How do you make wine?
Olivier - 13/08/2020
Most of us enjoy a glass of wine after a long, tiring day, on vacation, or at social gatherings. But have you ever wondered how wine is actually made? We know it’s made from grapes, but what are the steps involved in the process?
From wine production to understanding the different types of wine, this article will cover it all. So, be sure to read it all the way through and familiarize yourself with the winemaking process. wine.
• Harvest • Crushing and pressing • Fermentation • Clarification • Aging and bottling.
Undoubtedly, there are countless differences and variations in this process. It is, in fact, these variations and subtle fluctuations at every stage of the process that make each wine unique and that ultimately contribute to the greatness or the failure of a particular wine.
The manufacturing steps for the white wine and the red wine are essentially the same, with one exception. The manufacturing of the rosé wines And fortified or sparkling wines are another matter entirely: both require additional human intervention to succeed.
Most winemakers agree that wine is made in the vineyard—at least in a figurative sense—for this reason and many others. The winemaking process requires that grapes be harvested at a specific time, preferably when they are physiologically ripe. A combination of science and traditional tasting generally determines the harvest date—with consultants, winemakers, vineyard managers, and owners all having a say.
Harvesting is done either mechanically or by hand. However, most vineyards prefer hand-harvesting, as harvesting machines are often too rough on the grapes and the vineyard. When the grapes arrive at the winery, experienced winemakers sort through the bunches and remove any rotten or unripe fruit before crushing them.
For thousands of years, men and women have performed the harvest dance in vats and wine presses, thereby bringing about the magical transformation of grape juice—which, through the concentrated light of the sun and the water held within the grape clusters, becomes the healthiest and most mystical of beverages: wine.
Change, like everything else in life, involves both loss and gain. With the use of mechanical presses, the romance and ritual have largely disappeared from this stage of winemaking. However, the immense sanitary benefits that mechanical pressing brings to winemaking should not be regretted. Thanks to mechanical pressing, the quality and longevity of wine have improved, while reducing the winemaker’s need for preservation.
However, not all wines begin their journey in a press. Sometimes winemakers choose to start fermentation inside whole, unpressed clusters. This allows the natural weight of the grapes and the fermentation process to break open the grape skins before pressing. The steps for making white wine and red wine are essentially the same up until crushing and pressing. However, if a winemaker intends to make white wine, they will quickly press the must after crushing to separate the juice from the skins, seeds, and solids. By doing so, the undesirable color (which comes from the grape skins, not the juice) and the tannins cannot seep into the white wine.
Basically, white wine is made by separating the grapes from their skins, whereas red wine is left in contact with the skins to develop color, flavor, and additional tannins during fermentation.
It is also possible to filter and refine the wine at this stage. Filters can be used in different ways: a coarse filter that retains only large solids, or a sterile filter pad that strips the wine of all its character.
Clarification occurs when substances are added to wine to clarify it. Winemakers typically add egg whites, clay, or other compounds to the wine to remove dead yeast cells and other solids. These substances bind to the unwanted solids and cause them to sink to the bottom of the tank.
After clarification, the wine is transferred to another container. It is then ready to be bottled or to undergo further aging.
There are countless options and techniques for this final stage of the process, as well as for the final product. Nevertheless, the one thing all these methods have in common is the wine.
How to Make Wine: The Steps
Wine production has existed for thousands of years. At its core, winemaking is a natural process that requires very little human intervention. Nature provides everything needed to make wine, and it is up to humans to enhance, refine, or completely alter what nature has provided—a fact that anyone with extensive experience in wine tasting can attest to. The winemaking process consists of five fundamental steps:• Harvest • Crushing and pressing • Fermentation • Clarification • Aging and bottling.
Undoubtedly, there are countless differences and variations in this process. It is, in fact, these variations and subtle fluctuations at every stage of the process that make each wine unique and that ultimately contribute to the greatness or the failure of a particular wine.
The manufacturing steps for the white wine and the red wine are essentially the same, with one exception. The manufacturing of the rosé wines And fortified or sparkling wines are another matter entirely: both require additional human intervention to succeed.
