fermentation bins or tanks by way of a destemmer or crusher . Some vintners choose to ferment the grapes still on the stems , called “ whole cluster .” The key in red wine is that the red grape skins ferment along with the juice ; the skins are responsible for the color in the finished wine .
What ’ s fermentation ?
Fermentation is the process of grape juice turning into wine ! The sugars in the grapes are metabolized by yeast ( both naturally or concrete tank for aging . The red wines must be pressed , to separate the liquid wine from the mass of grape skins , seeds , and sometimes stems . This red wine is then moved into vessels for aging as well .
What is aging and how long do wines age ?
Aging is the period of time the wine is given to settle , flavors to meld , and other chemical processes to naturally occur , while the wine is in large quantities , rather than in the bottle . The length of time is a choice by the vintner / winemaker , and in some areas of the world there are regional rules around it .
Typically white wines age for a shorter time , just 4 to 10 months , before bottling . Most of us like fresh , crisp white wines so we drink them “ young ,” or sooner than later . There are white wines that can age , but that ’ s another whole article for another time ! occurring on the grapes and added by vintners ), which turns the sugars into alcohol . This is called “ primary fermentation .” As the grape sugars turn to alcohol , the white wines are often kept at cooler temperatures to preserve a fruity characteristic . The red wines require much more labor and maintenance to “ manage the cap ,” referring to the mass of grape matter that rises to the top while the liquid remains underneath . To avoid multiple spoilage issues , the floating cap must be wetted or stirred back into the liquid . Usually this is accomplished either by pouring the liquid out from the bottom back over the top with a special pump and hose , or by “ punching down ” the cap . These punch downs are the only workout a winemaker needs during the 6 to 10 weeks of harvest , as it is manual labor
Red wines usually age for a longer period , allowing the tannins ( what gives you the dry mouth feeling ) time to soften and become more enjoyable . Some winemakers choose to bottle quickly , many wait 6 to 24 months , some even longer . There ’ s at least one region in Italy that requires a particular red wine to age in barrels for 5 years before it can be bottled !
Once the wines are bottled there is a bizarre phenomenon known as bottle shock that makes the wines taste off and flat for a few weeks to months , so typically winemakers will let the freshly bottled wine rest for a bit before it ’ s available . Many wineries will also age the bottled wine for months or years before serving it to customers . So you may find wines from the 2023 fall harvest in your glass as early as spring of 2024 , or years later . requiring a decent amount of strength . For wineries like ours using the whole cluster method , punching down can be next to impossible in the early stages – so for those who are upper body strength challenged like myself , I ’ ve found jumping in the bins with some clean rain boots and doing my best Clydesdale horse impression to be most effective .
Once the fermentation is complete , the white wines are moved into the vintner ’ s vessel of choice , usually a barrel , steel tank ,
The year listed on the wine bottle is the year in which the grapes were grown and harvested , called the vintage . As time passes the fruitiness of any given wine decreases , so you may find you prefer younger or older wines depending on your personal preference .
With any luck you ’ ll be reading this article while sitting at one of our local Santa Clara Valley wineries , enjoying our glorious fall weather while sipping a delicious glass of wine , now with a little more understanding of what it took to get the grapes from the vines into your glass for this kismet moment . Cheers !
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