Creating Wine - Process and techniques for wine making

Wine has been around so long that it figures there would be different methods, techniques, production styles and all around creative ways to get the juice fermented into wine. In this section we will explore these and a bit of commentary on these from our own experiences.  Topics may range from how a grape is pressed to what yeast is used or not used to ferment the juice.  We will look at how time on skins after the crush colors the wine and creates flavor profiles.  What is the difference in using different vessels to create the wines, Oak, Stainless Steal, or even concrete.  Yep Concrete.  Very much looking forward to learning along with the crowd. 

This is a cool little process where carbon dioxide is pumped into the barrels and pushes out the oxygen and the grapes are fermented in that environment.  One of the main differences of this method is that the grapes are left intact and the process causes the grape skins to rupture and spill out the juice. The process, due to the lack of oxygen cause the juice to eat the sugars and malic acid and produces alcohol as a result.  This style leads to a fruit forward wine with little tannin in the final product.  Red wines produced this way usually have a brighter fruit flavor accompanied by cinnamon, vanilla and earth undertones.   Shout out to Wine Enthusiast for a great article that brought light to this process.  www.wineentusiast.com 

The process of Malolactic Fermentation, starts not with yeast but a bacteria. Yep little critters that eat the Malolactic Acid and produce lactic acid as waste.  This is where that buttery and creamy textures come from in many wines.  The primary culprit is the  Oenoccocus Oeni bacteria and this guy is added to many wines, both red and white, providing many Chardonnays with that buttery flavor/feel that they have.   For Chardonnay, contact with oak in chips or barrels is critical in the flavor and color profile.  Aging in tends to leave the wine with a darker hue and more apple butter flavors. Where as aging in stainless steal or other with limited oak, tends to keep the more citrus and other soft fruit notes like pear.  It also lends a lighter color to the final product.   

Please note this is just a small recap on the otherwise lengthy topic.  cheers