Basic Wine Making

The art of winemaking has centuries of history behind it.  It has evolved from simple homebrews from grapes harvested from backyard vineyards of old, to big modern wineries producing thousands of bottles each year.  From harvesting to bottling, the wine has to undergo a process not dissimilar to diamonds in order to come out with the best aroma and flavor to delight wine drinkers. As soon as the grapes are harvested, they are crushed into a mash called must. The first and a most important step is fermentation.

In winemaking, alcoholic fermentation, also known as primary fermentation, refers to the conversion of sugar into carbon dioxide gas and ethyl alcohol. It reveals the hidden quality of the grape – especially the aroma.  It starts as soon as the sugary grape juice is exposed to the yeast Fermentation requires two things: sugars and yeasts.   The level of sugar in the grapes from which the wine is made determines the level of alcohol in the finished wine.  The presence of more sugar means more for the yeast to work on and convert it to alcohol. There are many varieties of yeast strains coming from different places.  The type of yeast used contributes significantly to the aroma of the finished wine. 

Once fermentation is complete, the juice is extracted from the must. This is done by a process know as racking. Racking simply refers to the process of siphoning the wine must from one container to another clean secondary container (usually a carboy).  Doing so leaves all the sediments, also called lees, behind in the original container.  This is the sole purpose of racking, although it also helps clarify the wine and enhance flavor.

The wine now is ready to be aged. The ageing process that is used will depend a great deal on the variety of wine you are working with. In this process, the wine develops a lot of its flavor and complexity. Light and medium wines are usually aged in stainless vats, while full bodied wines typically will age in oak. The red wines are usually aged the longest since they need the ageing to develop more than whites.

When the time is right, the wine is racked another time and then bottled. Again, depending on the wine, it could be ready to drink, or should spend time ageing in the bottle.