Want to learn more about wines, where to obtain them best, and what makes each one different from the others? Steve shares all that he has learned from years of being a fervent wine collector and being one of the country’s top wine cellar designers and builders!
Here are some quick facts we’ve learned from him.
How Vintners Make Wines
There are more than 6,000 varieties of wine, each made distinct by an area’s natural conditions, how the grapes are grown, and how the extract is processed. Generally, there are 10 stages of producing wine, from preparing the soil to bottling, and it could take more than 4 years to complete 1 production cycle. As we explore the best places to find your favorite reds and whites, let’s first run through the basic wine production process and understand how these highly-valued drinks come to be.
1.Soil Preparation
Different types of grape vines thrive in different types of soils. Besides understanding the microclimate, farmers need to assess the soil’s texture, moisture, and acidity to decide whether they are suitable for their target variety. They also have to take note of wind patterns to determine the orientation of the plots with their land.
2. Planting
Grape vines are typically planted before winter to allow the roots to settle, anchor on the soil, and acclimate. If you’ve visited a vineyard and noticed stakes through the plantation, you probably saw growth tubes and trellis systems responsible for protecting the growing vine from animals and keeping the trunks upright despite the weight of the cordons.
3. Monitoring
After planting comes the monitoring and maintenance phase. Farmers spend months protecting the growing vine. It goes through a dormant stage during the winter when roots further creep down into the soil at the same time. Once warmer weather starts to embrace the plants after winter, the vine undergoes bud breaking, flowering, and fruit setting. Here is when clusters of grapes start to form.
4. Veraison
Veraison is when the grapes further develop into plumper and juicier fruits. This is when their colors also start to change from green to dark violet, which tells us that the fruit is starting to produce sugar within.
5. Harvesting
How do farmers know when it’s time to harvest the grapes? The answer is sugar, more formally known as Brix. Different grape varieties have different sugar content. This means that reds and whites are harvested at different times. Specifically, white wine grapes accumulate sugars faster than reds, so they are harvested earlier.
6. Crushing and/or Pressing
Here is when reds and whites become more distinct. After harvesting, red wine grapes are placed onto a de-stemmer, into a crusher, then into a presser. Stems, seeds, skin and pulps are crushed together to extract all the tannins present in them. On the other hand, white wine grapes are directly transferred onto a presser after harvesting, so the resulting extract doesn’t contain as many tannins as red wines.
If you aren’t familiar with tannins, these are the natural antioxidants that influence a wine’s texture, weight, acidity, astringency, and more. Red wines are typically bolder, darker, and richer than white wine varieties because of the presence of tannins.
7. Primary Fermentation (Vinification)
After pressing, the must (liquid extract) is transferred into fermentation tanks where it undergoes vinification or converting grape juice into wine. Yeast plays a key role here as it converts sugar into alcohol. This stage usually takes about a month.
8. Aging
Once the juice has been converted, the alcohol is now transferred to aging tanks. White wine is often stored in stainless steel tanks, while red wine is aged inside oak barrels. In some cases, though, white wine is stored in barrels to produce a nutty and creamy flavor like what we sense in Chardonnay. Some red wines are also stored in stainless steel tanks to keep the floral flavor like what we taste from Beaujolais nouveau.
After transfer, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation or second fermentation.
9. Preservation
Wines undergo a slow aging process. Moreover, red wines age much slower than white wines. Cabernet Sauvignons, for example, may need to stay in oak barrels for more than 2 years before they are bottled. To prevent wines from turning into vinegar, commercial winemakers usually add sulfites. Sulfites prevent oxidation, retain the wine’s freshness, and stabilize the liquid.
While sulfites are essential for preserving wine, they have been suspected of causing the headaches we experience after drinking wine. That’s why some winemakers prefer to go for natural preservatives instead of using sulfites.
10. Bottling
When wines are near the end of their preferred initial aging period, winemakers constantly do taste tests until they sense their desired flavor/strength. This is also why different brands of the same type of wine can taste differently — the makers may have bottled them at different times.
Once inside the bottle, wine will continue to age. It’s essential to keep the bottles inside climate-controlled wine cellars or refrigerators to keep the wine from aging prematurely. High temperatures may speed up a wine’s aging process, altering the brand’s signature texture, flavor, and aroma. Likewise, extremely moist or arid environments may promote the development of mold or dry out bottle corks, respectively.
Main Difference Between Red and White Wine
Winemakers incorporate different processing techniques to produce their own unique wines. Some even inject additional flavoring to achieve a particular taste. That’s why many people call winemaking an art — you can produce your own variety, even if it’s the same Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc.
As you’ve learned in the previous sections, the types of grapes used already differentiates red wine from white wine. Furthermore, as the grapes are processed, wine varieties are enhanced using different production techniques.
Overall, the major difference between reds and whites, taste-wise, is that red wine has a more floral, textured, and solid taste & consistency, while white wine is smoother and less crisp.
Different types of grapes have different soil and climate requirements. This is why knowledge of pedology, ecology, and biology is essential for wine-grape growers. Given that certain wines are only produced in certain areas, you might be wondering where we can find and buy them.
Well, here’s what we’ve heard from Steve!
Famous Wine Regions in the United States
Going on a wine tour would take you to the most breathtaking sceneries in the U.S. If you want to go on a wine exploration trip, here are the top wine-producing states in the United States you can visit.
Top 1: California
From the North Coast featuring the infamous Napa and Sonoma Valleys to the Southern Central Areas featuring the historical wine city of Paso Robles, California remains the top wine-producing state in the country, with over 3,000 wineries.
Top 2: Washington
There are 20+ AVAs in Washington State, with most wineries located within riverbeds of old glaciers. Three of the most famous appellations in the state include Columbia Valley, Puget Sound, and Yakima Valley.
Famous for: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah , Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris.
Top 3: Oregon
If you’re into collecting one-of-a-kind Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Tempranillos, you might want to visit the Rogue and Umpqua Valleys. They only distribute these wines very limitedly and are some of the finest in the area.
Top 4: New York
Wineries and vineyards are distributed all over the State of New York. But the largest wine-producing areas include Finger Lakes, Champlain Valley, the Hudson River Region, Lake Erie, and Long Island.
Top 5: Texas
The Texas Hill Country is the 2nd largest certified AVA in the country. With a rich American-German wine heritage, this state celebrates the month of October with the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest.
If you wish to know more about wines and proper wine storage, or you’re building a new home for your precious wine collection, Steve and his team would love to talk to you about it!