Ever wonder how wine is made? It is a lot more complicated than just adding yeast to the juice pressed from grapes. For this article, I will not go into great detail for fear of ending up with a short novel and putting you to sleep.

There are 5 basic stages of the winemaking process once it has been determined that the grapes have reached their peak maturity.

Harvesting - the grapes can be picked by hand or machine. Hand picking is typically more labor intensive and expensive but allows for any lower quality grapes to be discarded. Machine harvesting is faster and less expensive but can lead to grape damage and less quality control of the grapes.

Crushing and Pressing - the grapes are crushed breaking the skins which releases the juice (aka free-run juice.) This can be done mechanically or by hand. This results in a mix of pulp, juice, skins and seeds, which is called “must.” Pressing is done by extracting juice from the crushed grapes often after maceration (the juice is in contact with the skins.) Pressing extracts the remaining juice that was not released during crushing. White and red wine pressing involve different processes.

Fermentation - yeast is added to the pressed juice and converts the sugar in the juice to alcohol and carbon monoxide which transforms the juice into wine. Some wines will undergo a secondary fermentation called malolactic fermentation, where lactic acid convert malic acid into lactic acid, which adds complexity (think a buttery Chardonnay).

Clarification - the process where the wine is cleared of its unwanted solids resulting in a clearer, more stable and visually appealing wine.

Aging and Bottling - the wine is now aged in stainless steel or oak barrels depending on the varietal and style that the winemaker is looking for. Depending on the varietal, the aging process can be a few months to many years. The wines are then bottled once the desirable length of aging is complete.

Winemaking is a multi-step process that transforms grapes into wine. It involves a sequence of harvesting, crushing, fermentation, clarification, aging, and bottling. Each step contributes to the final flavor and characteristics of the wine, allowing winemakers to craft unique and diverse styles.

To me, this is one of the most enjoyable aspects of being in the wine business. It is an arduous journey, but if you love all things wine, then you love the process.