Carbonic maceration is a high-tech wine-making technique invented in France in the 1930s. And it’s making a comeback today as more consumers crave fresher-tasting wines. From Wine Enthusiast: “Carbonic maceration can completely change a wine’s style and flavor profile. If you’ve ever tried a red wine that bounced brightly out of the glass with an ultra-fruity bubble-gum aroma or crunched lightly with cinnamon, vanilla and earthy, stemmy flavors, it’s likely you’ve encountered carbonic maceration.” In traditional wine making, the crashed grapes are transformed into alcohol by a yeast fermentation. Carbonic maceration involves adding whole, intact grapes and allowing the berries to ferment from the inside in an oxygen-free environment. The whole berries use CO2 added to the sealed vessel to break down sugars and malic acid to produce alcohol.
Read more (Wine Enthusiast)