The Harvest
The first step in the winemaking process is undoubtedly the harvest. There would be no wine without fruit, and no fruit other than grapes can reliably produce enough sugar each year to generate sufficient alcohol to preserve the resulting beverage. Nor do other fruits contain the acids, esters, and tannins necessary to consistently produce a natural and stable wine.Most winemakers agree that wine is made in the vineyard—at least in a figurative sense—for this reason and many others. The winemaking process requires that grapes be harvested at a specific time, preferably when they are physiologically ripe. A combination of science and traditional tasting generally determines the harvest date—with consultants, winemakers, vineyard managers, and owners all having a say.
Harvesting is done either mechanically or by hand. However, most vineyards prefer hand-harvesting, as harvesting machines are often too rough on the grapes and the vineyard. When the grapes arrive at the winery, experienced winemakers sort through the bunches and remove any rotten or unripe fruit before crushing them.
Grinding and pressing
Traditionally, crushing whole bunches of fresh, ripe grapes is the next step in the winemaking process. Today’s mechanical crushers follow the old tradition of treading the grapes to produce what is commonly known as must.For thousands of years, men and women have performed the harvest dance in vats and wine presses, thereby bringing about the magical transformation of grape juice—which, through the concentrated light of the sun and the water held within the grape clusters, becomes the healthiest and most mystical of beverages: wine.
Change, like everything else in life, involves both loss and gain. With the use of mechanical presses, the romance and ritual have largely disappeared from this stage of winemaking. However, the immense sanitary benefits that mechanical pressing brings to winemaking should not be regretted. Thanks to mechanical pressing, the quality and longevity of wine have improved, while reducing the winemaker’s need for preservation.
However, not all wines begin their journey in a press. Sometimes winemakers choose to start fermentation inside whole, unpressed clusters. This allows the natural weight of the grapes and the fermentation process to break open the grape skins before pressing. The steps for making white wine and red wine are essentially the same up until crushing and pressing. However, if a winemaker intends to make white wine, they will quickly press the must after crushing to separate the juice from the skins, seeds, and solids. By doing so, the undesirable color (which comes from the grape skins, not the juice) and the tannins cannot seep into the white wine.
Basically, white wine is made by separating the grapes from their skins, whereas red wine is left in contact with the skins to develop color, flavor, and additional tannins during fermentation.
Fermentation
The fermentation process is truly the magic ingredient in the winemaking process. If left to sit, the must or juice naturally begins to ferment after 6 to 12 hours, thanks to the natural yeasts present in the air. This natural fermentation process is particularly valued in very clean and well-maintained vineyards and cellars. That said, winemakers often prefer, for various reasons, to intervene at this stage by inoculating the natural must. In other words, they remove the natural yeasts and then use a yeast strain of their choice to better control the final result. Regardless of the method chosen, fermentation begins and normally continues until all the sugar is converted into alcohol and a dry wine is produced. The fermentation process can take anywhere from ten days to a month, or even longer. The resulting alcohol content in a wine varies depending on the total sugar content of the must. An alcohol content of 10% is considered normal in cold climates, while in warmer regions, this figure reaches 15%. A sweet wine is produced when the fermentation process is stopped before all the sugar has been converted into alcohol. This decision is generally a conscious and intentional choice on the part of the winemaker.Clarification
After fermentation, the clarification process begins. Winemakers can choose to rack or siphon their wines from one tank or barrel to another to allow sediment and solids to settle at the bottom of the fermentation tank.It is also possible to filter and refine the wine at this stage. Filters can be used in different ways: a coarse filter that retains only large solids, or a sterile filter pad that strips the wine of all its character.
Clarification occurs when substances are added to wine to clarify it. Winemakers typically add egg whites, clay, or other compounds to the wine to remove dead yeast cells and other solids. These substances bind to the unwanted solids and cause them to sink to the bottom of the tank.
After clarification, the wine is transferred to another container. It is then ready to be bottled or to undergo further aging.
Aging and bottling
The aging and bottling of wine constitute the final stage of the winemaking process. After clarification, the producer has the choice of bottling the wine immediately or allowing it to age further, as is the case with "Grand Cru Bordeaux" and "Grand Cabernet Sauvignon." This additional aging can take place in bottles, in ceramic or stainless steel tanks, in large wooden vats, or in small barrels, commonly known as barriques.There are countless options and techniques for this final stage of the process, as well as for the final product. Nevertheless, the one thing all these methods have in common is the wine.
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