My online dictionary defines “Inoculation” as: To introduce a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into (the body of a person or animal), especially to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease….
If we dig even deeper in the world of wine wonks, we find:
A winemaking technique of adding an active yeast culture or malolactic bacteria to juice, must, or wine. Winemakers often inoculate their must with known strains of reliable yeasts to activate the primary fermentation and achieve their desired results. Although malolactic fermentation will sometimes occur naturally, many winemakers prefer to manage this phase by inoculating with a properly prepared malolactic bacteria starter.
And so my first inoculation follows. Virtually all of the Pinot we have pressed is fermenting according to plan. However, one tank is mysteriously stuck…the sugar is high and the alcohol low…
Yesterday we took 50 gallons of the non fermenting pinot and mixed it with fifty gallons of beautiful malolactic bacteria from our estate Chardonnay. Yes, we just mixed Pinot with chardonnay. The malo from the chardonnay will work its magic and if all goes peachey will spur the fermentation in the pinot…once this culture begins, gets tested and passed via the lab folk, the 100 gallons will go back in to 3000 gallons of Pinot.
It was interesting mixing these two totally different varietals…We pulled the pinot first, then the Chard…and as the two mixed the fragrance was fruity, fresh, violet, and a tad vulgar…French in short. The blend, on the nose at least, was completely reminiscent of gamay noir, aka Beaujolais…
However, once this culture passes and gets put back into the Pinot, the taste provided from the chard ML will really be quite negligible….no gamay…
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