Sometimes a Stuck Fermentation....

One of the things I learned in the UC Davis online Wine Production course was about the dreaded stuck fermentation. It was one of the forum topics and generated a lot of discussion among my online colleagues. (This is one of the HUGE benefits of the online course, but then it depends on the participation level of your classmates.) The class notes summarized the most common causes of the stuck fermentation as arising from the following:
     Nutrient deficiency
     Temperature extreme
     Presence of a toxic substance
     Microbial incompatibility
     Deficient yeast strain
But, the reason why I'm blogging about this is because, sometimes, a stuck fermentation can actually lead to a good thing. In the June 30, 2004 issue of Wine Spectator (that I rescued from the trash bin), there is a short article on how to sell juice drawn off from a Zinfandel fermentation that ends up being "stuck". Since this drawn off juice has a slight pink tinge, you call it "White Zinfandel" and since it has a little residual sugar from the stuck fermentation, it is a little sweet. This sweetness appealed to wine drinkers in 1975 and you (Bob Trinchero) have created a new market for Sutter Home White Zinfandel. The photo shows Bob, Vera and Roger Trinchero. A book written by Kate Heyhoe and Stanley Hock about the Trinchero family came out in 2004 and it was called Harvesting the Dream; The Rags-to-Riches Tale of the Sutter Home Winery. I haven't read the book, but I'll admit to drinking a lot of White Zinfandel, in my days-of-wine-innocence.