Traditional Red Wine Making (Part 1)

Traditional wine making requires a different fermentation system than modern wine making. In the traditional wine making the stalks are usually part of the fermentation and for richer wine, grapes are being crushed as opposed to be left whole.

For Beaujolais wines the grapes are not crushed but instead go through what is called a carbonic maceration which involves a fermentation that takes place within the grape itself. Because of this process, Beaujolais can be enjoyed as soon as it comes out of the wine making process, but don't age very well.

Pinot Noir is usually made using both processes of crushed and un-crushed grapes giving it a rich and fruity taste.

Once the grapes are in the vat, the next most important element in the fermentation process is the temperature which needs to be more elevated if natural grape yeast is used for fermentation. However, the temperature can't go above 90°F (33°C) which would turn the wine in veritable vinegar. If the temperature is kept to low the wine would then be flavorless. The right temperature is key to make the perfect wine.

During fermentation, if not checked a "cap" will form on the surface of the vats. In the old days this was kept in check by winemakers literally swimming in the wine. Today it is done mechanically with a wooden paddle or sprinklers.

Wine fermentation takes a week or two depending on the grapes to transform sugars into alcohol. The sugar and alcohol levels will then be checked and inadequacies corrected until the wine is perfect.

While some wine sugars and alcohol levels have been checked, the winemaker will either add sugar or tartanic acid in the wine depending on local regulations.

At this time what is called liquid and solids are still mixed together. Then the liquid (wine) called the free-run is drawn off and separated from the solids (grapes) which will go into a press. It will then be called press wine.

Press wine is intensely colored and flavored and will be blended with the free-run. However, usually not all the press-wine is used because if too much is blended to the free-run the final wine will be too tannic.

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