Introduction to Winemaking
Sunday, April 18th, 2010Winemaking depends on the process of growing grapes, which is known as viticulture. Viticulture has been around for centuries but it has recently been brought into the age of science and technology. The knowledge and skills required of a vintner are very specialized, especially to produce complex, fine wines.
The first guideline is that dark, rocky soils make the best growing conditions. The rocks help the water drain at a moderate pace, while the dark soil keeps the roots warm. It may also be beneficial to have a hilly landscape that blends shade and sun time during the day, depending on the climate of the region. If the soil does not contain adequate levels of nitrogen, you may need to add it to your soil.
When you have many vineyards with basically the same growing conditions, the growing conditions of this collective group can be referred to as a terroir. Typically, the types of wine grapes you grow will depend on this terroir. Likewise, your growing season will be impacted by this terroir.
Upon harvesting, you will process your grapes through a crusher. The output is your must, which is basically a mixture of the ground up components of your grapes. The must runs through a perforated drum that rotates. The perforations allow the juice and skin to separate from the rest of the must.
Red-grape must is then sent to fermentation tanks, while white goes first to a wine press. The press is a large, usually stainless-steel cylindrical tank with an inflatable rubber bladder inside. The bladder is used to squeeze the skins against the tank walls to separate them from the juice. The result is sent to another fermentation tank.
Fermentation tanks are airtight and typically hold up to three thousand gallons of wine. The tanks are kept at a constant temperature of around 40 Fahrenheit. To begin the fermentation process, sugar and yeast is added. The yeast and sugar initiate a process called glycolysis which creates alcohol and other sugars. The process typically takes about four weeks.
When the ratios measure properly, the fermentation has finished. Red wine then has its skins removed at the press and then the yeast filtered out. You can also do a second fermentation of the red wine at this point. The white wine is already complete at fermentation, only needing yeast removed. However, both wines can have their flavors improved through an aging process in an oak barrel or steel tank for a period between 3 months and 3 years.
Now you’re ready to bottle your wine. Modern vintners use automated processes to move the wine from the tanks into bottles. But, this doesn’t detract from the personal interest taken in the process.
Discover more about making and bottling wine at www.Wine-Information.org. Stop by Sarah Omseo’s website to read more wine information on wine types and more.