As I’ve said before about France, its systems have been copied around the world. This is particularly true for red wine in Bordeaux. Not all red wine in Bordeaux is high quality, which is reflective of the different choices available to winemakers, many of which will affect the final price.
Grape Selection
If you don’t take into […]
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Malolactic fermentation is a secondary fermentation in which lactic bacteria convert tart malic acids (like what’s in apples) into lactic acids (like in milk). Malolactic fermentation is well known for producing buttery characteristics in Chardonnary. In fact there were times when California winemakers went crazy with this process and produced some wines that really tasted […]
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White wine requires a bit more care than red wine, because there is a higher risk of oxidation, which would ruin the wine. Grapes are usually pressed right away when they arrive at the winery, and will usually receive a few hours of skin contact to draw the fruit flavors from the skins. Fermenation for […]
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Red wine is usually made from black grapes, but contrary to what you might think, the wine is not red because of the dark color of the grapes. In fact, the pulp of all grapes is the same color–clear. Red wines are dark in color because they receive some contact from the grape skins during […]
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Fermentation is a very natural thing. It probably happened the first time when some grapes were lying around for too long. Because that’s all you have to do to. The wild yeasts that live on grape skins will start the fermentation process immediately. In the New World today, most wineries will kill off the wild […]
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Sulphur Dioxide is a very important compound in the winery, where it used as an antiseptic, an antioxidant, and to kill yeasts at certain times. Sulphur will kill bacteria that can form in the must and during the fermentation process. In most wineries, the natural yeasts present on the grape skins are killed with sulphur […]
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Sometimes when grapes are grown in cooler climates, the sugar level in the grapes will not be high enough to produce enough alcohol to make good wine. In this case, although it is usually legally controlled, a process called chaptalization is used. Chaptalization is named after Comte Chaptal, the Napoleonic Minister who invented it. In […]
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Must is a term that refers to the grapes as they maker their way through the various processes in the winery, before they are fermented. Basically must is another word for grape juice in the winery.
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After the grapes are harvested, when they arrive at the winery, they are put on conveyor belts, where workers pick out unripe grapes and other undesirable foreign particles. To get the juice out of the grapes, they must first be crushed, and then pressed. Usually a machine called a crusher/destemmer will remove the stems and […]
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A grape is made up of several different parts. Most of the grape is made of water, and this water eventually ends up in the wine. In fact, in ancient times, wine was an excellent source of clean water, which added to its popularity. Grapes also contain sugar, pips (seeds), skin, and pulp. All of […]
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