Wine Making Process

Vineyards have a distinct quality about them, their each grape produce has characteristics so unique that seasoned wine tasters can identify the location of the vineyard by just tasting the wine. Some just need a whiff to tell you all about the soil and the grapes that are grown in them. There are so many activities involved in the process of wine making, each variant in style and probably the reason its taste is so unique and high in quality.

Wine Making Processes
The first phase of the wine making process is grape harvesting. Grapes are either harvested by hand or special harvesting equipment is used. Grapes are harvested in early hours of the morning. From the vineyard the grapes are carried into the winery in huge baskets. Here they are crushed, pressed or trod for juice, which is then stored in large open vessels like oak barrels for fermentation. Specialized wine yeast is added to begin the process of fermentation. From this phase onwards, each winery follows a process that is unique to their brand.

Once the wines are fermented as per requirement, they are transferred to different types of barrels (this again depends upon the winery) and where they will continue their development of taste and texture. This is known as the aging phase. Before the wines are bottled in a sterile environment and sealed with a cork, they are fined and filtered. Extra air from the bottles, after filling them with the wine is also removed before the insertion of the cork. There are a varied number of wine making equipment that different wineries use to produce wine from grapes.

Wine Making Process at Home
Process of wine making involves the use of specialized wine making kits, that can be easily purchased from wine making supplies stores. Mentioned below are the basic red and white wine making process. Some of them have been listed for your understanding.

Wine Making Kits for Beginners and the Experienced

• Container with airlocks
• Containers (steel, oak, etc)
• Fermenting containers
• Bottles
• Strainer
• Hydrometer
• Siphoning equipment like a hose
• Measuring cups
• Stirring ladle and spoons

Red Wine Making Process and White Wine Making Process
The red wine gets its color from the skin of the red grapes, whereas the white wine gets its color from the flesh of the red grapes. So for those wanting to make red wine, de-steam and crush the grapes with the skin on, while those who want white wine, minimize the amount of skin. The first step would be to procure good quality grapes. Purchase organically grown grapes, they do not have chemical sprayed on them. Check all grapes for firmness and freshness, discard all rotten as well as discolored grapes.

Pressing is important in the separation of juice from skins and pips. Crush the grapes and press into the container. For red wine, the juice would be a dark ruby color, whereas for the white wine the juice should be clear. Pour the juice in the fermenter and add 1 campden tablet, dissolved into 1 cup of warm water, per gallon. Campden tablets are added to release sulfur dioxide for destroying any wild molds and bacteria that may have been on the fruit. They are basically used to sanitize the juice. Cover the fermenter with a thin clean muslin cloth and let it ferment for 24 hours.

Remove the cloth and sprinkle the wine yeast over the surface of the juice and then cover it again. Allow this 'must' (juice) to ferment undisturbed for a week. After a week's fermentation, discard the pulp and siphon the wine into a secondary fermenter, leaving behind all the sediment. Attach a wine making air-lock and fill it half way with juicer. Ferment the juice for an additional five to six weeks, until the juices show enough clarity (a lesser quantity of sedimentation). Use the wine hydrometer to check for fermentation levels. Ideally, the wine hydrometer should read between 0.990 and 0.998 on the Specific Gravity scale. Siphon off the wine off the sediment again and then bottle it. Age the bottle as per the taste and the variety of the grapes used.

Wine making process is easy, especially now that all wine making products are easily available. There are many wine making recipes one can try out, get creative, add in a few fruits, or just make a fruit wine! Happy Making and Happier Sipping!