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Carbonic Maceration

Added 2022-06-14 01:54:16 +0000 UTC

There is nothing quite like a chilled juicy red on a warm summers day, especially if your not a beer or gin drinker like myself.

Uncomplicated Nouveau styles are becoming increasingly popular and are usually produced using a winemaking method known as Carbonic or Semi-Carbonic maceration. But what is this wine mumbo jumbo, What is Carbonic Maceration?

🍷Carbonic maceration is a winemaking technique, often associated with the French wine region of Beaujolais🇫🇷

🍇Whole clusters of hand picked grapes are placed in vats, which are then sealed and filled with CO2 to remove the oxygen. This triggers a process within the grapes known as intracellular fermentation. Once alcohol levels reach around 2% abv, the grape skins split and release their juice.

🍒The resulting wine is fruity with very low tannins. This is wine for the season and should be consumed with a slight chill soon after release as these wines lack the structure for long-term aging. In some cases with Beaujolais nouveau, the period between picking and bottling can be less than six weeks!

👨🏻‍🌾👩🏻‍🌾Winemakers in the Languedoc and Rhône wine regions will occasionally use the technique on rustic and tannic grapes like Carignan, especially if they are to be blended with other varieties.

🇪🇸Prior to the late 1700s, it was the dominant winemaking method in Rioja.

🇦🇺New world winemakers wanting to produce Nouveau style wines will apply this method to Grenache, Pinot Noir, Shiraz but really anything is possible! I’ve tasted an Aussie Semi-Carbonic Aglianico, I wonder what the Italians think about that?! 😉🙊🇮🇹