WINEMAKING PROCESS OF CROWD WINE
The transformation of the Macabeo grapes from Vinya Ca l’Escalló into Crowd Wine Penedès white wine is a process that takes approximately 8 months. It will take place in the Celler Jordi Lluch, a small family winery producing wines and cavas. In total there are 9 stages that allow us to discover the exciting from the harvest in September of the grapes to the bottling of the wine.
Grape harvest
Last Wednesday, September 5, 2018, we harvested by hand the Macabeo from the Ca l’Escalló estate. Harvesting the grapes by hand, as has been done all my life, allows us to maintain the highest quality, as the integrity of the grain is maintained and possible oxidations and fermentations are avoided.
Throughout the day the temperature was mild and very pleasant this allowed us to collect the fruit comfortably. A total of five people we needed all morning to harvest almost half a hectare of vineyard. Ca l’Escalló has a production of about 5,000 kgs of grapes where we allocated 3,500 kg to make the single-variety white wine Macabeu Crowd Wine Penedès.
Grape reception at Jordi Lluch Winery
Direct from the Ca l’Escalló vineyard to the Jordi Lluch winery. Once the tractor arrives, the grade and acidity are analyzed with the analytical control of the grapes. The result of this analysis was almost 11 alcoholic degrees.
The tractor is weighed together with the trailer before pouring, after unloading in the hopper it is weighed again in such a way that it allows us to know the amount of grapes we were transporting.
Destemming and treading grapes
The destemming consists of the process of separating the grapes from the grape, a procedure by which we avoid herbal tastes. Then the gentle treading is done to extract the first juice of must, also called flower must. The Jordi Lluch winery uses rollers because they exert a pressure equivalent to that traditionally done with feet.
Drained in the press
It is the process of draining the liquid from the crushed grape paste, without exerting any additional pressure, through the force of gravity.

Flower must
It is the juice obtained thanks to the first soft pressing, it is the highest quality must and represents the typicality of the variety.
Controlled fermentation
The fermentation of the flower must takes place at a temperature of between 17 – 18 ºC and lasts between 10 and 12 days. The stainless steel tank where the fermentation takes place has a capacity of about 2,300 liters.
Battonage
It is a technique in which the bottoms originated from the fermentation go back by all the surface of the wine, since like this contributes consistency and density in mouth. We especially used a horizontal tank because it provides a larger contact surface with the wine.
Stabilization
It is the process to ensure the optimal quality of the wine in the bottle. This prevents microbial contamination and oxidation. We use products that do not come from animal origin, so it is fully compatible for people who follow a vegan diet.
Bottling
It is the final part of the winemaking process is when the bottle is filled with white wine, the cork stopper and the capsule are placed manually. This phase was carried out at the end of December. It is an artisanal process where each bottle of wine is worked by hand so that we take great care of each of the 2,779 bottles.
In short, this is the process of making white wine Crowd Wine, this wine is available from mid-December 2018. It is an opportunity to try a variety quite unknown when it comes to making white wines, there really are very few wineries in the Penedès make it and it will surely be a very good opportunity to taste different single-variety wines than usual.