6 steps of wine making

6 steps of wine making
Submitted by winecountryshuttle
Tue, 3 Feb 2009


For several years wine making has been practiced through the process called as vinification, this is a very simple method as compared to the other methods of making alcoholic beverages. The process of wine making involves six basic steps:

1. Viticulture
2. Harvesting
3. Crushing
4. Fermentation
5. Clarifying the solution
6. Bottling

Viticulture: As a known fact the flavor of the wine is dependant on the kind of grapes which are used. The variety of grapes depends on the place where they are grown, the climate of the place where they are grown, the drainage system around the winery, the quality of the soil, humidity content of the region and even the exposure levels to the sun. Other than these factors, one of the most important which is an important determinant in the making of wine is the techniques used to make the wine. Infact the different wineries formulate a customized wine making procedure according to the needs of their winery, so that they can bring out the best flavors of their grapes.

Harvesting: The next step in the winemaking process is the harvesting of the finely cultivated grapes. When the grapes are ripped and harvested it is very important that the timing of ripping the grapes is apt and the exact timing can be ascertained through experience. The timing of the ripping the grapes should be such that the grapes have the apt combination of sugar, acid and moisture. The harvesting of the grapes can be either done manually or mechanically, however majority of the grape wineries rip it manually.

Crushing: The next step after the grapes have been harvested is to crush and press so as to have their inherent flavors in the form of liquid. As the fruits are crushed the grapes withdraw their moisture content and the sugars. Many wineries make the usage of specialized machines for the process of crushing and pressing the grapes. The resultant liquid which is formed after crushing and pressing the wines is referred to as must, at this stage the wine will either turn into red color or white color depending on the preference of the winemaker. The wines become red when they are simply left after they are crushed because in this stage juices from the skin and the flavors are ripped off, thus when you leave the must for a certain period of time, the wine become red wine, and incase you immediately crush the wine after pressing and segregate the skin then the wine becomes white wine.

Fermentation: After the grapes are being crushed and pressed, the fermentation takes place since the grapes have good quantity of sugar and moisture they easily get fermentated with the reaction of wild yeast. Fermentation takes almost 10 to 30 days, however this depends on the quality of grapes and the climate.

Clarifying the solution: The next step in wine making is clarifying the solution. It is also referred to as stabilization.

Bottling: The final stage is to transfer the clarified solution in the wooden barrels or bottles.

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