| Fine Wine | “Terroir Perfected Through Precision Enology” “Estate-Born Character, Scientifically Refined” “Vintage Excellence, Engineered to Impress” | “Fancy glass? Make it a DollarShot.” “Swirl your wine, then chase with a DollarShot.” “Every pour is a DollarShot.” |
Our Fine Wine program at DollarShot Distillery Canada Limited applies advanced enological science, high-grade raw materials, and rigorous process controls to craft premium Red, White, and Ice Wines with consistent varietal expression, stability, and aging potential.
1. Grape Sourcing & Must Characterization
- Vineyard Selection: Single‐estate vineyards are chosen based on soil profile (loam–clay ratio, CEC > 15 meq/100g), mesoclimate (GDD 1,200–1,500), and UV indices.
- Harvest Metrics: Grapes are hand-harvested at target °Brix 22–25 (red) or 20–22 (white), titratable acidity 6.0–7.5 g/L, and pH 3.2–3.4. Ice Wine grapes are harvested at –8 °C, yielding must at 35–38 °Brix.
- Must Testing: NIR spectroscopy and enzymatic assays verify sugar profile, YAN (Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen ≥ 200 mg/L), and phenolic index (A280) for red varieties.
2. Must Preparation & Pre-Fermentation Treatment
- Red Wine Crushing & Maceration: Whole-berry destemmer–crusher, followed by cold soak (5 °C, 48 h) with pectinolytic enzymes (0.02 g/L) to enhance anthocyanin and tannin extraction.
- White Wine Pressing: Direct pressing with bladder press at 0.5 bar to minimize phenolic pickup. Must is clarified via crossflow microfiltration (0.8 μm) to < 100 NTU turbidity.
- Adjustments: Tartrate stability controlled by cold stabilization (–4 °C, 72 h); acid balance adjusted with tartaric acid to 5.5–6.5 g/L; chaptalization applied only if °Brix < 20.
3. Fermentation Control
- Yeast Inoculation: Selected Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains—high ester producers (ethyl hexanoate 100–120 mg/L) for whites; high phenolic tolerance for reds—are rehydrated and pitch rates set at 200 g/hL.
- Temperature Regimes: Whites fermented at 14–16 °C to preserve thiols and esters; reds at 24–26 °C for optimal color stabilization. Fermentations end at ≤ 1.5 °Brix residual.
- Dissolved Oxygen Management: Oxygen injected pre-fermentation (8 mg/L) then maintained < 0.5 mg/L during active fermentation to modulate thiol release and prevent oxidative browning.
4. Malolactic & Micro-Oxygenation
- MLF Induction (Reds & Select Whites): Oenococcus oeni cultured at 18 °C, pH 3.3–3.5; malic acid conversion monitored via HPLC until < 0.5 g/L remaining.
- Micro-Oxygenation: Controlled O₂ pulses (0.5 mg/L per month) applied in stainless-steel or oak vats to polymerize tannins and soften mouthfeel (measured by gel permeation chromatography).
5. Oak Aging & Barrel Cells
- Barrel Regimens:
- Red Wines: Aged 12–18 months in French oak (Limousin) medium toast, with new barriques (225 L) for structure and seasoned barriques for complexity.
- White Wines: 6–9 months in a mix of French (10%) and American oak (5%) barriques for subtle spice integration.
- Cellar Conditions: 14 °C ± 1 °C, 70% ± 5% RH to control micro-oxygenation through barrel staves and limit annual evaporation (< 3%).
6. Stabilization & Packaging
- Fining & Clarification:
- Red wines: Egg albumin (10 g/hL) for phenolic softening; bentonite (10 g/hL) post-MLF for protein stability.
- White wines: Bentonite fining (15 g/hL) and PVPP treatment (1 g/hL) to remove phenolic browning precursors.
- Sterile Filtration: Final 0.45 µm cartridge filtration ensures microbial stability; ABV adjusted ± 0.1% v/v with de-ionized water.
- Bottling:
- 750 ml Cork Closure: Nomacorc diam closure to control O₂ ingress (0.8 mg/L/year).
- 330 ml Ice Wine: Crown-seal bottles with inert headspace purge (N₂ > 99.9%) for extended shelf life.
7. QA/QC & Traceability
- Analytical Benchmarks:
- HPLC: Residual sugar (dry wines < 2 g/L; Ice Wine 150–200 g/L), organic acids, and phenolic profiling.
- GC-MS: Volatile sulfur compounds (< 5 µg/L H₂S) and key aroma esters.
- Spectrophotometry: Color density (A420, A520) for red wines; haze < 0.5 NTU for whites.
- Sensory Panels: ISO 8586-trained assessors perform descriptive analysis every lot.
- Digital Records: LIMS captures vineyard block data, fermentation logs, barrel serials, lab results, and sensory notes—accessible via GS1 QR code on each label.
Outcome:
Our Red, White, and Canadian Ice Wines exhibit precise varietal integrity, optimal stability, and aging potential—delivering rich color, balanced acidity, and complex aroma profiles that meet the highest enological and sensory standards.
| Product | Packaging Formats | ABV | Colour | Taste | Finish |
| Red Wine | 750 ml bottle (12 per case) | 13.5% | Deep ruby red | Blackcurrant, dark cherry, subtle oak spice | Smooth tannins with a velvety close |
| White Wine | 750 ml bottle (12 per case) | 12.5% | Pale straw | Green apple, citrus blossom, light vanilla | Crisp minerality and clean finish |
| Canadian Ice Wine | 330 ml bottle (24 per case) | 10.0% | Golden amber | Honey, apricot, ripe peach | Luscious sweetness, lingering fruit |