Racking
/ˈrækɪŋ/
Racking /ˈrækɪŋ/ is the winemaking process of transferring wine or fermenting must from one vessel to another, leaving sediment (lees, tartrates, and other solids) behind. It is mainly used for clarification and stabilization, and can also provide controlled oxygen exposure that influences the wine’s style and development.
Examples
- After alcoholic fermentation, the winemaker racks the young red wine from its stainless-steel tank into barrels, leaving the thick layer of gross lees at the bottom of the tank.
- A white wine is racked off its sediment a few weeks after fermentation to improve clarity and reduce the risk of reductive, sulfur-like off-aromas.
- During élevage, a Cabernet Sauvignon is racked every few months from barrel to barrel to remove lees, gently clarify the wine, and introduce small amounts of oxygen to help soften tannins.
Etymology
The term "racking" derives from the English verb "to rack," historically meaning to draw off liquid from the dregs or sediment, a usage documented from at least the 17th century in brewing and winemaking. It is related to older English and Scots senses of "rack" as "to drain" or "to draw off," possibly influenced by Middle English and Old Norse roots associated with driving or drawing out (compare Old Norse "reka" – to drive, push). In wine, the meaning narrowed to the specific cellar operation of drawing clear wine off its lees into a clean vessel; the French equivalent term is "soutirage" (from "soutirer" – to draw off, to siphon).