The Racking of the Wine

_{(Part one)}

Today is about five months since we first began making wine. There were several first-timers or novices, under the direction of a relatively accomplished amateur winemaker. For whom I can attest to the accomplishment since I have tasted several of the wines made, from different vintages.

The five month mark is rather significant as it means that it's time to rack the wine. This term as described to me by my uncle, who is the amateur winemaker, is simply re-barreling the wine. The process consists of removing the wine from the barrels - in this case using a water pump, placing it into a temporary vessel, cleaning out the barrel of any "sludge," and then putting the wine back into the clean barrel. Most of the process and some of the tools used were developed and adapted by my uncle, through his past wine-making experiences.

Of course we tasted the different wines as we racked and they proved to be well worth the effort so far. The aromas are equally as delightful and intoxicating at this stage as well. The wines we racked today were various blends of Claret and Bordeaux. All were red wines. Next weekend we plan to rack the remaining barrels.

Stay tuned for a follow up post describing the process a bit more in depth and the snacks and libations we had after!