| Harvesting Your Red Wine Grapes - The
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| | called pomace) is pressed.
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| first step in making red wine is to have
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| | Pressing squeezes the remaining juice out
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| the grapes perfectly ready to be picked.
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| | of the pomace. If you do it too hard, or
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| They need to be harvested not only at the
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| | too many times, you get low quality wine.
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| proper time in their life cycle, but also
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| | You can save the pressings separately
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| at the right time of day to ensure the
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| | from the free-run or it can be combined.
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| acids and sugars are all at the right
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| | This pressed wine will take longer to
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| balance for the wine.
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| | become clear and ready for bottling.
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| Red wine grapes should contain enough
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| | Secondary Fermentation - The juice, now
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| sugar to be considered ripe and be able
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| | wine, needs to settle after this ordeal
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| to attain the alcohol content you are
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| | and continue to ferment out all the
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| aiming for. They must also have the right
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| | residual sugars. During this time, the
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| balance of acids. This means "hang-time"
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| | wine should be stored in glass carboys
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| on the vine until the grapes have met the
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| | fitted with fermentation locks.
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| proper quality factors. A sugar content
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| | Fermentation locks keep oxygen out of the
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| of 24 Brix at harvest will give you about
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| | wine while allowing the carbon dioxide
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| 12% alcohol.
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| | from fermentation to escape. Without
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| De-stemming and Crushing - This step in
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| | them, oxidation will occur and the wine
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| making red wine removes the stems from
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| | will spoil into vinegar or something
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| the grape bunches, and crushes the grapes
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| | worse. In the lack of oxygen, the wine
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| (but does not press them) so that the
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| | undergoes subtle changes that affect the
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| juices are exposed to the yeast for
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| | flavors of the resulting wine.
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| fermenting. This will also expose the
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| | Malo-Lactic Fermentation - Many red wines
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| skins so they can impart color to the
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| | need a non-alcoholic fermentation to
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| wine while in the primary fermentation.
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| | remove excess acidity. This secondary
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| This step in making red wine can be done
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| | fermentation will turn the tart malic
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| manually by squeezing the grape bunches
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| | acid (of green apples) into the softer
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| over a grate with holes to allow the
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| | lactic acid (of milk). A special
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| grapes and juice to go through while
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| | malo-lactic bacteria is added which
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| leaving the stems behind. I've used old
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| | allows malolactic fermentation to occur.
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| Coke crates, perforated plates, and other
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| | This is done during the secondary
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| means to accomplish this. (Depending on
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| | fermentation. Wines are held at about 72F
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| the type of wine, the stems could be left
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| | during, or at least at the end, of the
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| in for a more tannic flavor or removed).
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| | secondary fermentation to favor this
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| This mix of wine is called must and is
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| | activity. The yeast that has settled to
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| put into a fermentation vat.
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| | the bottom during the secondary
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| You can always "stomp" the grapes and
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| | fermentation also favors this process.
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| remove the stems afterwards - the old
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| | Racking and Clarification - Moving the
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| fashioned way. There are crusher
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| | wine from one container to a new
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| destemmer machines that can be purchased
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| | container by siphoning allows you to
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| if you have a lot of grapes to crush. If
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| | leave solids and anything that might
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| you are going to adjust the acidity, this
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| | cloud the wine, behind. This clears the
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| is the time to do this.
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| | wine and prepares it for bottling.
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| Primary Fermentation - The must is held
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| | Fermentation locks must be employed with
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| in a vat that can be made of food grade
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| | each racking to keep the wine from
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| plastic, glass, or stainless steel for
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| | spoiling. Wine is racked at least once
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| fermentation. In whichever container, the
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| | but more may be needed to assist
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| sugars inside the grapes are turned into
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| | clarification.
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| alcohol by yeasts. The yeast used should
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| | Cold Stabilization - During one of the
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| be specific for red wine. This
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| | aging stages between rackings and
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| fermentation process typically takes from
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| | bottling, the wine can be placed in the
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| 3-4 weeks.
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| | cold of refridgeration to be stabilized.
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| How long the must (juice and grape
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| | This cold period will make the cream of
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| solids) is allowed to sit, picking up
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| | tarter settle out of the wine and reduce
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| flavor, color and tannin is up to the
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| | the acidity further. The wine is then
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| wine maker. Too long and the wine is
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| | racked off the cream of tartar during the
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| bitter, to short and it is thin.
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| | next racking. I suggest you do this early
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| Temperature is very important during this
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| | in the racking and aging process of
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| stage - it also affects flavour and
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| | making red wine.
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| color.
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| | Aging - The wine is stored for anywhere
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| Punching Down the Skins - Skin and other
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| | from 9 months to 2 1/2 years to give it
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| solids float to the top as fermentation
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| | the correct amount of flavor. Oak barrels
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| proceeds. The carbon dioxide gas given
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| | can be used for aging but they are very
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| off by the fermentation process pushes
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| | expensive. Nowdays, when making red wine
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| them to the surface of the developing
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| | at home, oak chips are used. The amount
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| wine. The rising skins are called the
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| | of time you age your wine with oak
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| "cap" and need to be pushed back down to
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| | depends on the flavors that you wish. At
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| stay in contact with the must. This
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| | the end of the aging period, you will be
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| should be done a couple of times a day.
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| | ready to bottle.
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| As you punch down the cap, you will
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| | Fining or filtering - At the end of the
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| notice that the wine is taking on more
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| | aging period it helps to remove anything
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| color from the contact with the skins.
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| | that may be making the wine cloudy. This
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| End of Primary Fermentation(?) - The
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| | can be accomplished with various fining
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| winemaker must decide if the must has
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| | agents (like sparkalloid), with
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| fermented long enough. This will take a
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| | filtering, or both. This makes the wine
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| few days to a week. Much of this decision
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| | crystal clear for bottling and will
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| depends on how much color you want in
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| | prevent any sediments from forming during
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| your red wine. Generally, the wine has
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| | bottle aging.
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| not completely fermented at this time.
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| | Bottling - This is done carefully so that
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| There still should be some residual sugar
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| | the wine does not come in contact with
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| that will need to go through further
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| | air. Finer wines may be stored for
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| fermentation.
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| | several years in bottles before they are
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| Remove Free Run and Press - At the end of
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| | drunk. But I suggest that a minimum of 6
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| the primary fermentation, the must is put
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| | months to a year lapse before drinking.
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| into the wine press. The best quality
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| | So there are the steps in making red
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| wine is made just from the juice portion
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| | wine. Properly done, you will have a wine
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| of the must. Many wine makers allow this
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| | that will not only give you drinking
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| to run off and save it for the best red
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| | pleasure, but will make you the envy of
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| wines. The rest of the drier must (now
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| | your family and friends.
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