Ever Wonder? How is Wine Made?

Wine making, on the surface, might seem pretty simple. You take grape juice, add yeast and presto, you have wine. And, indeed, a wine maker did tell me that it’s that easy. But, he went on to add, making good wine is not easy!

Wine does begin with grapes. But, knowing when to pick the grapes is very important. That’s because grapes, unlike many other fruits, don’t continue to ripen after being picked. So, you have to get it “right.” And “right” to one wine maker isn’t quite “right” to another wine maker. That’s because some wine makers want slightly under-ripe grapes in order to produce more highly acidic wines such as many white wines and sparkling wine. Other wine makers will choose over-ripe grapes either to produce a sweeter flavored wine or a late-harvest dessert wine. But the vast majority of wine makers are looking for the “Goldielocks” grapes that are just right! These are the grapes that have just the right amount of sugar to ensure proper fermentation.

Once the grapes are picked they are swiftly moved from the vineyard to the winery to ensure they are at peak freshness. White wine grapes will immediately be pressed to extract their juice. Red wine grapes will often go through a sorting process to remove leafs and any other foreign materials and then be de-stemmed. Other wine makers will leave the grapes attached to the stems for added tannin and character.

Next, fermentation begins in tanks made of stainless steel, wood or concrete depending on the style of wine that the wine maker is seeking to achieve. The juice from the pressed white wine grapes goes into the fermentation tanks while the whole grapes or bunches of red wine grape to into the fermentation tanks.

Then comes the yeast. And, we’ll pick up there next time. Until then, Cheers!

Ever Wonder About Orange Wine?

Several years ago, we took an initial look at Orange wine. Having recently been asked about Orange wine, I thought it would be worth another look.

First, let’s get the most important point out of the way - Orange wine is not made from oranges.

Like ‘red’ wine and ‘white’ wine, Orange wine is categorized as such because of its color.

Now, let’s get to how Orange wines become orange in color. The answer is really quite straight forward. An Orange wine is produced with white wine grapes but it’s made using the same process that a red wine is made. That is, the juice of the white wine grape is left in contact with the skins of the grapes for an extended period.

This skin contact is in contrast to the way a white wine is produced where the juice is immediately separated from the skin of the grape. It’s this skin contact that results in the otherwise white wine becoming ‘orange.’ This skin contact can be just for a brief period of time (24 hours) or the skins may remain in contact through fermentation for a period of a week or more. The final color of Orange wine can vary across a range from yellow, gold, tangerine, amber or even pink.

The skin contact adds more than just color. It adds additional flavor and it adds tannin. So, Orange wines are generally bigger and bolder in flavor and have a more astringent mouthfeel like a red wine. Orange wines should be served slightly warmer than a white wine and slightly cooler than a red. So, 55 degrees F would be just about right.

Some people have tried to associate Orange wine with ‘Natural’ wine. But, it’s not true in general. Like any red or white wine, an Orange wine is only a natural wine if it’s been grown, processed and bottled using ‘natural’ methods.

While Orange wines are not that common, you may find them on wine lists at higher-end restaurants and wine bars, or at higher-end wine shops. So, keep an eye out for them and give an Orange wine a try. With its bigger and bolder flavors, Orange wines should pair well with many foods. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? Why is Syrah Co-Fermented with Viognier?

Winemakers sometimes co-ferment Syrah with Viognier. But, why would they combine a red-wine grape and a white-wine grape during fermentation?

Well, this began in the Côte-Rôtie, a wine-growing region in France's Northern Rhône Valley where Viognier often grows alongside Syrah. And, some winemakers there simply went with what they had - producing a “field-blend” wine. And, it worked quite well.

It actually turns out that blending these grapes during fermentation serves multiple purposes for winemakers.

One of the primary reasons for using Viognier in small quantities with Syrah is that it actually enhances the color of the Syrah. You’d think the Viognier would ‘water down’ the deep dark color of the Syrah. But, the chemical compounds of Viognier actually help to stabilize and retain the color of the Syrah through the fermentation process.

Viognier also has a beautiful floral aroma along with spice and peach notes that enhances the aroma of Syrah that can include plum, tobacco, black pepper and even bacon fat.

Viognier is also said to give Syrah a silkier mouthfeel.

The amounts of Viognier that are added to Syrah typically still allow the wine to be labelled as Syrah but some winemakers are actually going with full disclosure and labeling their wine as Syrah-Viognier. Either way, this co-fermentation enhances the final wine in your glass. Cheers!

