high pH opinion

Ray Calvert

Thanks, Ray. I heard this as a general principle but never saw it really quantified, whether the decline is a matter of months or years. I don't mind if the wine will last only 2-3 years, but if it's less than a year or so, then I'd definitely prefer to lower the pH.

Actually, I was thinking along the same lines and done the expriment already with a leftover bottle from 1st racking. I used 2g-L of tartaric to bring it to 3.6, which turned out to be 3.5 after I froze the wine for a week to cold stabilize fully. The TA actually stayed on the same level as before the addition. This would definitely indicate adding about 1.5g-L of tartaric is the way to go; the only quandary is that I don't have great conditions for cold stabilization, and so there is a fair chance the wine would end up too acidic. The TA is currently at 6.5, and I don't really want the acidity higher that it is right now.

I will probably go this route in the end so that I can compare the taste development and aging capabilites in the two treatments. If the acid is too high in the end, I can always blend it with what I make this year I guess.

Pp