How wine is made, from harvest to aging!

Wine is obtained from the alcoholic fermentation of grape juice thanks to some yeasts present on the grape skin, which can transform the pulp sugar into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. Clearly, depending on the type of grapes used and the vinification processes, it is possible to produce white, rosé and red wines of different alcoholic grades.

1 Harvest

The first step in the wine production cycle is the harvest. In ancient times, it was made exclusively by hand, but today, due to the lack of manpower, it is performed mechanically, however, this type of collection is less accurate than a time, since it does not allow to make a selection of the bunches to be picked example, to the ripening or integrity of the berries.

2 Pressing

After harvesting the grapes, the grapes are pressed. Even this operation, once, was performed without the aid of machines. The peasants, in fact, crushed the bunches of grapes in the barefoot masters. The must thus obtained is purified from impurities and corrected with substances that regulate its acidity and the sugar component. Later, it is collected in large vats to ferment.

3 Fermentation

The fermentation can last from 1 day to 1 week, but can also be extended up to 10 days when it comes to more complex wines. It is during this biochemical process that the sugar contained in the must gradually turns into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

4 Vinification in red

Red wine is obtained by fermenting the must by macerating with peels, seeds and stalks, which release the typically red color and tannins.

5 Devatting and Aging

It consists in decanting the wine, purified from the solid residues and the marc that remain on the bottom of the vats, in the barrels, where a second fermentation takes place and a further transformation of the residual sugar, all at a temperature of about 15 ° C. At this point, white wines are ready to be bottled, while for red wines aging begins, which can last up to 5 years.