Behind every bottle of wine, no matter it is noble or ordinary, elegant or plain, this work requires the participation of dozens of people. It is necessary not to make the slightest mistake while achieving the production target. Each of these steps is extremely delicate, involving the daily observations of operators and the increasingly technical and computerized winemaking process, and the most important and delicate stage is precisely related to winemaking, which is the The substantial process of transforming grape juice into wine.
After the recovery of the vineyard after its eleven-year life cycle, it will endow the grapes with bright colors and abundant fruit, especially after the branches are hand-pruned by skilled growers, they will be harvested at their best. The method prepares the wine for brewing, and finally sends it to the winery to wait for brewing.
Each operation in the winemaking process is managed by the winemaker according to specific objectives, that is, depending on what wine the winemaker intends to produce, so the method and the timing may vary from year to year according to different needs.
The classification of wine is different according to the brewing process, such as still wine, which is divided into categories according to the color obtained through brewing.
In the production of red wine, we must use red grapes, because the color of red wine is determined by the length of time the grape skins are in contact with the grape juice during maceration. After the grapes are harvested, the grapes are transported to the winery where they are destemmed to separate the grapes from the stems and prevent excess tannins from being transferred to the wine, which can add to its astringency.
The grapes are then lightly pressed to obtain the isolated grape pulp, again avoiding the extraction of excess tannins during this process. The two operations of threshing and crushing can also be carried out simultaneously using a thresher.
Red wine making process
The characteristic of red wine brewing is maceration, that is, the contact process of grape juice and fruit skin, so that the coloring substances contained in the fruit skin and tannic acid in grape seeds migrate to the original grape juice, so that it can fully develop its color and aroma. The maximum temperature of this process can reach 30°C. In general, maceration is carried out in fermenter barrels at 25-28 ° C, and the duration is 5-8 days for young wines, 15-20 days for wines suitable for aging, and even up to 40 days.
The production process of red wine is more complicated than that of white wine. In fact, thanks to the carbon dioxide, the skins during the maceration are carried to the surface by the gas and eventually float completely on the surface of the must, forming the so-called “cap”. But at this time, once in contact with the air, these peels are in danger of drying out, and may even cause other spoilage changes and even rot. Therefore, it is crucial that the skins are always fully immersed in the grape juice. So this operation needs to be done two to three times a day and periodically throughout the fermentation process, which is called blending, where the grape skins are mixed with the grape juice.
Alternatively, a top-filler can be used, which pumps the must from the bottom of the fermenter and “waters” it at the lid. These operations can make grape juice better extract coloring substances and polyphenols, and are also conducive to the oxidation of yeast, making it more active. Afterwards, the wine is filtered to separate and remove the pomace (impurities), which can be called “hops” or “new wine”, and can of course be transferred to other barrels at any time for maturation and aging. This is the general process of the maceration winemaking process, of course not only red wine, but also rosé wine. When the entire process is complete, the wine is bottled in the complete absence of oxygen, from which point further aging can begin, or it can be placed on the market.
White wine making
The brewing process of white wine is different from that of red wine, because the grape skins and grape juice do not have to be in contact, that is, maceration is not necessarily carried out. Like we said, the pigment is in the grape skins, so if it is removed before it comes into contact with the grape juice, we can theoretically get white wine even with red grapes.
Grape juice is always obtained by pressing, the main purpose of which is to crush the grape berries to extract the juice. This process is usually carried out gently and at low temperatures not exceeding 20°C to obtain the must, with minimal contact with the air, which could lead to oxidative spoilage.
After pressing, we need to perform destemming, which is necessary to separate the stems from the grapes, here we can remove them manually or do it mechanically.
Afterwards, draining will be carried out, the purpose of this operation is to separate the must from the solid parts of the grapes (stems, skins and seeds), this leaf is an essential step. Usually, these steps are carried out independently by the press, leaving all the solids in the press, while the pressed grape juice is discharged through the discharge port on the side. The pressed grape juice is cleaned of impurities, then clarified before it is vinified.
In addition, the removed lees can then be sent to the spirits factory for distillation. The final grape juice needs to undergo the necessary treatment and correction before it can be fermented. Fermentation needs to be carried out at a temperature lower than that of red wine, about 18-22 ° C, so as to obtain the maximum aroma and flavor of white wine (Because the aroma of white grapes is usually easily affected by high temperature and oxidation).
Rosé Wine making Process
After briefly explaining the process of making red and white wine, we can finally cover how rosé wine is made, which can be done in different ways. The first and absolute no-no is mixing red wine with white wine.
Other than that, the best known and most used methods are as follows:
– Use red grape varieties with less pigment and less tannin to obtain rosé wines;
– Blending red and white grapes to achieve the same result;
– Or, use red grape varieties, but get as little pigment from the grape skin as possible during brewing, and the effect of brewing rosé wine can also be achieved.
The last method mentioned above is immersion for a short time, usually after 24-36 hours, then filter immediately. This kind of wine is usually new wine, that is, immediately after the first fermentation or after the end of fermentation. It is taken out and bottled, and its fermentation process is like the brewing process of white wine, which needs to be fermented at low temperature.
In fact, when the grapes are picked and harvested, the red grapes are separated from the stems and pressed to obtain the grape juice, and the grape pulp is put together with the skins in steel barrels, wooden barrels or cement tanks or barrels of any other material for fermentation . The specific material of the barrel is more to be chosen by the winemaker. The required amounts of coloring matter and tannins are calculated and macerated in one go with the skins and seeds before changing barrels until the desired pink color is achieved.
It is worth mentioning that, unlike red wine, rosé wine is obtained by shortening the contact time between grape juice and grape skins, so the application of color is decided by the winemaker responsible for brewing it. Once the desired color and character have been achieved, the winemaker then decides what material to use in barrels for subsequent maturation and aging, after which it is bottled completely anaerobic. It can then enter the market, or start a further refining stage.
