Definition: carbonic maceration

What is maceration? Wines rich in aromas are popular. To produce them, winegrowers are increasingly using special pressing techniques. During carbonic maceration, which has been practised in France since the early 1960s, the intact grapes are immersed in CO2 for at least a week in fermentation vats.

The juice ferments in the berries until they burst. This results in purplish red wines with very intense berry notes. Beaujolais Primeur is a typical example. Cold maceration is another method often used to extract more aromas. It involves cooling the must (crushed berries) with dry ice, for example, for hours or even days. The longer the cold maceration, the more intense the wines will be. These wines give off characteristic aromas, such as banana or "English candy".

Partial source: Robert Schlag, Coop wine oenologist