It is widely believed that cold soaking white grapes for a period of time
after crushing and sulfiting increases the varietal characteristics of the
grape in the finished wine. Unless you can get temp down and maintain below
50 degrees F, it should be limited to not more than overnight soaking.
Obviously don't cold soak if you suspect grapes are still coated with sulfur
from late or excessive spraying. Some grape varieties are commonly put
through this process and others aren't. Chardonnay is often cold soaked
because the varietal character is inherently so low that it almost always
needs to be enhanced. Sauvignon blanc is often soaked, but gewurtztraminer,
semillon and muscat varieties usually are not.

"miker" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I won't comment on the OP's question since I already did in another
> thread, but was just wondering why you cold soak whites, Jim Hall? Does
> this give a more golden color or what, and if so is this a desirable
> thing in white wine?
>