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In olden days, the grapes were crushed by being stomped on in large open containers, this was often a joyous occasion and many people participated in the process. Nowadays, with technological advances, the grapes are crushed in large crushing machines. At this time the stems are separated from the grapes. For white wines, the skins are also separated from the grapes before they are sent to ferment. For red wines, the skins remain with the grapes during fermentation. The juice is then sent to fermentation tanks, or containers in the case of home made wine. The important thing is that they are airtight. During the fermentation process yeast is added to the must (the fermenting grapes) in order to get rid of the glucose sugar and transform it into alcohol. The fermentation process takes a few weeks, during this time it must be carefully watched and tested to insure that the acid levels are correct and everything is proceeding correctly. After the fermentation process, the skins are removed from the must in the case of red wines. The wine is then sent to be filtered to remove any remaining yeast. Once completed, the wine is placed in barrels or containers and stored. Some wines are stored for longer than others. Once the wine has aged to the winemakers’ satisfaction, it is bottled. Bottles are sealed with corks, labeled and sent to stores, etc. The entire process of making wine varies with different producers, some wines age for only a few months, others for longer. The average wine is produced, aged and sold in about two years. |
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