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Our Winery Silver Mountain Vineyards has earned a reputation for creating world-class premier wines by paying attention to each and every detail, from harvest through bottling.  Mountain HarvestAs the harvest approaches, we monitor the grapes daily to determine the exact moment when natural sugars and acids are in complete harmony. The grapes are then handpicked, which allows the selection of only those clusters that are perfectly ripe. Old World Style Our organic grapes are then processed under the expert leadership of winemaker and founder Jerold O'Brien. To bring out the character of our wines, Silver Mountain employs two old world processes—extended maceration and hand punch-downs—in the making of its premier wines. Extended Maceration Extended maceration is the term for keeping grapes in the fermenter for an extended period of time. In winemaking, grapes are typically fermented for 5 to 10 days. During Silver Mountain's fermenting process, grapes remain in our temperature-controlled tanks for approximately 30 to 35 days. This allows us to extract more flavor and color from the grapes, while minimizing tannin. Hand Punch-Downs Through the fermenting process, a cake of floating grape skins forms at the top of the fermenter, with the juice underneath. Most wineries engage in pumping over, which does not thoroughly blend the grape skins with the juice. Only premium wineries, such as Silver Mountain, punch down. Punching down is the process of breaking up the cake, so that the skins and the juice underneath are combined. Rich Results The result is wines with layers of rich flavor and an exquisite aroma—wines with enough substance to last in the bottle, yet ready to be enjoyed upon opening as well. Come Taste Silver Mountain... For more information, e-mail us at: info@silvermountainvineyards.com or call 408.353.2576. © Copyright Silver Mountain Vineyards. All Rights Reserved. |
