Process
Anatomy of a
grape, showing
the components
extracted from
each pressing.
After
the harvest, the
grapes are taken
into a winery
and prepared for
primary ferment,
at this stage
red wine making
diverges from
white wine
making. Red wine
is made from the
must (pulp) of
red or black
grapes that
undergo
fermentation
together with
the grape skins.
White wine is
made by
fermenting juice
which is made by
pressing crushed
grapes to
extract a juice;
the skins are
removed and play
no further role.
Occasionally
white wine is
made from red
grapes, this is
done by
extracting their
juice with
minimal contact
with the grapes'
skins. Rosé
wines are made
from red grapes
where the juice
is allowed to
stay in contact
with the dark
skins long
enough to pick
up a pinkish
color, but
little of the
tannins
contained in the
skins.
To start primary
fermentation
yeast is added
to the must for
red wine or
juice for white
wine. During
this
fermentation,
which often
takes between
one and two
weeks, the yeast
converts most of
the sugars in
the grape juice
into ethanol
(alcohol) and
carbon dioxide.
The carbon
dioxide is lost
to the
atmosphere.
After the
primary
fermentation of
red grapes the
free run wine is
pumped off into
tanks and the
skins are
pressed to
extract the
remaining juice
and wine,the
press wine
blended with the
free run wine at
the wine makers
discretion. The
wine is kept
warm and the
remaining sugars
are converted
into alcohol and
carbon dioxide.
The next process
in the making of
red wine is
secondary
fermentation.
This is a
bacterial
fermentation
which converts
malic acid to
lactic acid.
This process
decreases the
acid in the wine
and softens the
taste of the
wine. Red wine
is sometimes
transferred to
oak barrels to
mature for a
period of weeks
or months, this
practice imparts
oak aromas to
the wine. The
wine must be
settled or
clarified and
adjustments made
prior to
filtration and
bottling.
The time from harvest to
drinking can vary from a few
months for Beaujolais nouveau
wines to over twenty years for
top wines. However, only about
10% of all red and 5% of white
wine will taste better after
five years than it will after
just one year.[1] Depending on
the quality of grape and the
target wine style, some of these
steps may be combined or omitted
to achieve the particular goals
of the winemaker. Many wines of
comparable quality are produced
using similar but distinctly
different approaches to their
production; quality is dictated
by the attributes of the
starting material and not
necessarily the steps taken
during vinification..
Variations
on the above procedure exist.
With sparkling wines such as
Champagne, an additional
fermentation takes place inside
the bottle, trapping carbon
dioxide and creating the
characteristic bubbles. Sweet
wines are made by ensuring that
some residual sugar remains
after fermentation is completed.
This can be done by harvesting
late (late harvest wine),
freezing the grapes to
concentrate the sugar (ice
wine), or adding a substance to
kill the remaining yeast before
fermentation is completed; for
example, high proof brandy is
added when making port wine. In
other cases the winemaker may
choose to hold back some of the
sweet grape juice and add it to
the wine after the fermentation
is done, a technique known as
süssreserve.
The process produces wastewater,
pomace, and lees that require
collection, treatment, and
disposal or beneficial use.
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
* Grapes
* Feet or large utensil
* Aluminum bin
* Jars
1.Select grapes to make wine. If
grapes are store bought, ensure
there is no mold, disease or
insects on them.
2.Separate the grapes from the
stalks and rinse grapes
thoroughly.
3.Decide which way you would
like to crush your grapes.
Depending on how much wine you
are making, crush the grapes
with your hands or stomp the
grapes with your feet or a large
utensil with a flat surface.
4.Use a large commercial sized
aluminum bin to put the grapes
in for stomping.
5.Stomp grapes until they turn
to mushy liquid. Don't be afraid
of them, stomp hard.
6.Place the mush into earthen
jars and place them in the
refrigerator to prevent
fermentation right away. This
period before fermentation
maximizes flavor from the skins.