| The first stage in the wine making process is to | | | | chippings may be added to the must. |
| crush the grapes. In days gone by the grapes | | | | Red and rosé wines are usually produced in |
| would be loaded into a large vat and the wine | | | | stainless steel vats or, sometimes, in oak. When |
| maker(s) would gently tread on them to break | | | | the fermenting wine has reached the required |
| the grapes' skins to release the juice. | | | | color intensity, the liquid is drawn from the vessel, |
| Nowadays this procedure is almost invariably | | | | leaving behind the crushed skins and stalks. |
| carried out using a machine called, unsurprisingly, a | | | | Before bottling, wines from different batches may |
| crusher. | | | | be blended together and matured. Depending on |
| In the case of white wines, after crushing, the | | | | the type of wine, the length of this maturation |
| juice is separated immediately from the pulp of | | | | process can be measured in anything from days |
| skins and stalks and fermentation commences. | | | | to years. |
| When making red (and rosé) wines, the | | | | If an "oaky" flavor is desired then the wine can |
| juice is allowed to remain in contact with the | | | | be matured in oak barrels. New oak or old oak |
| crushed pulp for a while to add color, body and | | | | barrels can be used depending on the final flavor |
| flavor to the 'must' (the juice to be fermented). | | | | required. |
| Most modern wines are fermented at a relatively | | | | Even after bottling, the flavor of some quality |
| low temperature (around 20° C), which | | | | wines will continue to evolve, albeit at a slower |
| results in wine with a fruity character. White wines | | | | rate. However nowadays, most wines, even |
| are commonly made in large, cooled, stainless | | | | expensive wines, are ready for drinking soon |
| steel containers but some better quality wines are | | | | after bottling. |
| fermented in oak casks or, alternatively, oak | | | | |