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The wine production process takes place at the best wineries and vineyards all around the world. It requires a unique set of skills and knowledge pertaining to wine varietals and fermentation. But even more important than that, the wine production process requires patience, as it can take years before a barrel of wine is ready for consumption.
Maybe you’re interested in one of the more unique methods, like the sparkling wine production process. Or, perhaps you stumbled across this information in searching how to make standard wine. Either way, this article should teach you quite a bit about making wine from scratch. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Introducing the 7-Step Wine Production Process
Global wine production fulfills one of the most profitable sectors in the beverage market. The markup on wine is understandable once you’re aware of the entire production process, as it is labor-intensive and extremely time-consuming, which warrants a lot of long-term resources.
Discover how to make wine from scratch in seven steps below:
Step 1: Harvesting
The first step of the wine production process is also the most obvious! Begin by collecting fully ripened grapes. If you’re crafting a red or white blend, ensure that you harvest the proper ratio of various varieties.
Step 2: Crushing and Pressing
To get the juice out of the grapes, they need to be crushed. For white wines, the juice is separated from the skins. But for red wines, the skins remain in order to extract tannins and a deep color.
Step 3: Fermentation
With the help of yeast, the grape juice goes through fermentation. The purpose of the yeast is to convert the sugar into alcohol. This step usually takes place in either stainless steel tanks or oak barrels.
Step 4: Clarification
Once the fermentation process is complete, the wine must be clarified. This step involves the removal of solid particles, like yeast cells, grape skins, seeds, etc.
Step 5: Aging
After the clarification process, the wine must age in barrels, tanks, or bottles. The aging process can go on for a few months, all the way up to several years. This is the step when wine gains its complexity and depth.
Step 6: Bottling
Once the wine has matured, it's filtered again if necessary. Then, simply fill each bottle, insert the cork, and seal the neck with a foil wrapper. At this point in the production process, the wine is perfectly ready for consumption.
Step 7: Labeling
Print custom labels that suit your brand and wine. Ensure that it features all the relevant information: varietal, producer, region, year, and ABV. All of this information is necessary anyway, as it’s required for legal and regulatory purposes. When this step is complete, the wines are ready to hit the shelves–or cellars.
Different Wine Production Methods
When we refer to different types of wine production methods, we’re really just focusing on the slight differences that lead to various wine varieties.
Aside from the traditional production of wine, here are a few things you can do differently to achieve a different type of beverage:
Add Extra Alcohol
If you add liquor to the wine during the production process, you’ll end up creating fortified wine. When winemakers all over the world do this, they opt for brandy more often than not. But if you don’t have brandy on hand, you can also make fortified wine with rum or bourbon.
Incorporate Additional Sugar
If a winemaker is striving to make a dessert wine, all they’ll have to do is add extra sugar. When fermenting wine, a large portion of the sugar content is converted into alcohol. That’s why not all wines are sweet. And, that also explains why wines that go through a second fermentation process (the ones without added sugar), are so dry. So, by adding additional sugar, you’re compensating for the fact that so much of what naturally comes from the grapes is dissipating.
Begin Secondary Fermentation
When already-fermented wine goes through a second fermentation process, it will create carbon dioxide (CO2). Before the fermentation process begins, the winemaker must add yeast to the fluid. They’ll also want to add extra sugar if their goal is to create a sweet sparkling wine. Then, the yeast consumes the sugar, releasing the carbon dioxide as a byproduct. And that’s how you end up with bottles of bubbly, like champagne and prosecco wine!
Frequently Asked Questions About the Wine Production Process
While the wine production process might seem fairly simple, it’s important to note a couple of important facts. For one, each step requires a winemaker with a high level of expertise. Secondly, making wine from scratch certainly isn't something that can take place overnight–not even in a couple of weeks. With this being said, the entire wine production process is quite tedious, requiring someone with the skills, passion, and patience.
Below, you’ll find a brief FAQ section featuring some of the most commonly asked questions and answers regarding the wine production process. Check it out:
What Are the Seven Steps of the Wine Production Process?
The seven steps of the wine production process include:
- Harvesting
- Crushing and pressing
- Fermentation
- Clarification
- Aging
- Bottling
- Labeling
How Long Does the Wine Production Process Take?
The timeline of the wine production process varies depending on the type of wine you’re crafting. For example, the production process of white wines can take six months to a year. Meanwhile, red wine types require one to three years to complete the process. Then, you have sparkling wines that can last three to five years in the fermentation and aging processes.
How Many Different Wine Production Methods Are There?
There are four wine classifications that require different production methods. They are as follows:
- Still Wine: This type of wine uses the traditional production method.
- Sparkling Wine: These wines must undergo a second round of fermentation, as well as other processes like riddling and disgorging.
- Fortified Wine: Additional alcohol must be added to this type of wine. Typically, you use brandy.
- Dessert Wine: Adding sugar, alongside other processes like freezing or drying the grapes are required to produce a sweeter wine.
How Long Does Homemade Wine Take to Ferment?
Depending on the recipe, quantity, and environmental conditions, homemade wines can take at least a few weeks to ferment. The initial fermentation stage can take place within a matter of days. Meanwhile, the second fermentation (or aging) process can go on for much longer. For optimal flavor and complexity, it’s best to extend the entire wine production process over the course of several months.
How Many Grapes Are Needed for a Barrel of Wine?
A standard wine barrel requires approximately 120,000 grapes. However, you have to remember that this number can vary quite a bit based on a number of factors, like the grape varietal, its growing conditions, and the size of each grape.
Learn More About the Wine Production Process With BinWise
The BinWise blog collection features over a thousand articles about the food and beverage industry, many of which cover dozens of topics specifically related to wine. Whether you’d like to take a comprehensive deep dive into the world of red vs. white wine, learn how to create a food and wine pairing menu, or simply gain ideas for your wine list, it seriously covers it all.