How to make Red Wine

Harvesting

In high-quality vineyards the grapes are picked by hand when they reach the perfect balance of sugar and acidity.

This negates the need to regulate the wine at a later stage using additives such as ascorbic acid or potassium bicarbonate to make the wine more or less acidic. (A common problem with mass produced wines is that they are picked by machine in great quantities, sometimes from multiple vineyards, and some of the grapes will be under ripe, some over, leading to inconsistencies)

Sorting and Destemming

This is when the grapes are separated from their stems and sorted on long tables, discarding any that don’t make the grade. This ensures that every grape going into the bottle is in good condition. This does not happen with bulk, mass-produced wines where everything goes into the mix, sticks and all.

Crushing

The grapes are crushed very gently to release the juice. They are left to macerate with their skins, which is what gives red wine its colour. 

Fermentation

Yeast is added to convert the grape sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. However, the kind of yeast used is important. Our growers use natural yeasts that they make themselves or obtain from reliable sources. Mass-produced wines often buy in yeasts that come with a flavour profile such as ‘red berry fruits’, in order to make up for any deficiencies in the product.

While the wine is fermenting, the skins float to the top, forming a what is known as a cap, and our winemakers will regularly punch down or pump over the cap to extract colour, tannins, and flavour. 

Pressing 

After several days to a few weeks, depending on the wine and the vineyard, the wine is separated from the skins by pressing. Longer skin contact generally produces a darker, more tannic wine, pftem destined to be drunk after several years' ageing.

Ageing

After fermentation, the wine is aged to develop flavour, aroma, texture, and complexity and to allow the tannins to soften.

The length of ageing varies depending on the style of wine, from a few months to several years.

Methods of Ageing

Many winemakers use a combination of the vessels below to achieve their desired results.

Stainless steel tanks

These will preserve fresh fruit flavours and acidity without adding flavours to the wine. This is the most common way of ageing lighter, fruit-forward red wines, destined to be drunk fairly young.

Concrete vessels

Allow gentle oxygen exchange while maintaining stable temperatures. Concrete helps to create a smooth texture to the wine without adding oak flavours and is increasingly popular with winemakers seeking purity of fruit.

Oak barrels

Oak barrels can be 1st, 2nd or 3rd use, depending on the style of wine being made and the wood used is often American or French oak. 

Ageing wine in wood allows small amounts of oxygen to interact with the wine, softening tannins. The size of the barrel also plays a role in adjusting the amount of contact the surface area of the wine has with the wood, and therefore influencing the finished taste.

Oak can add flavours and aromas such as: vanilla, clove, cinnamon, toast, smoke, caramel, coconut or chocolate.

The importance of oak and common myths

Oak is used to influence flavour, texture, and structure and not simply to make wine taste ‘oakey’.

Myth: All high-quality red wines are aged in new oak barrels.

Reality: Many excellent wines use older barrels or no oak at all to preserve fruit character.

Myth: Strong oak flavours always indicate a better wine.

Reality: Excessive oak can overpower the fruit; balance is generally considered more desirable.

Clarification and Bottling

Before bottling, the wine is clarified to improve its appearance and stability by removing suspended particles such as yeast, grape solids, and proteins.

Clarification Methods

Settling: Particles naturally sink to the bottom over time.

Filtering: Wine passes through filters to remove remaining solids and microorganisms.

Fining: Special fining agents (such as bentonite clay, egg whites, crushed shells or pea protein) bind to unwanted particles so they can be removed. Most everyday wines are not filtered or fined using animal-based products. Fining with egg whites, for example, tends to be reserved for certain top vintages and fine wines.

Bottling

Once clarified, the wine is bottled under carefully controlled conditions to prevent spoilage.

Some wines are ready to drink immediately after bottling. Others continue to mature in the bottle for months or even years, developing more complex aromas and softer tannins.

Proper storage (cool, dark conditions with a consistent temperature) helps wines age successfully, although most everyday wines are meant to be drunk within a couple of years. For wines that improve with age in the bottle, the winemaker will have put it through more complex processes in the cellar, to ensure its longevity, including extracting sufficient tannins during fermentation to act as a natural preservative and to soften as the wine ages.

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