What the $@#& is Carbonic Maceration?

Where have I heard the word carbonic maceration before?

Carbonic maceration is a term you might come across this week. Beaujolais Nouveau is first available during the third week of November. More on that here, but basically, Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine of the vintage that is bottled and released. This is a measly 6 weeks after harvest. Wine making usually takes much longer. So how do they get Beaujolais Nouveau to market so quickly? Our good friend, carbonic maceration!

How does carbonic maceration work?

Carbonic maceration is wine making technique that happens in an anaerobic environment. Unlike in conventional winemaking, the grapes are not crushed or destemmed. The whole grape clusters pile on top of each other in a vat. The vat is sealed and carbon dioxide is pumped in to remove all the oxygen.

Now, this is when things start to get a little weird. Bear with me. The grapes on top will crush the grapes on the bottom by sheer weight and gravity. This will begin a normal fermentation (yeast eats sugar and releases alcohol, heat, and in this case, most importantly, carbon dioxide).

The carbon dioxide has no where to go, remember, the tank is sealed. Pressure builds and builds and builds and fermentation starts happening WITHIN the uncrushed grape berries. Crazy, right? That’s not even the craziest part, the inside of the grape turns purple! Grape pulp is usually greyish pink. Eventually, around a week or so, the grape will burst from the pressure and normal fermentation will finish the job.

If you’re a visual learner, check out this great infographic.

What do wines that have gone through carbonic maceration smell and taste like?

Wines that are made through carbonic maceration are not as tannic because the juice is not interacting with the skins. Carbonic maceration isn’t just for Beaujolais Nouveau wines, either. Wines that are very high in tannins that need to be tamed benefit from CM. FYI, no one calls carbonic maceration CM but if malolactic fermentation is abbreviated to MLF, I’m doing CM, too. I think the Aussies call it cab mac but that’s just ridiculous.

Wines that have gone through carbonic maceration smell like bananas and cotton candy. Drink the wines young with a slight chill. The wines are super easy to drink since they lack tannin. Wines like Beaujolais Nouveau pair really well with charcuterie or if you’re wanting a red wine with salad or sushi.

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