Last month, we looked at a year in the life of the grape vine. For May, we’ll focus on what happens after the grapes are harvested and how they end up in a bottle at a restaurant or wine shop.
Once the grapes arrive at the winery, they are sorted for quality. Underripe or damaged fruit are removed. Next, the berries are destemmed and fermentation happens.
Fermentation is the process by which grape sugars are transformed, unlocking alcohol. It’s the heart of the winemaking process.
In red wine, the juice, skins, seeds and sometimes the stems (winemaking decision) go into the fermenter together. For white wine, pressing is done first so that only the juice gets fermented.
The focus is on clarity, fruit, acidity, freshness and the preservation of aromatics. Before being fermented, red berries macerate or mingle together for a period of time to extract color, tannin and aroma.
A secondary fermentation is often given to red wine. It’s called Malolactic or Malo. It softens the acidity. It’s optional in white wine and depends on the style of wine being produced.
Full-bodied whites like Chardonnay often undergo Malo, adding buttery or creamy flavors. Depending on the type of wine being made, it’s aged in stainless steel, concrete or oak. The choice influences style, complexity, texture, flavors and aging potential.
Before bottling, some wines are blended, using multiple lots, parcels or grape varieties. Highlighting strengths from various sites to achieve better balance, greater complexity and consistency (limiting vintage variation) is a winemaking philosophy.
Single vineyard wines are rarer and often sold in limited releases. They showcase the terroir or uniqueness of place.
The winemaking style for these wines is all about using the best fruit and limiting intervention in the process. These wines are often more expensive.
Neither approach is better. Wine lovers can appreciate both.
A tasting panel determines the wine’s readiness for release. The decision to ship wine out to stores and restaurants is a blend of sensory, technical, regulatory, and economic factors. The goal is to ensure peak drinking upon release for the style. Cheers!