How Winemaker's Know It's Harvest Time

Finally, Fall is just around the corner and harvest time is beginning. This is the point where grape growers and wine makers become very focused on the grapes as they ripen. Then, once the grapes reach just the right level of ripeness, they are quickly harvested because, unlike other fruits, grapes don't continue to ripen once picked. So, you have to get it right.

If the grapes are picked too early they can be too acidic, too tannic and not contain the proper amount of sugar for a full and proper fermentation. Conversely, if the grapes are picked too late, the sugar level will be too high which can lead to an overly sweet wine. This is because fermentation will only go to the point where the yeast naturally dies due to the level of alcohol in the wine. So, the “residual sugar” doesn’t get converted to alcohol and remains in the wine.

The bottom line for grape growers and winemakers is to find the perfect time for harvest. While there is some science and chemistry involved there is also a lot of experience and intuition that goes into the decision to harvest the grapes.

Here’s a quick overview of some of the signs that the grapes are ready for harvest:

The Visual Appearance of the Grapes

From the experience and intuition categories, winemakers look for the exact color of the grapes to know when to harvest. The grapes may also take on different textures and levels of shininess versus dustiness as they reach the proper ripeness.

The Visual Appearance of the Seed Color

Winemakers also look at the stems and seeds as a sign of ripeness. As the grapes ripen, the stems will turn from green to brown. An un-ripe grape will have seeds that are white or green. When the grape seeds turn brown, they are nearing time for harvest. Winemakers may also taste the seeds. Unripe seeds can be highly tannic and bitter.

The Taste of the Grapes

It might seem obvious, but the taste of the ripening grape will also yield telltale signs to the winemaker. The grapes will have gotten mostly through the tannic and bitter stage and moved into being sweet. But again, the experience of the winemaker will determine if the grapes have just the right amount of tart and tannic qualities (that are very important in winemaking) while also having just the right amount of sweetness.

The Brix Level

From the science and chemistry side of things, winemakers will use a device called a refractometer to measure the ripeness of individual grapes. Brix measures the sugar levels in the grapes and allow a winemaker to convert that to how much alcohol the finished wine will have.

The Feel of the Grapes

Ripe grape berries (the individual grapes) are generally easier to pull from the stalks.

So, these are the primary methods used by winemakers to determine when the grapes are ready for harvest. A bit of science and a whole lot of experience goes into the final harvest decision. Cheers!

Fermentation Vessels Can Affect the Flavors of a Wine

In a recent blog, I listed some of the many factors that can affect a wine’s flavors. One of the factors is the type of vessel chosen by the winemaker to ferment the wine. So, let’s take a closer look.

The three most common fermentation vessels are made of either oak, stainless steel or concrete. Each of these can affect the flavor of the wine due to the degree to which the wine is exposed to oxygen.

Fermentation in Oak 
Oak fermentation barrels allow for the gradual influx of oxygen which helps to softened tannins and acid while developing a ‘rounder’ more balanced wine. Oak itself also imparts flavors. French oak is known to yield more subtle flavors like clove and spice to a wine while creating a silkier, smoother mouthfeel, while American oak typically imparts aromas of vanilla and coconut. And, the degree to which these flavors are imparted varies by the level of ‘toast’ created on the barrel during its production. So, for instance, a barrel with a ‘medium’ toast will impart less flavors than a barrel with a heavy toast. Finally, once an oak barrel has been used three to four times, the majority of the flavors have been extracted and it becomes a ‘neutral’ barrel that imparts little to no flavors.

Fermentation in Stainless Steel

Unlike oak, stainless steel fermentation vessels can be tightly sealed so as to allow little to no oxygen exposure of the wine during the fermentation process. And, a winemaker may fill the top of the tank (the headspace) with inert gas to drive out all of the oxygen. This makes for brighter, fresher fruit-forward wines. The stainless steel imparts no flavor characteristics to the wine. Stainless steel tanks are also used because they offer optimal refrigeration capabilities when a winemaker wants to cold-ferment the wine.

Fermentation in Concrete

Concrete-type vessels have been used to ferment wine for as long as wine has been made. Concrete tanks can be open for oxygen exposure, or sealed like stainless steel to avoid oxygen. The concrete itself is quite neutral so it doesn’t impart significant flavors like oak, but it can add mineral-like flavors to the wine.