Wine Production1
Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced through the partial or
total fermentation of grapes. Other fruits and plants, such as berries,
apples, cherries, dandelions, elder-berries, palm, and rice can also be
fermented.
Wine is characterized by color: white, pink or rose, and red, and it can
range in alcohol content from 10 percent to 14 percent. Wine types can be
divided into four broad categories: table wines, sparkling wines, fortified
wines, and aromatic wines.
Table wine: Any wine that is not fortified or sparkling. It is also known
as dry wine.
Sparkling wine: Wine containing carbon dioxide gas.
Fortified wine: It is a wine to which additional alcohol has been
added. Increase in alcohol and sweetness before fermentation
finishes, it kills the yeast and leaving residual sugar which helps to
preserve the wine.
Aromatic wine: Wine with a floral fragrance, that is usually due to the
grapes from which the wine is made.
,Here are the steps of how wine is produced
Step 1: Harvest
The first decision is when to harvest. The longer the grapes are left to ripen
on the vine the more sugars accumulate in the grapes. When to harvest
depends on many things. Winemakers use a mix of techniques from
physically tasting the grapes to the use of technical analysis. The style of
wine being made has a major bearing on when to harvest.
In Europe and North America, the harvest in general starts in August,
September and October.
Countries below the equator like Australia, New Zealand, South America
and Africa, the harvest starts from February to April.
Step 2: Crush and Destem
Once sorted, if it is a white wine the grapes are usually destemmed and
gently crushed, just enough to break open the skins. Crushing enables the
winemaker to extract more juice from the berry during subsequent
pressing. It minimizes the amount of malic acid and tannins in the ‘must’.
Step 3: A ‘Cold Soak’
Before pressing, some winemakers elect to do what is called a ‘cold-soak’
or pre-fermentation maceration (PFM). As white wines are fermented off
the skins, the PFM is used to extract additional aromas and flavor from the
skins into the juice. This was a particular trend for most white wines a few
years ago but has somewhat subsided.
, Step 4: Pressing the Juice
Next step is pressing the juice from the skins. The gentler the pressing
the finer the juice, or ‘must’ as it is now called.
Once you have the must, it is ready for fermentation. Usually there is a
period of cold settling – to allow solids in the juice to fall to the bottom –
which are then racked off leaving a clearer juice. Each winemaker has
his/her own preference on must clarity. A cyclindrical container that
contains bags that are inflated and deflated several times.
Step 5: Alcoholic fermentation
This is an important part in the production of wine. It is during this process
that the grape’s sugars are converted into alcohol (specifically ethyl
alcohol) and carbon dioxide along with a good bit of residual heat that
needs to be monitored to prevent distortion of flavors. Fermentation
requires the action of yeasts to convert sugars into alcohol. There are two
types of yeasts: natural and cultured. Cultured yeasts are preferred to
natural as they are much easier to control and ensure a more consistent
fermentation. Natural yeasts ensure a truer manifestation of the vineyard’s
terroir, but are less reliable. Wine is fermented from 18 to 30ºC, white wine
is fermented from 18 to 20ºC and red wine is fermented up to 29 or 30ºC.
Sulphuric acid is added to eliminate impurities in the wine.
Fermentation vessel
Fermentation vessel is very important in the fermentation process. There
are two types of fermentation vessels: oak, stainless steel or inert vessels.
The use of oak vessel is a traditional way of fermenting wine, it offers
protection, imparts flavor and allow tiny amounts of oxygen to penetrate in
to create flavor complexity in the wines. Stainless steel prevents rusting but
also preserves aromas and flavors.
Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced through the partial or
total fermentation of grapes. Other fruits and plants, such as berries,
apples, cherries, dandelions, elder-berries, palm, and rice can also be
fermented.
Wine is characterized by color: white, pink or rose, and red, and it can
range in alcohol content from 10 percent to 14 percent. Wine types can be
divided into four broad categories: table wines, sparkling wines, fortified
wines, and aromatic wines.
Table wine: Any wine that is not fortified or sparkling. It is also known
as dry wine.
Sparkling wine: Wine containing carbon dioxide gas.
Fortified wine: It is a wine to which additional alcohol has been
added. Increase in alcohol and sweetness before fermentation
finishes, it kills the yeast and leaving residual sugar which helps to
preserve the wine.
Aromatic wine: Wine with a floral fragrance, that is usually due to the
grapes from which the wine is made.
,Here are the steps of how wine is produced
Step 1: Harvest
The first decision is when to harvest. The longer the grapes are left to ripen
on the vine the more sugars accumulate in the grapes. When to harvest
depends on many things. Winemakers use a mix of techniques from
physically tasting the grapes to the use of technical analysis. The style of
wine being made has a major bearing on when to harvest.
In Europe and North America, the harvest in general starts in August,
September and October.
Countries below the equator like Australia, New Zealand, South America
and Africa, the harvest starts from February to April.
Step 2: Crush and Destem
Once sorted, if it is a white wine the grapes are usually destemmed and
gently crushed, just enough to break open the skins. Crushing enables the
winemaker to extract more juice from the berry during subsequent
pressing. It minimizes the amount of malic acid and tannins in the ‘must’.
Step 3: A ‘Cold Soak’
Before pressing, some winemakers elect to do what is called a ‘cold-soak’
or pre-fermentation maceration (PFM). As white wines are fermented off
the skins, the PFM is used to extract additional aromas and flavor from the
skins into the juice. This was a particular trend for most white wines a few
years ago but has somewhat subsided.
, Step 4: Pressing the Juice
Next step is pressing the juice from the skins. The gentler the pressing
the finer the juice, or ‘must’ as it is now called.
Once you have the must, it is ready for fermentation. Usually there is a
period of cold settling – to allow solids in the juice to fall to the bottom –
which are then racked off leaving a clearer juice. Each winemaker has
his/her own preference on must clarity. A cyclindrical container that
contains bags that are inflated and deflated several times.
Step 5: Alcoholic fermentation
This is an important part in the production of wine. It is during this process
that the grape’s sugars are converted into alcohol (specifically ethyl
alcohol) and carbon dioxide along with a good bit of residual heat that
needs to be monitored to prevent distortion of flavors. Fermentation
requires the action of yeasts to convert sugars into alcohol. There are two
types of yeasts: natural and cultured. Cultured yeasts are preferred to
natural as they are much easier to control and ensure a more consistent
fermentation. Natural yeasts ensure a truer manifestation of the vineyard’s
terroir, but are less reliable. Wine is fermented from 18 to 30ºC, white wine
is fermented from 18 to 20ºC and red wine is fermented up to 29 or 30ºC.
Sulphuric acid is added to eliminate impurities in the wine.
Fermentation vessel
Fermentation vessel is very important in the fermentation process. There
are two types of fermentation vessels: oak, stainless steel or inert vessels.
The use of oak vessel is a traditional way of fermenting wine, it offers
protection, imparts flavor and allow tiny amounts of oxygen to penetrate in
to create flavor complexity in the wines. Stainless steel prevents rusting but
also preserves aromas and flavors.
