Labo VinBottling
When the wine is judged ready, it must be bottled.
Except for sprinkling wines, and wines muted with alcohol, (rate higher than 18 % vol), the fair keeping of wine requires the use of stabilizers and preservatives. These products are essential, but the doses can be reduced as much as possible by the cleanliness, yeast culture, by using nutrients for the yeasts, an appropriate acidity, a preventive sulfiting, a careful clarification, an air sheltered racking at low temperature.
Prepare a SorK [ Potassium sorbate at 50 g/L. This solution cannot be stored. ] solution.
Add before bottling (for 10 L):
- In dry wines 10-13 % vol, 10 mL metaK and 10 mL SorK
- In dry wines 6-10 % vol, 20 mL metaK and 10 mL SorK
- In sweet wines, 20 mL metaK and 30 mL SorK
- In cloudy wines (must be avoided), 50 mL metaK and 40 mL SorK
- In muted white wines, 1 g ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
When a wine seems to be too dry, some glycerol can be added (20-50 mL/10 L) or sorbitol (100-150 g/10 L).
The bottles have to be clean, by preference disinfected, then drained off without rinsing.
The corks. There are different qualities according to the planned keeping period. The corks must be rinsed profusely with clear water and soaked eve in the disinfecting solution (with a weight overhead). Half an hour will be enough if the corker is powerful. Drain them off just before use.
By fair weather (high atmospheric pressure), fill the bottles 1-2 cm under the cork and put it in place.
Put the bottles upright for a ten-day then set them down. Observe them to pick out and replace leaking corks. Pour on the corks a solution of metaK (a cream), then a capsule. Stick down a label (indispensable!) indicating at least the wine kind and the year. Milk is efficient glue. Other glues are sold in specialized shops.