Winemaking
Stainless steel and inert vessels
Fermenting in a vessel that contributes nothing, to preserve fruit and freshness.
Overview
Stainless steel is inert, easy to clean and — crucially — can be temperature-controlled precisely. That control is what made modern aromatic white wine possible.
It contributes no flavour and allows no oxygen ingress, so the wine tastes of the grape and the place rather than the vessel.
Concrete and fibreglass serve similar purposes. Concrete has thermal mass and slight porosity, which some producers prefer.
Sources
Sources consulted
- WSET educational materials and the Systematic Approach to Tasting — Wine & Spirit Education Trust
More in winemaking
Winemaking
Fermentation
Yeast converting sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide — the step that makes wine wine.
Winemaking
How red wine is made
Fermenting grape juice in contact with the skins, which is where colour and tannin come from.
Winemaking
How white wine is made
Pressing the juice off the skins before fermentation, then fermenting the clear juice.