Hello All
What factors and winemaking techniques can affect the final body of the finished wine?
I'm trying to increase the final body are a Cab Sauv/Carmenere blend. My wines are medium bodied wines at best. I've inocculated with MLF cultures. I'm wondering what I can do in future batches to improve the body, without getting too much into specifics of my past batches.
Furthermore, I would like to know if these factors increase body and mouthfeel, or have little effect:
- Performing MLF? (I assumed it increases body/mouthfeel)
- Longer maceration time?
- Higher primary fermentation temperature?
- Fruit quality?
- Higher Brix level?
- Barrel aging with evaporation? (anything else)
Some background: I've been making wines for a relatively short time, about 2.5 years. I've made a few kits, and two batches with fresh Chilean Cab Sauv and Carmenere grapes, & one Calif. Cab Sauv. In my past, I've made home brew beer for 20 years from all-grain and have controlled the body of the beer by controlling the mash temperature. Higher temp mashes create a faster mash but leave unfermentable dextrins which is the main factor increasing the body and mouthfeel of the final beer.
Any insight or opinion is welcome. Thank you Dave J