Racking and Fermentation By racking before the end of fermentation, it is possible to obtain a sweet wine. When performed with care, racking will leave behind all the sediment. As this contains nearly all the yeast, it follows that racking two or three times (with the addition of sulphite) before fermentation is complete with totally destroy the yeast colony.

Racking and Sulphite When making sherry, never add sulphite. Other than that, it is a good practice to use sulphite 100 ppm, at the first racking and 50 ppm. At successive rackings. This is firstly, to prevent the re-establishment of a new yeast colony and, secondly, to prevent the wine from becoming oxidized. If a malo-lactic reaction is desired, do not add sulphite after fermentation, or the bacteria, if present, will be inhibited.

Racking, Timing of The first racking should be carried out a few days after initial fermentation has slowed if a dry wine is wanted. After this, the wine needs regular rackings for up to two years at 3-4 monthly intervals, until the oxidative maturation is finished. For white wines, the oxidative changes take less time, and so racking need only continue for 6-12 months. If a sweet wine is required, the wine should be racked before the end of fermentation. (See Racking and Fermentation.) Wine kits only require two or three rackings at bi-weekly or monthly (red wines) intervals before bottling.

Radical A constant combination of chemicals which, when made into a compound (with other chemicals or radicals), confer constant physical properties to a series of compounds (e.g. ketones or aldehydes).

Raisin The dried grape. Their use has been superseded by grape concentrates and grape juices.

Raisins for Vinosity Since raisins are dried grapes, it follows that their use in a wine will confer "vinosity" to that wine. Nowadays grape concentrate is the better ingredient to use.

Raisins, Preparation of Mince and pulp ferment for three to four days to extract the sugar. If a deeply colored wine is required this may be continued longer.

Recipe The list of ingredients, additives, and the method of preparation of a wine.

Recipe, No Yeast Many of the older recipes which have not been brought up to date state that the must should be left exposed to the air to allow fermentation to start. This is a risky technique, as the chance of infection are at least as high as that of producing a wine. Do not follow this part of such recipes but instead use an appropriate yeast.

Record Keeping To obtain repeatability and consistency of results, it is vital to keep records with details of ingredients, technique, tasting notes and suggested improvements. These should ideally be in a permanent form such as a log card, book or card index. See Log.

Red Fruit contain tannin in their skins and, although, alter pressing, juice fermentation is possible, pulp fermentation is better to obtain maximum sugar extraction as well as tannin and color.

Refermentation Sometimes an apparently stable wine will start fermenting again. This may be due to the slight aeration which the wine receives at racking (particularly if sulphite is not used), raising the temperature of the wine, or a malo-lactic reaction (not a true referment). There is no means of preventing a temporary sticking of a ferment, except by meticulous attention to technique.

Refrigeration for Clearing Many compounds are insoluble at low temperatures, e.g. potassium bitartrate in particular is totally insoluble at freezing point, and proteins also are precipitated by cooling. By cooling wine, hazes due to these faults can be cleared.

Remuage The technique of gradually inverting champagne bottles at the end of the bottle ferment. At the same time as the inversion is increased, the bottle is twisted so that the yeast falls to the neck of the bottle whence it can be removed by degorgement.

Reproduction The various biological systems of furthering and increasing the species. See Binary Fission ; See Budding.

Residual Sugar The sugar remaining in a wine at the end of fermentation

Rohament P A commercial preparation of pectin glycoside

Ropiness See Lactobacilli

Roses contain tannin and, in addition to the delicate shades they can confer on a wine, they are most useful for bouquet enhancement. Often they are used in conjunction with elderflowers.

RosT The color of a wine which is pale pink to light red in tint. To obtain such a color, pulp fermentation is best, stopping as soon as a sufficient depth of color has been obtained.

Rot, Noble See Botrytis

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