Making Red Wine

Harvesting Your Red Wine Grapes - The firstIf you do it too hard, or too many times, you get
step in making red wine is to have the grapeslow quality wine. You can save the pressings
perfectly ready to be picked. They need to beseparately from the free-run or it can be
harvested not only at the proper time in their lifecombined. This pressed wine will take longer to
cycle, but also at the right time of day to ensurebecome clear and ready for bottling.Secondary
the acids and sugars are all at the right balanceFermentation - The juice, now wine, needs to
for the wine.Red wine grapes should containsettle after this ordeal and continue to ferment
enough sugar to be considered ripe and be able toout all the residual sugars. During this time, the
attain the alcohol content you are aiming for.wine should be stored in glass carboys fitted with
They must also have the right balance of acids.fermentation locks.Fermentation locks keep
This means "hang-time" on the vine until theoxygen out of the wine while allowing the carbon
grapes have met the proper quality factors. Adioxide from fermentation to escape. Without
sugar content of 24 Brix at harvest will give youthem, oxidation will occur and the wine will spoil
about 12% alcohol.De-stemming and Crushing -into vinegar or something worse. In the lack of
This step in making red wine removes the stemsoxygen, the wine undergoes subtle changes that
from the grape bunches, and crushes the grapesaffect the flavors of the resulting wine.Malo-Lactic
(but does not press them) so that the juices areFermentation - Many red wines need a
exposed to the yeast for fermenting. This will alsonon-alcoholic fermentation to remove excess
expose the skins so they can impart color to theacidity. This secondary fermentation will turn the
wine while in the primary fermentation.This step intart malic acid (of green apples) into the softer
making red wine can be done manually bylactic acid (of milk). A special malo-lactic bacteria is
squeezing the grape bunches over a grate withadded which allows malolactic fermentation to
holes to allow the grapes and juice to go throughoccur. This is done during the secondary
while leaving the stems behind. I've used old Cokefermentation. Wines are held at about 72F during,
crates, perforated plates, and other means toor at least at the end, of the secondary
accomplish this. (Depending on the type of wine,fermentation to favor this activity. The yeast
the stems could be left in for a more tannicthat has settled to the bottom during the
flavor or removed). This mix of wine is calledsecondary fermentation also favors this
must and is put into a fermentation vat.You canprocess.Racking and Clarification - Moving the wine
always "stomp" the grapes and remove thefrom one container to a new container by
stems afterwards - the old fashioned way. Theresiphoning allows you to leave solids and anything
are crusher/destemmer machines that can bethat might cloud the wine, behind. This clears the
purchased if you have a lot of grapes to crush. Ifwine and prepares it for bottling. Fermentation
you are going to adjust the acidity, this is thelocks must be employed with each racking to
time to do this.Primary Fermentation - The mustkeep the wine from spoiling. Wine is racked at
is held in a vat that can be made of food gradeleast once but more may be needed to assist
plastic, glass, or stainless steel for fermentation. Inclarification.Cold Stabilization - During one of the
whichever container, the sugars inside the grapesaging stages between rackings and bottling, the
are turned into alcohol by yeasts. The yeast usedwine can be placed in the cold of refridgeration to
should be specific for red wine. This fermentationbe stabilized. This cold period will make the cream
process typically takes from 3-4 weeks.How longof tarter settle out of the wine and reduce the
the must (juice and grape solids) is allowed to sit,acidity further. The wine is then racked off the
picking up flavor, color and tannin is up to thecream of tartar during the next racking. I suggest
wine maker. Too long and the wine is bitter, toyou do this early in the racking and aging process
short and it is thin. Temperature is very importantof making red wine.Aging - The wine is stored for
during this stage - it also affects flavour andanywhere from 9 months to 2 1/2 years to give
color.Punching Down the Skins - Skin and otherit the correct amount of flavor. Oak barrels can
solids float to the top as fermentation proceeds.be used for aging but they are very expensive.
The carbon dioxide gas given off by theNowdays, when making red wine at home, oak
fermentation process pushes them to the surfacechips are used. The amount of time you age your
of the developing wine. The rising skins are calledwine with oak depends on the flavors that you
the "cap" and need to be pushed back down towish. At the end of the aging period, you will be
stay in contact with the must. This should beready to bottle.Fining or filtering - At the end of
done a couple of times a day. As you punchthe aging period it helps to remove anything that
down the cap, you will notice that the wine ismay be making the wine cloudy. This can be
taking on more color from the contact with theaccomplished with various fining agents (like
skins.End of Primary Fermentation(?) - Thesparkalloid), with filtering, or both. This makes the
winemaker must decide if the must haswine crystal clear for bottling and will prevent any
fermented long enough. This will take a few dayssediments from forming during bottle aging.Bottling
to a week. Much of this decision depends on how- This is done carefully so that the wine does not
much color you want in your red wine. Generally,come in contact with air. Finer wines may be
the wine has not completely fermented at thisstored for several years in bottles before they
time. There still should be some residual sugar thatare drunk. But I suggest that a minimum of 6
will need to go through furthermonths to a year lapse before drinking.So there
fermentation.Remove Free Run and Press - Atare the steps in making red wine. Properly done,
the end of the primary fermentation, the must isyou will have a wine that will not only give you
put into the wine press. The best quality wine isdrinking pleasure, but will make you the envy of
made just from the juice portion of the must.your family and friends.Jim Bruce has been making
Many wine makers allow this to run off and savegrowing grapes and making wine since 1974. You
it for the best red wines. The rest of the driertoo can grow your own wine grapes. Interested in
must (now called pomace) is pressed.Pressinggrowing your own grapes for making wine?
squeezes the remaining juice out of the pomace.