Bentonite isn't that bad to prepare. I boil a liter of water, pour it while hot into a blender, turn it on low and dump 50 to 60 grams of bentonite in and mix for a couple of minutes, using a rubber spatula to push the mud down the upper walls of the blender. You need to be careful not to (1) burn yourself with the hot water and (2) not to get the spatula into the blade while it's running. If you're a klutz, turn the blender off while scraping down. When the mixture is smoothly blended with no lumps, pour it (still hot) into a jug or bottle to finish hydrating for a day or two before using. Shake it up and you're ready to go!
The reasons and strategies are similar, but have small differences. Most reds don't require bentonite fining. In the first place, clarity isn't as much of an issue with reds as it is in whites. Also, most reds don't tend to throw protein haze. The dominant precipitate in reds is polymerized tannins.
That said, there are a couple of exceptions: (1) Pinot Noir, which tends to throw protein deposits in bottle if it is not treated with bentonite, and (2) reds that you wish to filter. Filters tend to become blinded more readily unless the wine in question has been at least lightly bentonite fined.
Most white wines don't require tannin reduction, but barrel aged whites can be an exception.
Aside from that, fining objectives are the same for reds and whites. The goal is always to make the wine taste better.
Wine grapes in UK 162You are totally incorrect! A mulled wine is something entirely different in its preparation and drinking. It is made...
Tom S
