediment stuck to the walls of the carboy to drop.
7. Continue clearing process according to the chart below.

STEP 4: DAY 26-54 - POLISHING RACK/AGING

1. Wine should be perfectly clear. If not, leave wine another 7-14 days to finish clearing.
2. Carefully rack wine off of sediment (and oak cubes if present) into a clean and sanitized carboy fitted with a solid bung.
3. Leave wine to sit undisturbed a minimum of 2 days to allow settling.

Optional Steps:

• If aging your wine longer than 3 months, add 1.5g (1/4 tsp) of potassium metabisulphite to the wine at this time to help preserve flavour and colour.
• If filtering wine, do so at this stage. NEVER FILTER CLOUDY WINE.

STEP 5: BOTTLING (CLEAR WINE ONLY)

1. Carefully syphon your wine into clean and sanitized bottles.
2. Cork bottles and leave upright for 3-5 days allowing cork to expand. Invert or store on side to keep cork moist. Store wine at 11°C to 18°C or 52°F to 65°F. If choosing to carboy age wine, top-up with a similar style wine and fit with a solid stopper. Bottle aging is the preferred method.