Brown (Instead of Red) Wine
TroubleShooting
Michael Gardner — Georgetown, Texas asks,
I picked some Sangiovese in tough looking shape. The skins appeared to be oxizided and some of the fruit had some volatile acidity (VA) going on. I solved the VA problem with some SO2. But the browning of the skins followed it into the wine. pH came in at 3.68 and the Brix was at 25. With my eyes closed, the wine has a nice, light fruitiness typical of Sangiovese. As a tasting experience it’s not too bad . . . certainly quaffable as I like to say. But the optics leave a bit to be desired due to the browning. I’ve read all kinds of articles about browning in whites with PVPP (Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone ), egg whites, etc. but nothing really addresses browning in reds. And this browning obviously came from the skins, not from oxidation of tannins due to aging (it’s 6–7 weeks old). Any suggestions? I’m not averse to stripping it so to speak and then blending in say some Syrah and even making more of a super Tuscan out of it, but how do I remove the browning?