Wine Production Methods15.4.24

VINIFICATION (THE PROCESS OF WINE MAKING FROM GRAPE TO WINE)
Harvesting: Harvesting is done either manually or mechanically, though fine

wine-makers still prefer it to be done manually. Grapes are plucked when the density of
the bloom (natural yeast) on the skin from a number of branches is constant.The right
balance of sugar and acidity determines the time of harvest, normally a dry spell is
chosen to harvest grapes.
Grading: Grapes are graded according to quality
Weighing: grapes are weighed to determine the quantity required for fermentation.
DESTEMMINGThe ripe grapes are plucked off from the stalks with a destalking
machine. The stalks have a bitter taste due to the presence of tannin which should not
come in contact with the juice.
PRESSING
Crushing: Grapes are traditionally crushed by feet in some regions or in modern times by
mechanical presses to extract the juice called must.Pneumatic press is a balloon press
that is used to gently squeeze the juice out of the fruit.
At this stage, the wine maker uses a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of the
must, which indicates the sugar content and therefore, the projected alcoholic strength.
The wine maker may add small quantities of sugar should the must show insufficient
alcoholic potential. This process of enrichment is called Chaptalisation.
RED WINE :During the crushing stage, red wine is got from red or black grapes.
It is allowed to have contact with the red skin of the grapes, which imbue the red colour.
This process of steeping of juice and the skin together is called as maceration
In the case of white wine, they are made from white grapes or red and black
grapes without the skin contact since skin has the coloring pigments.
Rose wines get their pink colour by allowing the skins of red grapes to come in
contact with the wine for a short while (usually overnight), to get the pink colour.
Sulphuring: Sulphur dioxide is added fairly early in the fermentation process to

prevent air from oxidizing the juice and converting the alcohol into vinegar.
Sulphur Dioxide, being hungry for oxygen, takes up the oxygen from the must to let the
wine yeast which is anaerobic (able to work in the absence of oxygen) to convert the
grape sugar into alcohol. Sulphur dioxide also forms a coating on the surface of the juice
to prevent the air from entering the juice and thereby letting the wine yeast do its work.
Fermentation: Fermentation is the process of adding wine yeast (known in technical

terms as Saccharomyces cerevisae) to fresh grape juice to convert the natural sugar in
the grape to ethyl alcohol.
Yeast + sugar= alcohol +CO2 & heat
The yeast added is 3—5 per cent of the volume of juice.
The fermentation process takes the time from two days to two weeks according to the
tradition of the house. Fermentation occurs only as long as there is sugar to ferment or
when the alcohol content rises to 14 per cent because at this point alcohol kills the
remaining yeast. If sugar remains with alcohol content then the wine tends to be sweet.
By the end of fermentation wine lies at bottom & solid floats on the surface. The
new wine is called VIN DE GOUTTE which is racked into another cask for ageing.
Second Pressing: The residue of pips and skin left in the fermentation tank or vat is
sent for further pressing and the resultant juice, called vin de presse, is rich in tannin and
some tartrates. The wine maker may decide whether to add vin de presse to vin de
goutte.
The pips and skins are sent for a third pressing and the juice fermented and distilled to
produce eau-de-vie-de-marc.
Racking: The wine must be separated from the lees of dead yeasts which decompose
and give an odd flavour to the wine.The wine is carefully pumped into another cask
without disturbing the lees leaving some wine at the bottom.This remaining wine at the
bottom is sent for distilling into eau-de-vie-de-marc.
Racking removes some acidity. The colour also gets more brilliant.
Fining & Filtration: This is the process of converting the cloudy wine into clear 'fine'
wine. This may be done with gelatinous substances such as isinglass (bladder of sturgeon
fish), white of egg, colloidal silica, gelatin or Bentonite.
AGEING
The wine is racked usually in oak barrels to mature. During ageing wine absorbs
vanilla flavor from wood. A chemical change takes place where the harsh tannic
acid is converted into softer mallic acid. This secondard change is known as
mellowlatic fermentation. Some wines mature fast and lose their quality after that,
while young wines improve with years. For example, Bordeaux and Burgundy wines are
matured for 3—4 years, while Chablis is matured for 18 months.
Basically, maturing is meant to bring a good acid-tannin balance. Red wines benefit the
most from the maturing process.
Refrigeration/Cold stabilisation: The young wine is pumped into a refrigeration unit to
stabilize the wine.
Blending: Blending is an art which requires considerable experience, judgment and

sensitivity. It is a legitimate, natural and honest way of improving the quality of wine.
Blending is done from wines of different vineyards, which have matured through
different years. This process ensures a consistent quality.
Many Bordeaux wines are the result of wine blending wines from different vineyards.
True Champagne is always made from a blend of wines.
Bottling: This is done before the blended wine has lost its bouquet, finesse, quality and
colour. Glass bottles are the most preferred containers. Some are colored to prevent the
light from ruining the wine.
Corking: Cork has been found to be one of the best materials to seal a bottle of wine.
Portugal primarily and then Spain and Italy produce the best cork.
Pasteurization: Pasteurization is the process to age the wine and free the wine from
further fermentation. The wine bottles are immersed upright in double boilers with
water, heated to temperatures between 180° F and 190° F. The immersion is for 1—2
minutes.
Maturing in bottles: Wine is matured in bottles. 'Maturing' is the term used for ageing in
a bottle.

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VINIFICATION (THE PROCESS OF WINE MAKING FROM GRAPE TO WINE)

Harvesting: Harvesting is done either manually or mechanically, though fine

Grading: Grapes are graded according to quality

Sulphuring: Sulphur dioxide is added fairly early in the fermentation process to

Fermentation: Fermentation is the process of adding wine yeast (known in technical

Blending: Blending is an art which requires considerable experience, judgment and

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