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Basic
winemaking procedures:
 1.
The wine begins in the vineyard where the grower and the
winemaker both work to develop grapes with great flavors.
The sugar content, total acidity (TA), and pH are measured
to help determine the ideal time to pick. The Brix should
be around 22-25°,
the TA between 5.5-6.5, and the pH between 3.3.-3.5 |
 2.
Grapes come into the winery where they are hand-sorted
so only the best go into the wine |
 3.
The grapes are put into a stemmer-crusher where the stems
are removed and the grapes crushed. The must (grape skins
and juice) is then placed into one-half ton bins |
 5.
The next morning, hydrated yeast are added to the must
along with yeast food. The carbon dioxide and alcohol
are produced as end products. Twice a day the must is
punched down to mix the juice and skins to extract color
and flavors.
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 6.
When the sugar is gone, the must is pressed into oak and
stored for 18 months to age before bottling
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 Above
are a few methods you may want to use when making wine.
Remember, everyone does things differently and you will
want to personalize your winemaking depending on the availability
of grape varietals, quantity of wine you want to make
and the equipment available.
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A good home winemaking reference book is From Vines
to Wines (1999) by Jeff Cox, Storey Books, Vermont
for $18.95. This and other advanced winemaking books
can be found at the UC Davis Bookstore on-line at www.ucdbookstore.ucdavis.edu
Go to general books and do a search with keywords. They
have a wonderful selection that you can order.
*Click
here for ZMV detailed red
winemaking protocol*
*Click here for ZMV detailed white
winemaking protocol*
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