Bad Armadillo Vineyard

When the grapes are ripe - and the pH and sugar content are just right, we pick them. After picking, the grapes are crushed right away. Last year, we let the Blanc du Bois sit in the refrigerator for a few days, but this year, we'll crush just after we pick them. We purchased a new destemmer/crusher for last year, and it worked GREAT!

After crushing, White wine grapes are pressed imediately. We load the crushed grapes into nylon mesh bags (with rice hulls, which help the juice flow better), and secure the open end with a tywrap. Then, we put them in the grape press. We purchased a double ratchet, #35 press two years ago, and it was absolutely wonderful! It can press 100 pounds of grapes at a

time (sure beats Stomping - sorry Lucy). The old one we had was homemade (got the plans off the internet for free), and worked good, but had limited volume - it was small, and we outgrew it. The red grapes are allowed to ferment on the skins in a bucket. This gives the wine a deep red color. After about a week, the must (as it is called) is pressed, and the juice is transferred to a 5 gallon glass bottle.

After pressing, the juice for red wine (in its 5 gallon glass bottles) is placed in a dark, cool place (our closet). Here, it is left to ferment until dry, and also age until the wine is clear. We usually leave our wine here until the next year, just before picking time.

After pressing, the juice for white wine (in its 5 gallon bottles) is placed in refrigerators, with temperature controls, that keep the wine at 55 degrees. The lower temperature is necessary for fermenting white wine, which lets the wine ferment slower, and hold in the aromas necessary to make a good white wine. At those temperature, the fermentation process takes a couple months.

Periodically, throughout the winemaking process, the wine needs to be racked. We do this by siphoning the good wine into another bottle, leaving behind the sediment (or lees, as it is called). This gives us a good, clear wine. In addition to this, we use a filter on the last racking, for a crystal clear finished product. Here, we are racking, and filtering two 5 gallon bottles of Blanc du Bois (in the kitchen). This was before we got our winery.

Here, we are washing bottles for the Blanc du Bois. Each bottle is washed and sanitized, before the wine is siphoned into it.

Here, the wine is siphoned into the individual bottles. After the bottle is full, nitrogen is used to displace the oxygen at the top of the bottle, and a cork is used to close the opening. The bottles sit upright for a few days, to allow the cork to set. The bottles are then stored on their sides. This was done in my office before I got the new Winery.

The interior has all the comforts of home - florescent lighting, air conditioning, electricity, running water, cabinets, storage, and refrigerators.

This is the new Bad Armadello Winery. We purchased this building at the end of last year. It had a little hurricane damage, so we got a discounted price.

Bad Armadillo Vineyard
9857 SW Waco Terrace
Palm City, FL 34990

772-341-0108

http://www.badarmadillovineyard.com