Dean Shaw Making Two Paddocks

The Old Way

Often  the old methods are best. Here Dean demonstrates "punching down" the "cap," a process that must be repeated several times a day while our Pinot undergoes ferment in our French oak fermenters.

 Trousers off...

Manning up to the first ferment, from rows 1- 25, clone 5, from our Gibbston First Paddock. Dean uses techniques perfected at rugby, scrummaging for St Kilda 3rds, plunging down the cap with his feet. The cap is a pretty solid  floating mass of grape skins, stems and seeds, and needs to be plunged back into the wine for the maximum of flavour and colour, as well as tannins. Mike Wing is suitably impressed by Dean’s expertise. Dean has done time in Burgundy ... The winemaker’s legs. The scene of the crime.