In the saignée method, when is juice bled off from the must?

• A. After fermentation has begun
• B. Early during maceration
• C. After pressing
• D. Just before bottling

Answer: (B)

In saignée, juice is bled off while the grape must is still in contact with the skins—early in the maceration stage. The goal is to reduce the juice volume while letting the skins continue to impart color, flavor compounds, and tannins to the remaining must. By removing some juice at this point, the skin-to-juice ratio in the fermenting portion becomes higher, which concentrates the resulting red wine’s color and structure. The removed juice is often fermented separately to make a lighter wine, such as a rosé. If you wait until after pressing or after fermentation has begun, you don’t achieve the same concentrate effect in the remaining must, so the timing is critical.