Ever wonder how wine is made?

You enjoy that bottle of wine, but have you ever wondered what goes into making it?

There are many steps in the wine making process. They are: harvesting; crushing and destemming; fermentation; malolactic fermenation; maturation of wine; fining and filtration; blending and bottling. I will discuss each step in deteail over a series of blog posts to help educate our readers on the process that goes into making that great bottle of wine that you so enjoy!

The First Step: The Wine Harvest

The vineyards are a critical determinant in the end product wines for each and every vintage. Vineyards are like the wine's bassinets, where early grapelife begins and flourishes, for all wine is truly birthed on the vine. The vineyard's location, climate, terrain, soils, vines and rootstocks, irrigation systems and pest management controls all factor into the final product in one way or another. Sun exposure and time on the vine both play a key role in the grape's development and specific sugar levels.

Winemaking commences with the annual grape harvest and can be accomplished by either mechanical harvesting equipment (usually easiest for vineyards that lie on relatively flat land) or hand harvesting. Hand-harvesting affords more precise selection and often does a better job of protecting the grape’s juice content from oxidation due to damaged skins. Mechanical harvesters offer a more efficient, often cost-effective, process and are well-suited for large vineyards that lay on a flat patch of earth. The type of harvest - hand-picking, mechanical harvesters or a combination of the two, is largely influenced by the winemaker’s final wine style goals as well as budget.


Stay tuned for our next posting which will talk about Crushing and Destemming.