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Wineries
Wines
More Info. |
 
How
Wine is Made (white, red, and
sparkling) In general, the winemaking process is
comprised of the following processes: growing
(vineyard management), harvesting, crushing,
pressing, fermentation, aging and finishing. We
include the growing phase since many winemakers are
now intimately involved in the grape growing
(viniculture) process, although this is not always
the case. Depending on the grape variety and the growing
season, grapes usually ripen in late August to
early October. After the winemaker determines that
the fruit exhibits the appropriate characteristics
(sugars, acids, etc.) and optimum flavors, little
time is wasted in harvesting the grapes. The grapes
are harvested and loaded into bins that are trucked
to the winery in a short amount of time. Often the
winemaker will separate the best grapes from the
best vineyards to be used in the production of
"vineyard specific" or premium wines. Once the fruit is at the winery, the production
of white, blush and red wines differ. White Wine
Production At the winery, grapes are usually loaded into
crusher/destemmers that remove the stems and gently
break the skins of the grapes. The juice that
emerges from this process is called free-run.
Presses will gently extract the remaining juice,
usually by way of large bladders that are filled
with air. The juice is immediately removed from the
skins and seeds, and is pumped into large
fermentation tanks made of stainless steel or oak.
. The winemaker will normally add a cultured yeast
to the juice within the fermentation tanks. The
yeast initiates the fermentation process as it
eventually turns the natural sugars into carbon
dioxide and alcohol. The fermentation process is
normally halted in the production of white wines so
that some sugar remains in the finished wine. Some white wines undergo a second fermentation
called malolactic fermentation, which converts the
malic acid in the wine to lactic acid. This helps
to soften the wine and generally provides buttery
or toasty flavors to the wine. Following fermentation, wines that are to be
barrel-aged are poured into wooden barrels for
aging. Most barrels contain 60 gallons of wine and
are most often made of American, French or
Hungarian oak. Depending on the amount of oaky
influence desired, new or used barrels may be used
and in some cases, oak chips may added to the
barrels. Wines are periodically pumped from one
barrel to another so that the solids may be removed
from the bottoms of the barrels in a process called
racking. While the wine is in the barrels, the
winemaker monitors the pH (acidity) of the wine and
keeps air out of the barrels by keeping them
completely full in a process called topping. Wines
that are not aged in oak barrels (generally
lighter/sweeter white wines) are moved directly
from the steel tanks to bottles. After months of aging in barrels, the wine is
bottled and stored so that the wine may continue to
age. Prior to bottling, the winemaker may choose to
blend one or more wines of different varietals or
vineyards to achieve the desired characteristics
and flavors. When the winemaker feels the wine has
sufficiently aged, the bottles will be labeled,
boxed and shipped to distributors and/or consumers.
Contrary to popular belief, some white wines, such
as full-bodied Chardonnays and dry rieslings, will
mature in the bottle over time. Red Wine
Production At the winery, grapes are loaded into
crusher/destemmers that remove the stems and gently
break the skins of the grapes. The fruit is then
transferred into large fermentation tanks made of
oak or stainless steel. Skins and seeds remain in
contact with the juice during the first part of the
fermenting process, as the skins are responsible
for the deep red color and acidity (tannins) of red
wines. Blush wines are allowed to remain in contact
with the skins for a limited amount of time before
being separated when the desired color is
achieved. The winemaker will normally add a cultured yeast
to the juice within the fermentation tanks. The
yeast initiates the fermentation process as it
eventually turns the natural sugars into carbon
dioxide and alcohol. Red wines are allowed to
ferment completely so that no residual sugar
remains. When the desired characteristics due to
skin contact are achieved, the winemaker will draw
off wine from the solids, or must, and transfer the
must to a press to remove the stems and seeds from
the wine. Wine that is drawn off the solids is
called free-run wine, while the wine that is
extracted in a press is called press wine. Following fermentation, wines that are to be
barrel-aged are poured into wooden barrels for
aging. Most barrels contain 60 gallons of wine and
are most often made of American, French or
Hungarian oak. Depending on the amount of oaky
influence desired, new or used barrels may be used
and in some cases, oak chips may added to the
barrels. Wines are periodically pumped from one
barrel to another so that the solids may be removed
from the bottoms of the barrels in a process called
racking. While the wine is in the barrels, the
winemaker monitors the pH (acidity) of the wine and
keeps air out of the barrels by keeping them
completely full in a process called topping. After months, and possibly years, of aging in
barrels, the wine is bottled and stored so that the
wine may continue to age. Prior to bottling, the
winemaker may choose to blend one or more wines of
different varietals or vineyards to achieve the
desired characteristics and flavors. When the
winemaker feels the wine has sufficiently aged, the
bottles will be labeled, boxed and shipped to
distributors and/or consumers. It should be noted
that, when properly stored, some wines (such as
Cabernet Sauvignon and other reds) can continue to
age within the bottle for many years, largely due
to the tannins in the wine. Sparkling Wine
Production The production of sparkling wines and still
wines are virtually identical through the
fermentation and blending stages, as described
above. The primary difference is that sparkling
wines undergo a second fermentation. Depending on
the quality of the product, this second
fermentation may take place in the bottle or in
large tanks. The highest quality sparkling wine
method, known as methode champenoise, is the
traditional method of making sparkling wine in
France's Champagne region. In this process, a small
amount of a syrupy mixture of sugar and wine,
called dosage d'tirage, is added to the blended
wines alond with special yeasts. This cuvee is then
immediately bottled and corked, thus starting a
second fermentation within the bottle. The
fermentation results in additional alcohol and
carbon dioxide, which is what gives the "sparkle"
to sparkling wines. This second fermentation often takes a year or
more to complete. Because fermentation creates
sediment, the bottles are eventually placed in a
riddling rack, with the necks tilted downward. The
bottles are regularly turned and the angle is
increased, thus forcing the sediment to settle in
the bottle necks, adjacent to the cork. When all
the sediment is within the neck, the wine is ready
for disgorgement, in which the neck of the bottle
is quickly frozen and the cork is removed. The
pressure in the bottle forces the frozen
plug out of the bottle. Finally, a small
amount of sugar is added to the wine, the bottle is
topped off with some of the original cuvee, and the
bottle is corked. The amount of sugar added in this
step is what constitutes the various sweetnesses of
the wine. From dryest to sweetest, the most common
sparkling wines are classified as brut, extra dry,
or sec. It should be noted that the term "Champagne" is
reserved, by law, for sparkling wines produced in
the Champagne region of France. What is often
(mistakenly) referred to as Champagne is
actually sparkling wine made in the methode
champenoise method. The only grapes that can be
used in Champagne production are Champagne,
Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. California sparkling
wines consist primarily of the first two. |
