I racked off the two different wines this weekend; here’s the results:

Tempranillo – 13.5 gallon

Carignane – 14 gal

The skins, seeds, etc, all went into the compost heap. We mixed a little straw in with it to keep the smell down ;-).

The Carignane has somewhat of a funky smell. It’s not bad, but it’s very different. The pH is also a bit high. I’ve adjusted it twice, and still can’t get the pH down below 4.1. I think I’ll just have to live with it and the increased sulfite levels. I’m already at 100ppm free SO2, and that could be part of the reason it smells funky.

The Tempranillo is very good. There were lots of small berries this year, giving a high skin/juice ratio. The flavor is already very nice and the acidity is right where it should be. This is a good grape for this area.

I’m hopeful that I’ll have a good crop of my own Barbera next year. It sure will be nice not to have to drive across the state or to a different country to get grapes!