The Quiet Season: Understanding the Winemaking Process in Winter

When the Maryland landscape turns white and the vines go dormant, many assume the winery goes quiet. However, for our production team, the winemaking process in winter is a season of high-stakes precision and constant movement.

In our latest “Behind the Vines” video, Rachel, our Assistant Winemaker, takes us inside the cellar to demystify one of the most critical maintenance tasks: managing headspace and protecting the integrity of our aging vintages:

Why the Winemaking Process Never Stops

During the summer and fall, the focus is on growth and harvest. But once the wine is in the cellar, our biggest challenge becomes protecting it from its primary enemy: Oxygen. As Rachel explains, “The short answer is we move wine from A to B while minimizing any headspace along the way.”

Managing Headspace and Evaporation

Even in the best barrels, wine gradually evaporates over time—a phenomenon often called the “Angels’ Share.” This creates headspace (air) at the top of the barrel. If left unchecked, this oxygen exposure can lead to spoilage or off-flavors. Part of the winemaking process in winter involves “topping off” every single barrel to ensure they stay completely full and airtight.

The Art of Racking and Lees

In the video, you’ll see Ray and Rachel siphoning wine between kegs and racking it off the “lees” (sediment).

• The Science of Lees: While small amounts of lees actually help protect the wine from spoilage, we gradually “clean up” the wine by moving it to fresh vessels, leaving the heavy sediment behind.

• Cellar Efficiency: Brandon demonstrates how we use pressurized CO2 to push wine from smaller kegs into the barrels, making the process of topping off hundreds of vessels efficient and safe for the wine.

The next time you enjoy a glass of Linganore wine, remember the care taken during these cold months. It’s this dedication to detail in the “offseason” that ensures every bottle we produce meets our 50-year standard of excellence.

Rachel Smith, Assistant Winemaker at Linganore Winecellars

My winemaking journey began in 2017. I was living in Philadelphia and working at a small winery in the Outer Coastal Plains AVA of New Jersey. On that 8 acre vineyard, I participated in every step of the process, from pruning vines to bottling finished wines. Then, in the Summer of 2020, I landed a job with Linganore as the Harvest Intern. So, I moved home to Maryland and planted new roots in Frederick. What I found here was an exciting, lively community, cultivated by knowledgeable and yet, unpretentious professionals. In Fall of 2024, with Linganore’s support, I completed a winemaking certificate program from Cornell University. As any education goes, learning to be a better winemaker is certainly a lifelong venture. In the end, it’s really the camaraderie and mentorship I’ve been so fortunate to receive, making this winemaker’s life all the more fulfilling.