Wine Making Terms
An Overview*
*A very simplified overview of the difference in making red/white wines. There are many caveats!
Red wine: Grapes are picked and go into a fermenter. Primary fermentation happens in the fermenter, with the juice, skins, and seeds all together.
White wine: Grapes are picked and pressed and the juice goes into a vessel (barrel, tank, etc.). Primary fermentation happens in the vessel without the skins and seeds.
Rosé: Grapes are picked and go into a container with the skins and seeds to develop color. The grapes are pressed, and primary fermentation occurs in a vessel without the skins and seeds. We leave our Rose with the skins for about 4 days, which develops a lovely dark color.
General Definitions
• Malolactic Fermentation – Also known as secondary fermentation, or shortened to “ML”. This is a biological process in which microbes convert malic acid in the wine to lactic acid and carbon dioxide. This process creates a softer acid which is the characteristic of most red wines. Fun fact: malic acid is a tarter acid, and a lot of crisp white wines are left in malic acid state and not allowed to go through secondary fermentation in order to keep that tartness.
• Neutral Barrels – Barrels that have had wine in them for at least two previous vintages
• Whole Cluster – A fermentation technique wherein the grapes are not destemmed prior to fermentation. Leaving the grapes on the stems slows down the fermentation process, and the stems also contribute flavors to the wine.
• Primary Fermentation – Conversion of sugars in the grapes to alcohol. This is accomplished by yeast.
• Secondary Fermentation – See Malolactic Fermentation.
• Racking – A process of removing clarified wine away from the sediment (mostly spent yeast) at bottom of a container. In barrels, we use a wand to draw off the liquid and leave the sediment behind. In containers with bottom valves, we carefully bring the wine out through the bottom valve while leaving the sediment behind.
• Lees – The spent yeast that accumulates at the bottom of a container.
• Filtration – A process of passing wine through a filter to clarify the wine. This sometimes removes flavors.
• Sulphur Addition – Sulphide is used as a preservative and as an inhibitor of secondary fermentation. It is also an antioxidant to protect the wine. It usually goes away over time.
• Bottle Closures – There are lots of options for how to cap the wine once it’s in the bottle. Some examples are: cork (natural or artificial), glass stoppers, and screw caps (typically aluminum with a synthetic membrane to create a seal). We use screw caps.
• Bottle Aging – The time that a wine rests in bottle before it is consumed. Wineries may age in bottle before selling the wine, and customers may age in bottle before drinking. We choose to age in bottle longer than most wineries, only releasing wines once they are ready to drink.
Wine Characteristics
• Tannins – A family of compounds found in grapes, especially in skins, seeds, and stems. If these are included in a wine, they give a textural aspect to the sensory process (a drying effect on the palate). They also help to preserve wine because they are an antioxidant. Tannins evolve over time: as the wine ages, they get silkier to the palate.
• Acids – Another of the main components of wine. Grapes start with a significant amount of tartaric acid and malic acid: around 3-10 mg per liter.
Equipment
• Destemmer – A machine that separates grape berries from the stems.
• Fermenter – A container for fermenting grapes. Fermenters can be plastic, steel, concrete, or wood.
• Press – A machine that separates grape skins, seeds, and sometimes stems from the juice.