So, here in the Portland Oregon area, we've got snow and temperatures are expected to sit at freezing for the next 3 days. Which is great, because it means I can get my cold stabilization done!
Out of curiousity - those of you who aren't blessed with an annual truly cold snap, how do you create the conditions for cold stabilization?
Hope everyone's recovered from the tryptophan overdose.
Rob
Is 3 days long enough to cold stabilize a red? Up here in the Great White North, cold is one thing that isn't in short supply - just don't want to leave my wine out for too long and risk a cold snap and frozen wine.
I'm quite a bit south of you - in the Sierra Foothills in northern california. And I use the 'natural refrigeration' to cold stabilize wine every year. But 3 days would never be enough. Usually in January or February, after fining, I will take carboys of white wines outside the winery and leave them in temps ranging from high 20's to high 30's. Sometimes I still have a few crystals in refrigerated bottles many months later, but it serves to do the trick. I do have a refrigerator in the winery, but it can only handle one or two carboys at a time - this year alone I have 30 gallons of white wine in carboys. Al fresco is much more convenient - and a lot more energy efficient!
Gotta tell you guys, 3-4 days at freezing has brought quite a load of crystals in years past. So perhaps I don't get it all, but it's been enough to never see crystals in refrigerated wine after bottling.
Still, what about y'all who don't get regular winter freezes?
Rob
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