How to make red wine The winemaking process

Visit red wine production is the result of a set of scrupulously respected rules. The first step is to select the grapes at harvest time. For the vinification of red wineThe grapes harvested are always black. How do you make red wine? Here are the main stages in the winemaking process.

The arrival of the fruit in the cellar and the de-stemming of the wine

After the harvest, the fruit is stored in the winery, where vinification takes place and the bottles are stored. The harvested grapes (by hand or mechanically) are first sorted. Towards the end of September, the first stage in the winemaking process takes place: thedestemming (or de-stemming), which consists in separating the grapes from the stems (stalks), which could give an undesirable taste to the future wine.

Wine treading

This is the second stage in the winemaking process. The bunches of grapes are placed in a machine that bursts the fruit to extract the juice, without breaking the seeds. The seeds are important, as they contain the tannins that are essential for wine-making. In the past, grapes were crushed underfoot in large containers.

Wine maceration

Once the crushing stage is complete, the grape juice harvested using this process is stored in temperature-controlled tanks. The phenomenon of alcoholic fermentation This process gradually transforms the fruit juice into wine. During fermentation in the vat, the yeasts naturally present in the fruit, as well as those added to activate fermentation, transform the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The juice must be kept at a certain temperature (ideally 30°C) to guarantee this transformation. This process results in the formation of what is known as the "marc's hatThe "marc" is made up of the pips, residues and pieces of pulp. This marc contains tannins, pigments and aromas. These then gradually diffuse into the must. The maceration process can take more or less time, depending on the red wine required.

Malolactic fermentation of wine

Visit malolactic fermentation is a second fermentation that transforms the wine's malic acid into a much milder acid. This stage is essential for red wines, but not necessarily for white wines.

Pumping over and punching down the cap

The reassembly is an extraction method used to remove material (notably tannins) during red wine production. This material can then be recovered from the wine. The process involves pumping the juice from the bottom of the vat upwards, to aerate the wine. The pump chosen for this operation must be perfectly adapted to the vat and the future wine. 
Visit pigeageis used to work the fruit. This ancestral gesture, which consists in pushing the floating matter above the must, towards the bottom of the vat, primarily facilitates maceration. The back-and-forth motion of the stick in the vat allows the grape constituents to diffuse into the must, thus oxygenating it. In the past, pigeage was traditionally carried out by hand using a stick, but today it is often carried out using mechanized machines.

Wine draining and pressing

The "écoulage" stage brings maceration to an end, by collecting the juice at the bottom of the vat. This is followed by pressing The pomace is pressed to recover the juice it still contains.

Wine ageing

Thebreeding involves placing the wine in a barrel or vat for several seasons. Depending on the type of container in which it is placed, the wine will not have the same taste. Storage allows the wine to evolve. The winemaker can choose toassemblyThe final stage involves blending several cuvées from different grape varieties or plots of land. L'breeding generally lasts less than 36 months. 
This is an essential stage in the winemaking process, as it serves several purposes. Firstly, to purify the wine and rid it of impurities. Secondly, it allows the wine to age and develop its aromas. This stage also makes it possible to blend the wine before bottling. A distinction can be made between two types of breeding In vats or barrels. 
- Tank aging: This is both fast and economical. Hygiene is respected, and there's no risk of masking the wine's aromas, unlike barrel aging. Different types of vats can be used: concrete, steel or fiberglass.  
- Barrel aging: a guarantee of quality? The oxidation created by this type of container allows the wine's aromas to reveal themselves, more so than in vats. This type of ageing is often considered a guarantee of quality, but barrels are far less economical: they take up a lot of space and are still very expensive.

Wine bottling

This is the final stage in the winemaking process. It consists of letting the wine rest in new vats to allow it to stabilize. This stage allows the wine to refine once again, as new aromas emerge. The winemaker may choose to let the wine age further, or to offer it for sale.