1. Picking and delivering the grapes
This step may sound easy, but to make sure we pick at optimal ripeness, the winemaker will make several visits to each vineyard to taste the grapes and collect samples. Our growers have been selected for their exceptional vineyards and their dedication to growing world class grapes. We have long-term relationships with all of our growers. Once we decide the grapes are ready to pick, Ron and Susan truck the hand-harvested grapes to the winery themselves.
2. De-stemming and crushing
From the picking bin, grapes are inspected and sorted if needed before being fed into the de-stemmer/crusher. We prefer to accomplish this process with the crusher rollers open, resulting in as many whole berries as possible. The de-stemmed grapes are again sorted for leaves and stems afterward. Essential to this process, apparently, is the help of our Welch Corgi, Eliot, who picks up any grapes that fall out of the crusher.
3. Bin fermentation
Almost all of the grapes, or ‘must’ as it is called at this stage, are fermented in small 1 ton bins for Bunnell Family Cellar wines. We allow the must to cold soak for 24-48 hours, then inoculate with one of several strains of yeast. Once the yeast cells start metabolizing the sugars into alcohol, we punch down the skins of the grapes 4-5 times daily. This is why Ron nand Susan always look in better shape in the fall. The fermenting must is tasted daily and after 7-10 days, the winemakers schedule the drain and press based on tannin, extract and color.
4. Drain and Press
The wine is ‘drained’ from the skins, over a screen, and into a tank to settle out solids. The skins are then placed in a small basket press and pressed lightly. The pressing is finished when the winemakers detect any astringency in the press wine. This wine is added to the ‘free run’ wine from the draining process.
5. Barrel Aging
After settling, the wine is tasted, evaluated, and pumped to barrels. Generally, Bunnell Family Cellar wines age in European and American oak barrels, about 65%-70% of which are new. The wines are aged for about 16 months in our underground barrel room at 58 degrees Fahrenheit. The wines are ‘racked’ or removed from barrel once every quarter, to separate the settled solids and give the wines a little air to promote aging, then returned to the clean barrels. This allows us to do minimal filtration at bottling.
6. Bottling
After aging, the wines are bottled, generally in the spring. After bottling, the winemakers decide when each wine is to be released, based on repeated tastings.
