While the grapes for making red, white, rosé and sparkling wines are picked in similar fashion, they are all converted to wine in slightly different ways. I think it is important to have an idea of how wine is made, because it will help the wine lover or the curious drinker to appreciate the process leading to the final product. Excellent wine comes from excellent grapes, so it’s now up to the winemaker to convert them into amazing wine.

Stemmer-Crusher

After the grapes are delivered and weighed, depending on the style/type of wine being made, the grapes will be inspected either by hand or by machine. The grapes — still in whole clusters — enter the stemmer-crusher machine which separates them from the stems. The grapes then go into the crusher which breaks open the skins, allowing the juice to run out (free-run juice). Some wines are only made from free-run juice while others will combine this juice and the pressed juice — obtained when machines squeeze every drop of juice from the grapes.

Manipulated to perfection

If all the winemaking conditions were perfect — from the moment the grapes were planted until the fermentation process was completed — then little manipulation by the winemaker would be necessary. Of course, perfect conditions don’t exist, and many decisions must be made — including what yeast to use (natural or cultivated), how to ferment, how long to ferment, at what temperature to ferment, and how to handle the ‘cap’ which is formed when fermentation causes the skins to rise to the top of the tank. In red wine production it is important for the skins to be in contact with the juice to make the clear grape juice turn red. The winemaker must decide which method (punching down or pumping over) will be used to keep mixing the cap with the wine many times daily, each method affecting the wine’s character.

Red and white made differently

While we want the skins to remain in contact with the juice, white wine production calls for the white grape skins to be separated from the juice shortly after the pressing of the grapes. To make pink (or rosé), one method is to start with the red wine process then siphon off the juice shortly after contact with the skins. Only in the Champagne region in France are wine producers allowed to blend red and white to form rosé wine.

Many other decisions affect how wines taste

If the grapes were not ripe enough to produce high enough alcohol levels, the winemaker might add sugar to the juice before fermentation begins. This is called capitalisation, which is not legal in all winegrowing regions. Sediment produced during the fermentation process is referred to as the ‘lees’, and the winemaker might remove it quickly or allow the wine to sit on the lees for an extended period to add some special character and taste to the wine. What type of vessel will the fermentation take place in — stainless steel or wood? How long will the wine age before it is bottled and sold? These are two of many questions that the winemaker must contend with in making his wine.

So, if you are one of those people who don’t drink wines from certain countries or those that are made from certain grapes, then think again, because there are so many moving parts affecting the product that you might be missing out on some excellent wines.

Christopher Reckord — Information Technology Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram @chrisreckord and on Twitter: @Reckord