{"id":3585,"date":"2020-06-26T15:05:24","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T19:05:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/?p=3585"},"modified":"2020-07-31T09:11:08","modified_gmt":"2020-07-31T13:11:08","slug":"from-grape-to-glass-how-wine-is-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/from-grape-to-glass-how-wine-is-made\/","title":{"rendered":"From Grape to Glass: How Wine is Made"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"assorted<\/p>\n

Do you love pouring yourself a nice glass of wine after a stressful day? Is a glass of ros\u00e9 your go-to beverage when eating at a restaurant? People around the world love <\/em>wine and all the classiness and good vibes that come with it. But a lot of people don\u2019t know how their wine turns from grape to glass. It\u2019s a process that wine lovers should know, even if just to make your wine mean more when it hits your mouth. Here\u2019s a quick guide on how wine is made\u2014check it out!<\/p>\n

Grape Harvest<\/h2>\n

The delicious nature of the wine you drink starts from the vine. It\u2019s where the grape\u2019s life begins and flourishes, so aspects such as vineyard location, terrain, soil, climate, and vines all factor into the final product. The actual grape harvesting is accomplished either by mechanical harvesting equipment or hand harvesting. Each vineyard has its own preferences but is largely influenced by the final wine style goals.<\/p>\n

Destemming and Crushing<\/h2>\n

Next in the process is the destemming and crushing of the grapes. Now, crushing is not necessary to turn the grapes into a fine paste, as simply splitting the external skin will allow the juice to run. There are two ways this happens: with a heavy-spiraled steel roller or with a grape \u201cstomp.\u201d This is also when grape stems get separated from the juice.<\/p>\n

The crushing part of the process is also where the paths of red wine and white wine grapes diverge. If it\u2019s a red wine, then the skins and stems of the grape stick with the wine to provide the color characteristics and higher tannin<\/a> contributions. If it\u2019s a white wine, then the grape skins are removed along with the stems. Pressing for white wine would also occur before <\/em>fermentation.<\/p>\n

Fermentation<\/h2>\n

This is one of the most important steps in the winemaking process. During fermentation, the grape\u2019s sugars are converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide. There are tons of different processes for how this occurs, but it\u2019s typically through adding yeast into the vats. For red wine, carbon dioxide causes the grape skins to rise to the surface, and \u201cpunching down\u201d has to occur to keep the skins in contact with the juice. How often the \u201cpunch down\u201d occurs often implies how \u201cbig\u201d the wine will be.<\/p>\n

Pressing<\/h2>\n

As we mentioned, pressing is done right after crushing for white grapes yet occurs after fermentation for red wine grapes. It\u2019s basically taking sticky, leftover grape solids and squeezing them to get a very thick liquid. That liquid is then used to enhance the color and flavor of the soon-to-be wine.<\/p>\n

Maturation<\/h2>\n

The aging process is another important step to the success of the wine. Winemakers have lots of choices for how to go about this, and that often comes from the kind of wine they want to create. They can either:<\/p>\n