Justis yes Vigneron is the most accurate term to describe what I do in that I grow the fruit and make the wine myself. My qualification is a BA Science (viticulture and Oenology). Oenology being the science of wine. Some people are dedicated viticulturists or winemakers or purely conduct research as Oenologists but generally the lines are blurred in most jobs. In my case the size of the operation means I do the lot.
RNF it is a legal requirement that Sulphur Dioxide, sulphites, 220 be listed on the label as an additive if used to make the product which is almost every wine out there. When you say recently what time frame are you talking about? I don't know off the top of my head when it became a legal requirement for it to be on the label but i have been doing this for 11 years and it has always been this way for me. Perhaps you have only recently noticed it? Next time you're in a bottle shop look at some labels it will be on every one either as 220, sulphites etc.
The use of sulphur dioxide is critical to quality. Think of how quickly an apple core turns brown and oxidises it is exactly the same for grape juice and once that oxidation has occurred there is no undoing it. Sulphur dioxide may be produced during ferment but there is no guarantee and the time taken from crushing to ferment is days.
Egg products etc again it is a legal requirement to state the use of potential allergen causing products as with all food stuffs. Without explaining half a science degree the basic principal is that protein and tannin readily form a bond and precipitate out of solution. These proteins are used to 'Fine' a wine and remove unwanted tannin/bitterness/astringency in both reds and whites but more commonly whites where tannin is largely undesirable. Obviously tannin is a feature of red wine but you may Fine a red to change the tannin profile to make it less aggressive or remove green tannins etc.
Common proteins used are Albumin (egg), Casien (milk), Isinglass (fish), Gelatin all of which have different properties are will attach to different groups of tannins, some are quite aggressive like Gelatin whereas isinglass is very gentle.. All protein will readily bind with tannins (I've heard of blood being used back in the day in Europe). When talking Tannins in wine there are literally thousands of different molecules so its a broad term. They are constantly evolving and interacting with each other it's part of the evolution of a red. When you taste a red and spit it out those streaky saliva strands that you see are protein cells from inside your mouth that have bound to the tannin.
It's almost redundant to state that they have been used as the whole point is to remove tannin from the wine and as such the protein has precipitated out and been removed but we live in a nanny society. In most cases a producer will put the statement on every label in the range irrespective of whether its actually been used or not. It just becomes a standard template for the sake of printing as opposed to redesigning labels every time. The other common one is Nut products which are added tannins derived from nut products commonly added to red wine to stabilise colour and build structure. Hope all this helps.
Hey Gary yeah my vintage is in full swing. I'm at the micro end of the spectrum these days and everything is done by hand including picking. Although I did work for 24 hours straight last Friday. I am tired, running on adrenalin is not a nice sensation. The last of my whites come off tomorrow so I have broken the back of it. Are you still in the business?
