Pressing and barrel filling

After drying, the healthy grape berries are separated from those that show rot, or that have been damaged by insects, and then they are pressed. The pressing of dried grapes is a very delicate step in the Vin Santo production, because of the risk of increasing the incorporation of suspended solids that decrease juice quality. Despite this, vertical or horizontal presses are still used as they can help to extract the greatest possible 

The must is then left to settle for 3-4 days at temperature below 8-10 °C. Indeed, contact with the sediment can cause the future Vinsanto to show unwanted aroma deviations and color. In this context, more attention needs to be paid to the settling of the must from botrytised grapes. From the sugars, B. cinerea can produce polysaccharides that can muddy the wine and have inhibitory actions on the metabolism of the yeast, and can therefore contribute to the slowing of fermentation and to the increase acetic acid and glycerol production by the yeast (Tachis, 2003). 

The decanted juice is fermented in traditional wooden barrels, known as caratelli, which holding between 50 and 200 L. Many winemakers consider these small barrels a factor in wine quality. These might be new, or more frequently, they will be used barrels (also 20 or more years old) that are often from previous productions of Vin Santo. Today, used barriques (capacity, 225 L) are also used. The woods used are chestnut, cherry, and oak, in particular. The current opinion suggests the sensory characteristics brought to the wine, nontoasted oak is the best wood also for Vin Santo production. Moreover, because the fermentation often takes place in closed vessels, barrels of traditional thickness (3 cm or more) help to avoid the risk of rupture during fermentation. 

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