WINE PRODUCTION CIRCUIT: THE 4 MAIN PHASES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The productive circuit of wine are the processes that are carried out to produce and sell wine. It begins with the alcoholic fermentation and ends with the bottling of the drink. Those in charge of making the wine and studying it are the oenologists.

Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced through the partial or total fermentation of grapes. Other fruits and plants, such as berries, apples, cherries, dandelions, elder berries, palm, and rice can also be fermented.

Grapes belong to the botanical family vitaceae, of which there are many species. The most used species in wine production are Vitis labrusca and especially Vitis vinifera, which has long been the most widely used wine grape in the world.

The cultivation of wine grapes for the production of wine is called "viticulture". Harvested during the fall, wine grapes can range in color from pale yellow to hearty green to ruby ​​red.

Origin and production of wine

The theory that wine was discovered by accident is most likely true, because wine grapes already contain all the necessary ingredients for wine, including the pulp, juice and seeds, which possess all the acids, sugars, tannins, minerals and vitamins found in wine.

Wine can be made in homes and in small, medium or large wineries using similar methods. Wine is made in a variety of flavors, with varying degrees of sweetness or dryness, as well as varying alcoholic strength and quality. Generally, the strength, color and flavor of the wine are controlled during the fermentation process.

Wine is characterized by white, rose or rose and red color, and can range in alcohol content from 10 percent to 14 percent. The types of wine can be divided into four main categories: table wines, sparkling wines, fortified wines and aromatic wines.

Table wines include a range of red, white and rosé wines; sparkling wines include champagne and other "sparkling" wines; aromatic wines contain fruits, plants and flowers; and fortified wines are table wines with brandy or other added alcohol.

The name of a wine is almost always derived from one of three sources: the name of the main grape from which it comes, the geographical area, or, in the case of traditionally finer wines, a particular vineyard.

In general, red wines are supposed to age seven to ten years before being sold. Because white and rose wines are not enhanced by further aging, they are typically one to four years before being sold.

And since the quality of wine can depend on proper aging, older wines are generally more expensive than younger ones.

Other factors, however, can affect the quality of the wine, and proper aging does not always ensure quality. These factors include the quality and harvest of the grapes themselves, their care, the fermentation process, and other aspects of wine production.

The phases of the wine production circuit

The wine production process has always been the same, but new machinery and technology have helped rationalize and increase wine production. However, whether these advances have improved the quality of the wine is a matter of debate.

The procedures involved in creating wine are often dictated by the grape and the amount and type of wine that is produced. While the manufacturing process is highly automated in medium to large-sized wineries, small wineries still use manual presses and store wine in moldy cellars.

The winemaking process can be divided into four different stages: harvest and crushing of grapes; fermentation of the must; wine aging; packaging.

1- Harvest and crushing of grapes

Winegrowers inspect the wine grape samples with a refractometer to determine if the grapes are ready to be picked. The refractometer is a small handheld device (about the size of a miniature telescope) that allows the vine grower to accurately check the amount of sugar in the grapes.

If the grapes are ready for harvest, a mechanical harvester gathers and places the grapes in a field hopper, or container. Some mechanical harvesters have machine-mounted grape crushers, allowing vine growers to collect grapes and press them at the same time.

The field hoppers are transported to the warehouse where they are discharged into a crushing machine. Some shredding machines are hydraulic, while others are driven by air pressure.

The grapes are crushed and the stems are removed, leaving a liquid that flows into either a stainless steel fermentation tank or a wooden vat (for fine wines).

2- Fermenting the must

For white wine, all the grape skins are separated from the "must" by filters or centrifuges. For red wine, all the crushed grapes, including the skin, enter the fermentation tank or vat.

During the fermentation process, yeast is introduced into the tank or vat to convert the sugar in the wort with alcohol. The wine must ferment in the tank or vat for approximately seven to fourteen days, depending on the type of wine produced.

3- Aging of the wine

After crushing and fermenting, the wine needs to be stored, filtered and properly aged. In some cases, the wine must also be mixed with another alcohol.

Many wineries still store wine in wet, underground cellars to keep wine cool, but larger wineries store wine above ground in stainless steel tanks.

After fermentation, some wines (mainly red wine) will be crushed again and pumped into another fermentation tank where the wine will re-ferment for approximately three to seven days. This is done not only to extend the shelf life of the wine, but also to ensure clarity and color stability.

The wine is then pumped into sedimentation tanks or vats. The wine will stay in the tank for one to two months. Racking is typically done at 10 to 16 degrees Celsius for red wine, and 0 degrees Celsius for white wine.

After the initial sedimentation process, some wines are pumped to another tank or sedimentation tank where the wine remains for another two to three months.

After the sedimentation process, the wine passes through a series of filters or centrifuges where it is stored at low temperatures.

After several filtration processes, the wine is aged in stainless steel tanks or wooden vats. White and rose wines can age from one year to four years, or much less than a year. Red wines can age from seven to ten years.

The wine is filtered one last time to remove unwanted sediment. The wine is now ready to be bottled, corked, sealed, labeled, and shipped to distributors.

4- Packaging

Most medium to large-sized wineries use automated bottling machines, and most moderately and expensively priced wine bottles have stoppers made from a special oak.

The caps are covered with a peelable aluminum film or a plastic seal. Cheaper wines have an aluminum screw cap or plastic stopper.

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References

1. Kim Myers. 5 STAGES OF THE WINE MAKING PROCESS (sf) Laurel Gray. laurelgray.com.
2. Greg Ling. Wine. How products are made. (sf) madehow.com.
3. The science and technology of wine making (sf). Dairy Science. dairyscience.info.
4. Dr. Murli Dharmadhikari. Red Wine Production. (sf). extension.iastate.edu.
5. LEARN THE 5 STEPS OF THE WINE MAKING PROCESS (sf) winemonthclub.com.
6. Per Karlsson. The world's wine production 2000-2012. (June 2013). bkwine.com.