| The grapes used for Cabernet Sauvignon are | | | | will add on your must. |
| shaped like spheres, dark, small and has a rough | | | | 4. Seal the must and let it sit for 24 hours. |
| skin. This is a good thing as it makes the grapes | | | | 5. Add the winemaker's yeast into the must. |
| decay and contamination proof. Moreover, when | | | | Close it tightly again and let fermentation take |
| the autumn rains start pouring in, they are also | | | | place. Every day for one week, stir it twice using |
| protected from damage. These very qualities that | | | | a wooden paddle. |
| Cabernet has made it as popular as the red wine | | | | Racking and Aging |
| varietal Carignan and Merlot. | | | | 6. In wine diy, strain the must as you pour it |
| Aside from the characteristics mentioned above, | | | | from one container to another. This will get rid of |
| another reason why it became so popular was | | | | the skin and the little twigs. Once you are able to |
| because of the appeal of its very unique flavor | | | | separate the solid stuff from the liquid, the liquid is |
| and also because it has come to be the | | | | now what you call your new “green” wine. |
| collector’s wine. Due to this fact alone, | | | | 7. Test the acidity of your wine for the |
| inflationary climb has affected Cabernet Sauvignon | | | | second time. If it’s too acidic, add more of |
| since collectors, fans and the newly rich influence | | | | any of the following: spring water (the least |
| its supply and demand as well as its bid upward. | | | | preferred choice), potassium bicarbonate, or |
| And now, we come to the most exciting part of | | | | calcium carbonate. |
| this process of making wine --- DIY part! The | | | | 8. Get another empty container or vessel or |
| instructions in the wine diy process are divided | | | | vat and begin siphoning the green wine from its |
| into three parts namely: Crushing, Primary | | | | container to the new container. Get an empty |
| Fermentation, Racking and Aging. | | | | vessel and siphon the “green” wine there |
| Crushing | | | | for aging. Usually, wine makers use oak barrels |
| 1. In making wine diy style, you must clean | | | | because of Cabernet’s affinity for oak. |
| the grapes using a garden hose after buying them | | | | However, since oak barrels are expensive, we |
| from the market or picking them from the | | | | can do away with just oak chips, around 2-3 |
| vineyard. You do this by taking away the stems | | | | pieces, dropped at the bottom. |
| but you may opt to leave the tiny little twigs. | | | | 9. Tightly seal the vat and look for a cool |
| 2. Produce grape juice from the grapes by | | | | dark place where you can store it for three |
| stomping on them if a machine is not available to | | | | weeks. |
| do this process. | | | | 10. When the third week is over, you have |
| 3. What will be left after you stomped on | | | | to compensate for settling by topping off the |
| them and gathered the juice is what you call the | | | | vessels. The least full vessel must be drained with |
| must. It’s a combination of the grape skins, | | | | a siphon hose and then fill up the others. During |
| little twigs and grape juice. Get your first | | | | this procedure, microorganisms may have gotten |
| fermenter and pour it all there to get it ready for | | | | through so kill them off with a spoonful of sulfite |
| fermentation. | | | | poured on each of the vessel. Use an airlock |
| Primary Fermentation | | | | afterwards to tightly seal each vessel. |
| 1. As part of the wine diy process, you must | | | | 11. There will be some leftover wine from |
| test your must for acidity. Test its sugar content | | | | the wine diy pricess. Discard whatever is left |
| too. You may use a testing kit that you can buy | | | | because this will just turn into vinegar. If you |
| from a store. | | | | don’t want to discard it, then just transfer it |
| 2. Depending on the results, you will know | | | | to a small container. |
| whether you need to add more sugar or not in | | | | 12. Wait another 4-6 months before bottling |
| your wine diy. | | | | the wine that you put in the vessels with the oak |
| 3. The test results will also be used so | | | | chips earlier. That’s how easy it is to make |
| you’d know how many Campden tablets you | | | | wine diy. |