The Four Essential Ingredients To produce wine
You need four key elements: soil, sun, grapes, and vinification (the process of wine making). Surprisingly, dry soil is actually ideal for grape cultivation, as excess moisture can be detrimental. Sunlight is crucial for the development of grape sugars, but too much or too little can impact the grape's flavor profile. Rainy weather can also pose risks, as it can lead to plant diseases or sunburnt grapes.
The Wine Making Process
The process of making wine is relatively straightforward. For red wine, harvested grapes are destemmed and stripped of impurities before being placed in fermentation tanks with yeast. After fermentation, the grape skins are separated from the young wine.
White wine production differs in that grape juice is immediately separated from the grape skins when pressed for the first time. The juice then undergoes fermentation for a short period.
Winemakers may add sugar during fermentation to increase the alcohol content. Carbon dioxide is released during fermentation, causing the grape skins to rise to the surface. Winemakers carefully pump over the "cap" to keep the skins in contact with the juice/wine.
Once fermentation is complete, the wine is clarified through a process called racking. Both red and white wines then age in barrels for several months. White wine requires only a few months of aging before it's ready for bottling, while red wines may take up to 18 to 24 months to reach their optimal aging potential.
