Wine Sediments

Aaron Pott, winemaker at the Californian Quintessa vineyard, has let slip a little secret to the Times he uses a moisturiser to protect his grapes.

Far from dabbing a little Oil of Ulay over each of his prized Cabernet grapes he uses a spray that contains small amounts of aloe vera and yucca - ingredients that are found in human sun-screen treatments. Two to three ounces of yucca are used per acre and about four to five ounces of aloe vera gel, each being mixed into a compost spray.

This spray is quite dilute, and I assume get removed naturally if it rains, so no residue remains by the time of the harvest. It is all part of the estates biodynamic growing methods. But if it protects the grapes from over exposure to the sun, and getting wrinkles, and produces wines as renown as Quintessas then dont knock it!