It all starts with the cultivation of grapes. However, it’s not just any grape. If you are going to produce wine also the grapes need to be carefully chosen according to the soil and the climate where you are growing it. You can learn more about grape types in our article “Grape Types and different wines”.
When preparing the vineyard, the grapes are planted in straight rows, separated by 8 foot in length. When this is done for the first time, it will take a few years before the grapes are ready to make good wine. The first wines produced will be usually less tasty.
For the first year no pruning is needed as the grape as the plants are left to grow. After that, the two following years the vine needs to be pruned so that it grows right with two sets of branches, onree in each side. After that, when the vines are mature, the extra foliage needs to be removed regularly as it would affect the way grapes mature.
Watering is also important when there’s not enough rain. Harvest is when the grapes are picked and tested for wine making. The winemaker decides when it’s time for harvest, according to the results of the testing of the grapes, the vineyard workers will then harvest the grapes as quickly as possible. Making the wine is another complicated task in itself left to the enologists. The grapes need to go through a process of crusher (nowadays the grape pressing is done in stainless steel machines). The stems are removed and the grapes crushed to take out their juice.
While fermenting, in stainless steel tanks, the sugars found in the fruit are converted into alcohol. Yeast is usually added to the grape juice so that it will start digesting the sugar and will cause the fermentation process start.
Depending on the type of wine, the fermentation process is longer or shorter giving it a sweet or dry flavour. After the fermentation process is completed, red wines will “age” in oak casts/barrels before they are bottled. A good wine would have aged longer than others in the oak cast. White wines don’t need to be matured in oak and they are usually stored in stainless-steel tanks.
When matured, the wine will be tested. After this is done it can be bottled and boxed… and finally we can get the wine in a shop and enjoy its fantastic flavour.
