degassing

[hotwine]

They're estimating completion of fermentation on measurements of specific gravity, generally looking for a reading of 1.01 after primary fermentation and 0.992 after secondary; at which point the wine is chemically stabilized, clarified and whacked (later comes the "rack to clear" process, then filtering). Their entire process of winemaking, from introduction of yeast to the must ("hello, must") to bottling, only lasts about six weeks, but longer periods are accommodated if SG readings indicate the need.