Want to know how wine is produced?

Posted by B V North America on February 27th, 2020

In the book The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines, George Husmann articulates, “ I firmly believe that this continent is destined to be the greatest wine-producing country in the world; and that the time is not far distant when wine, the most wholesome and purest of all stimulating drinks, will be within the reach of the common laborer…”. Indeed, his prediction regarding wine production was accurate. The United States of America is the fourth-largest producer of wine in the world. The production has spread to all fifty states, with California being the top wine-producing state. According to The National Association of American Wineries, California produces 684,864,000 gallons of wine as per its records in 2018.

The production of wine is a complicated process with multiple stages involved. It takes at least a month to produce wine but the duration can also extend to 9-10 months, depending on the flavor that is required. Generally, there are six basic stages involved in the wine-making process: harvesting, sorting, crushing and pressing, fermentation, clarification, and aging and bottling. Most wine-makers prefer to add variations while following these steps to give a unique flavor to their wines.

The following is a detailed description of the stages involved in the wine-making process:   

1. Harvesting
Harvesting of grapes is the first and the most important step in the winemaking process. The time of harvesting determines the acidity, sweetness, and flavor of the grapes. These three characteristics should be in perfect balance with each other so that the wine produced is of superior quality. The entire process can be carried out either by hand or mechanically. Most winemakers prefer hand-picked grapes because it is a gentler process than machine harvesting.

2. Sorting
Sorting is a technique to remove undesirable grapes—rotten or unripe, leaves, branches, or any other material other than grapes from the harvest. It is usually done at sorting table but many winemakers use optical sorter for grapes.

3. Crushing and pressing
After the grapes are sorted, they are crushed to extract fresh juice, which is crucial for the production of fine wine. In earlier days, this process was performed manually by stomping on grapes but with the advancement of technology, it is mostly carried out with the use of machinery. The usage of advanced methods for crushing makes the winemaking process more efficient than it was before.
 
4. Fermentation
At this stage, the sugar present in grape juice is converted into alcohol with the help of wild yeast. Fermentation can be done in as quickly as ten days and it can also be extended to a month or more. Several factors such as temperature or speed of fermentation are examined during this process.

5. Clarification
Clarification involves the removal of insoluble matters such as dead yeast cells, tannins, and proteins suspended in the wine. This process is executed either by adding fining agents or through filtration.

6. Aging and bottling
In the final stage, the quality and flavor of the wine are improved with the help of certain reactions. Aging wine aids in developing a fine flavor for an exceptional drinking experience. Later, wine is bottled and sealed with cork or screw cap and supplied around the world.

Winemaking processes are being carried out for decades but technology like optical sorter for grapes has now made them more efficient and time-saving.