Skolnik’s stainless steel wine barrels have long been used as a tool in the wine making process and to compliment the use of oak barrels. A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle reported on another material, in addition to wood and steel, being used for wine storage and aging. Stainless steel barrels and tanks, which allow no oxygen in, create bright, sharp flavors. Wooden barrels, which are quite porous, create a rounder taste with flavors from the oak. Now, concrete "egg" shaped fermenters, which fall somewhere between stainless steel and wooden barrels in permeability, offer a third option, says Domaine Carneros winemaker TJ Evans. The eggs, which can be 6 feet tall or higher, have a cuteness factor not usually to be found in farming machinery. “What we get is a kind of an enhanced minerality and a richer texture, but without the oak,” he says. “It’s a nice little tool that fills in the niche.” Concrete fermenting tanks aren’t new. Huge, square ones are to be found in wineries around the world. But they fell out of favor in California with the push to modernize during the `70s and the move to stainless steel tanks. Getting the egg shape right is a technical challenge, but there’s no denying it amps up the decorative factor. Sonoma Cast Stone, which makes some large eggs in black or dark brown, which give off a fun, sci-fi aura, was recently commissioned to make two concrete eggs, one red, one yellow, for wineries that want to show off their unique tanks. Another Napa Valley winery using the egg-shaped fermenters is CADE. When the winery bought the eggs, they weren’t sure what to expect, says winemaker Tony Biaggi. But “all fears were put to rest when we tasted the first wines fermented in them.” The egg-fermenters are used to add nuance to CADE sauvignon blanc. Though the egg-fermented wine amounts to only 6 percent of the final blend, it adds interesting layers, says Biaggi. “The wines fermented in concrete eggs seem to be alive and full of energy.” Domaine Carneros is best known as a producer of well-regarded sparkling wine, but the egg fermenter is being used to make a fairly unique still wine, pinot clair, which is a white wine made from the red-skinned grape pinot noir. Color comes from skin contact with the juice, so this wine is kept clear by gently pressing the juice out of the grapes and putting the juice straight into the egg.
Wine