Winemaking Basics

1. White wine:

The process of making white wine involves the following steps:

• Harvesting the grapes: White wine can be made from any variety of white grapes, but some of the most popular ones include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. The grapes are typically harvested by hand and transported to the winery in small bins to avoid crushing.
• Pressing the grapes: Once the grapes have been harvested, they are typically crushed and then pressed to extract the juice. This juice is then transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation. You can make white wines from red grapes if you remove the skins immediately after pressing.
• Fermenting the juice: The juice is fermented at a controlled temperature to preserve its delicate flavors and aromas. Some winemakers may choose to ferment the juice in oak barrels to add complexity and depth to the wine.
• Aging the wine: After fermentation is complete, the wine is aged for several months in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels to further develop its flavors and aromas.
• Bottling the wine: Once the wine has reached its desired flavor profile, it is bottled and labeled for sale.

Red Wine

The process of making red wine is similar to that of white wine, but with a few key differences:

• Harvesting the grapes: Red wine is typically made from red or black grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir. The grapes are harvested by hand and transported to the winery in small bins to avoid crushing.
• Crushing the grapes: Unlike white wine, red wine is fermented with grape skins, which gives it its red color. To extract the juice and flavor from the skins, the grapes are first crushed by a machine called a de-stemmer.
• Fermenting the juice: The crushed grapes, including the skins, are then transferred to fermentation tanks, where they are left to ferment for several days or weeks. During this time, the yeast in the juice will convert the sugar into alcohol.
• Aging the wine: After fermentation is complete, the wine is aged for several months or years in oak barrels to add flavor and complexity.
• Bottling the wine: Once the wine has reached its desired flavor profile, it is bottled and labeled for sale.
• Classical method sparkling wine:

Classical method (Methode Champenoise) sparkling wine, which includes Champagne (all Champagne is Classic Method but not all Classic Method is Champagne), is made using a special process that involves a second fermentation in the bottle. Here’s a general overview of the process:

• Harvesting the grapes: The grapes used to make Champagne are typically Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. They are harvested by hand and transported to the winery in small bins to avoid crushing.
• Pressing the grapes: Once the grapes have been harvested, they are pressed to extract the juice, which is then fermented in stainless steel tanks to produce a base wine.
• Blending the wines: After fermentation is complete, the winemaker will blend several different base wines together to create the desired flavor profile for the Champagne.
• Bottling the wine: The blended wine is then bottled with a small amount of sugar and yeast, which will cause a second fermentation to occur in the bottle. The bottle is then capped with a crown cap and left to age on its lees for several months or years.
• Riddling the wine: After aging, the bottle is slowly turned and tilted, a process known as riddling, to move the lees into the neck of the bottle.
• Disgorging the wine: Once the lees have settled in the neck of the bottle, it is frozen and the cap is removed, allowing the frozen plug of lees to be ejected by the pressure of the carbon dioxide. This process is known as disgorging.

• Dosage: After disgorging, a small amount of wine and sugar, known as the dosage, is added to the bottle to balance the acidity and sweetness of the wine.
• Corking and aging: The bottle is then corked and aged for several more months or years to allow the wine to mature and develop its flavors and aromas.
• Final labeling and packaging: Finally, the bottle is labeled and packaged for sale.

That’s a very basic overview of the process of making white wine, red wine, and classical method sparkling wine. Of course, there are many variations and nuances to each process, and the specific techniques used can vary depending on the winemaker’s style and preferences.