Winemaking history started way back 6000 BC. It became popular in
ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. There are two general categories in
making wine. The still wine production and the sparkling wine
production.
Wine making started thousands of years ago during the early Bronze Age.
It was proven by archaeologists that the earliest wine production came
from the sites of Georgia and Iran in early 6000 to 5000 BC. Another
evidence of wine making is found in Macedonia, a part of Eastern
Europe. Remnants of crushed grapes are discovered there. In Egypt, wine
became a part of their recorded history and played a remarkable role in
their ancient ceremonial life. Wine was common in the classical era of
Greece and Rome, too. The Roman Empire improved the cultivation
techniques in making wine by establishing plantations as well as
storage and by shipping wine all over Western Europe and other
countries.
Wine consumption became popularized from the 15th century onwards,
surpassing the devastating phylloxera louse of the 1870s. Many
religious groups such as the Christian Church and medieval Islamic
hindered the production of wines because they believed that it was
forbidden. However, the Muslim chemists and Geber started the idea of
distillation of wine for medicinal purposes.
Today, wine making requires a deep scientific knowledge and profound
understanding known as oenology. Oenology is the science of wine
making. Laboratory tests increasingly supplemented and replaced
traditional methods. They offer comprehensive information about the
process by studying and practicing oenology.
There are two general categories in making wine. First is the still
wine production which entails no carbonation. The second is the
sparkling wine production which involves carbonation. The most
widespread and recognized example of a sparkling wine is the champagne.
In other regions, a sparkling wine is called Asti in Italy, Cava in
Spain, and Cap Classique in South Africa.
Process of wine making
Once harvested, grapes are flattened. Depending on what kind of wine is
being made, fermentation usually takes between one to two weeks. Yeast
changes nearly all of the sugar content in the grape sap into crisp
ethanol or alcohol. Following the first fermentation, the juice is
moved to containers in preparation for the next stage. It is in this
stage that grape sugar is gradually changed into alcohol and the wine
becomes transparent. Some wines are set aside to age in oak barrels
prior to bottling giving it the additional savor. Still other wines are
bottled right away.
Pressing
Pressing is a process of separating juice from the grapes and their
skin. Grapes are gradually mashed out. Then the total amount of juice
is immediately separated and ready for vinification. Vinification
covers all the phases between the coming of grapes in the chai and the
transfer of wine into oak barrels. This day, a lot of winemakers apply
pressure to increase and determine the amount of tannin extracted from
the juice. Pressed juices or wines are generally lower in acid compared
to the free-run juice.
Pigeage
This refers to a local French term for traditional process or stomping
grapes in an open area or fermentation tanks. Grapes are crushed to the
surface and carbon dioxide gases are released. Layer of skins and other
solids from grapes are called caps. Caps are the best source of
tannins. Traditionally, the caps are mixed into the juice each day by
stomping it through the vat.
During the first fermentation, yeast cells are mixed with sugar and
they multiply. They produce carbon dioxide also known as alcohol. The
percentage of sugar is well calculated. Its density is able to obtain
the desired alcohol percentage. After fermenting the alcohol,
malolactic fermentation takes place. This is a process in which
particular strains of bacteria converts malic acid into milder lactic
acid. This kind of fermentation is generally done to immunize desired
bacteria thus ensuring wine with softer taste and superior complexity.
Cold and heat stabilization
It is a process used in reducing tartrate crystals, commonly known as
potassium bitartrate typically seen in wines. Tartrate crystals are
similar to clear sand or grains or wine crystals. Cold and heat
stabilization is next in wine making process. Unstable proteins are
removed and tartrate crystals (or potassium bitartrate) frequently
found in wine is reduced. After the stabilization process, secondary
fermentation and bulk aging come next. This is then continued by
laboratory tests as well as blending and fining. Preservatives
application, filtration, and bottling process come last.
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Author: Dave Text
