How do you make white wine?
Olivier - 19/10/2020
Have you ever wondered how the white wine How is it made? The process may seem fairly simple. Grapes are harvested, pressed to extract the juice, which is then fermented using yeast, allowed to age, and finally bottled.
In reality, the process involves many intermediate steps, each of which requires very specific knowledge of the wine industry. In this article, you’ll find a breakdown of the different steps involved in making white wine.
Good to know: the white wine can be made from white grapes or black grapes, since the wine’s color actually comes from the color of the grape skins. All you need to do is quickly press the grapes without letting the must macerate with the skins.
However, this step is not mandatory. When making certain wines, some winemakers leave the stems in to add more freshness and tannins to the wine.
Crushing involves crushing the grapes to break open the skins and extract the juice. This must be done gently so as not to crush the seeds.
Choosing the right type of fermentation tank is important. They are often made of wood, stainless steel, or concrete. Some white wines are better suited to wooden tanks—such as Chardonnay, which is fermented in oak—while others are better suited to inert containers.
The fermentation temperature also affects the type of wine produced. In theory, white wines are fermented at lower temperatures than red wines. The lower the temperature, the better the fruit aromas are preserved. The fermentation temperature for a white wine should be around 20°C. This process lasts between 10 and 14 days. If the winery prefers to produce a drier wine and wait until the vast majority of the sugars have been converted into alcohol, the fermentation period will naturally be extended. However, if the winery plans to produce a medium-dry or sweeter wine, fermentation must be stopped depending on the desired sugar content.
Aging in tanks : This technique is widely used, particularly for wines meant to be drunk young. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is transferred to a tank and left there for a few weeks to achieve a certain stability.
Barrel aging : Unlike barrel aging, oak barrel aging is widely used for full-bodied wines that need to age. The wine remains in the barrels for several months, and malolactic fermentation occurs naturally. It is this second fermentation that gives white wine more roundness.
Blending allows for wines with greater complexity, adds more acidity, or enhances various aromas.
You can find a wide variety of interesting recipes that require little investment and use ingredients available at any supermarket. Many people also opt for wine-making kits that include both ingredients and equipment. You’ll easily find a solution that fits your budget and preferences for learning how to make homemade white wine.
In reality, the process involves many intermediate steps, each of which requires very specific knowledge of the wine industry. In this article, you’ll find a breakdown of the different steps involved in making white wine.
Step 1: Harvesting the grapes
The first step in making wine is harvesting the grapes. The optimal time to harvest the grapes depends on many different factors that only experienced winemakers can identify using various techniques. The type of wine to be produced has a significant influence on the timing of the harvest, as the longer the grapes remain on the vine, the higher their sugar content will be.Good to know: the white wine can be made from white grapes or black grapes, since the wine’s color actually comes from the color of the grape skins. All you need to do is quickly press the grapes without letting the must macerate with the skins.
Step 2: Destemming and crushing the grapes
Once the harvest is complete, the grapes are sorted and destemmed. This means that the berries are removed from the stems (the plant parts to which the grapes are attached). This process is carried out using a machine that gently destems the grapes. Destemming must be done slowly; otherwise, the clusters risk being crushed.However, this step is not mandatory. When making certain wines, some winemakers leave the stems in to add more freshness and tannins to the wine.
Crushing involves crushing the grapes to break open the skins and extract the juice. This must be done gently so as not to crush the seeds.
Step 3: Cold pre-fermentation maceration
Before pressing, some winemakers choose to perform what is known as pre-fermentation maceration. Since white wines are fermented with the skins, this technique allows for the extraction of additional aromas from the skins. This step is by no means mandatory and is more commonly used in the production of red wines.Step 4: Pressing
The harvested grapes—whether crushed or not—are placed in a press, which crushes them to release the must (the juice). This is a delicate process, as the goal is to avoid crushing the stems or seeds as much as possible, as this could give the wine a sour taste.Step 5: Settling
The resulting juice is cloudy because it contains numerous pieces of grape stems and other particles. These particles, known as "lees," must be removed, but sparingly, because a wine that has been over-clarified will lack the nutrients needed for proper fermentation. Conversely, if the wine is not clarified sufficiently, it risks losing its aromatic finesse.Step 6: Alcoholic fermentation
This step is crucial because it allows the sugars to be converted into alcohol through the action of the yeast naturally present in the grapes. If desired, the winery can manually add yeast to help control the fermentation process.Choosing the right type of fermentation tank is important. They are often made of wood, stainless steel, or concrete. Some white wines are better suited to wooden tanks—such as Chardonnay, which is fermented in oak—while others are better suited to inert containers.
The fermentation temperature also affects the type of wine produced. In theory, white wines are fermented at lower temperatures than red wines. The lower the temperature, the better the fruit aromas are preserved. The fermentation temperature for a white wine should be around 20°C. This process lasts between 10 and 14 days. If the winery prefers to produce a drier wine and wait until the vast majority of the sugars have been converted into alcohol, the fermentation period will naturally be extended. However, if the winery plans to produce a medium-dry or sweeter wine, fermentation must be stopped depending on the desired sugar content.
Step 7: Aging the wine
The purpose of aging wine is to add texture, body, and complexity to it. Aging can take place in oak barrels or stainless steel tanks, depending on the desired style of wine.Aging in tanks : This technique is widely used, particularly for wines meant to be drunk young. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is transferred to a tank and left there for a few weeks to achieve a certain stability.
Barrel aging : Unlike barrel aging, oak barrel aging is widely used for full-bodied wines that need to age. The wine remains in the barrels for several months, and malolactic fermentation occurs naturally. It is this second fermentation that gives white wine more roundness.
Step 8: Assembly
Blending is essential to achieving the desired style of wine. When we think of blending, we often think of wines made from a mix of different grape varieties. But this isn’t the only type of blending possible; a single-varietal wine is often the result of blends such as: blends of wines from different vintages that have undergone different winemaking processes, blends with wines from other estates, and so on.Blending allows for wines with greater complexity, adds more acidity, or enhances various aromas.
Step 9: Finishing
Winemakers strive to minimize the number of treatments required at this stage to ensure the wine remains stable. For example, wines containing residual sugar must be sterile-filtered to ensure that no yeast remains.Final step: bottling
Once all the final steps are complete, the wine is ready to be bottled and sealed with a cork. The wine can be left in the bottle for a while to age before being sold.How do you make homemade white wine?
Of course, it’s impossible for most of us to follow all the steps above to make our own wine. However, there are much less conventional—and, above all, less complicated—ways to make wine.You can find a wide variety of interesting recipes that require little investment and use ingredients available at any supermarket. Many people also opt for wine-making kits that include both ingredients and equipment. You’ll easily find a solution that fits your budget and preferences for learning how to make homemade white wine.
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