Pinot Wine Project

My partner Greg and I have been part of a local wine making project, in which we individually de-stalk grapes for a special vintage. The project is the brainchild of Max from Anim Wine, a small family business that makes wine in tiny volumes.

The method involves cutting the grapes and pedicel (green jack) from the main stem. It is an incredibly labour-intensive task. The photos of Greg and me at work give an idea of the process. The method is based on several ideas: the promotion of ‘stem’ character without the green stem, intracellular fermentation, completely intact berries that don’t macerate rapidly, unique ferment kinetics, unique extraction of tannin, and so forth.

The goal is to cut enough grapes for a barrel of wine (minimum 300kg). The fermentation occurs with no additions and no pumps. Once pressed, the wine is aged in oak, again with no additions, until ready for bottling. At this point, those wishing to secure and bottle some of the wine ‘unsulphured’ can do so, with the remaining wine receiving a nominal amount prior to racking and bottling. The fruit source is pinot from Clarence House vineyard, which has recently transitioned to organic management.

We ‘sweatshop’ workers are rewarded with a small amount of wine, with the remainder to be sold in and around Hobart. This is in keeping with the ‘hundred mile’ concept, which supports local food production and consumption.