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Harvest Time!
Harvesting the Grapes
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Delicious Wine
Steps
Harvest Time!
Harvesting the Grapes
Harvesting timetable
Since grapes require sufficient sunlight in order to ripen, the vineyards across the globe are
located between 30 and 50 degrees latitude in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
While located in temperate climates, not all grapes ripen in the same period of the year, but
rather according to their proximity to the Equator. Consequentially, the harvest season for the
Cypriot vineyards starts in early July, whereas in California the grapes can be picked in late
July and early August. Nonetheless, the harvesting is done during October in most regions
from the Northern hemisphere, the only exception to the rule being the ice wine grapes. In the
Southern hemisphere, the harvesting takes place between early February until late April and
at times it lasts until June.
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after veraison the timetable when the grapes start changing color with a hydrometer or
a refractometer. More often than not, a good indicator that you should harvest the grapes is
when the sugar levels are above 25 brix.
Acid levels are strictly dependant on sugar levels, meaning that as the latter ones begin to
increase the acidity of the grapes decreases. The main role of the natural grapes acids consist
of the development of the aroma and flavor compounds. In short, the acidity is what makes
pairing wines and foods possible. The most important acid found and measured in must and
the main responsible for the taste of the wine is the tartaric acid. Even though the acidity will
vary according to the wine, the TA levels are usually between 0.6 and 0.8 percent for red wine
and 0.65 and 0.85 for white wine.
The pH levels of grapes typically point out the amount of free hydrogen ions and are
indicators of the wines acidity (the normal values being between 3 and 3.4). Even though
low pH levels indicate a high acidity of the wine, winemakers are more concerned about
overriping, as it leads to dull flavors, colors and wine faults caused by spoilage.
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White Wine
Processing white wine does not imply crushing or destemming in order to avoid the extraction
of the tannins from the seeds and skins of the grapes.
In general, winemakers place the stems along with
the berries in the press to facilitate the flowing of juice
past the flatten skins. Placing the stem into the press
also has the function of creating tight clusters that
typically gather at the edge of the press and use as
many berries as possible.
However, there are certain exceptions when
winemakers allow a brief period of contact with the
grapes skin, frequently when they want to correct
overly acidic grapes. While the vast majority of
vineyards have given up such practices since the
1970s, Californian winemakers still need to undergo
the process in the production of Chardonnay and
Sauvignon Blanc.
Another noteworthy function of keeping the skins and
berries together for a certain periods is to produce
rose-colored wines. Essentially, the two remain in contact until they acquire the desired
color. Afterwards, the juice is pressed to eliminate the skins and left for fermentation as if the
winemaker was producing white wine.
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Red Wine
Because red wines derive their colors from the grape
skin, the contact of the latter with the juice is essential
for color extractions. In other words, the process of
making red wine consists of destemming and crushing
the berries and leaving them together with the skins in
a tank for the first fermentation. Because red grapes
already have high levels of tannins, adding the stems
in the mixture is not necessary. Moreover, the stems
also alter the aroma of the wine, namely it leaves a
vegetal odor similar to one of green bell peppers.
The winemaker can add the stem in the mixture in
the remote possibility that the grapes do not contain
the optimal amount of tannins. The only acceptable
time when this practice is allowed is when the stems
are ripe and started to turn brown. However, we do
not recommend this at all because of the aeromatics
caused by this process.
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Malolactic Fermentation
When the primary fermentation is complete, the wine will need to undergo a second one
which is known as malolactic fermentation (MLF). This process eliminates the harsh and
bitter taste cause by the presence of the malic acid through the introduction of certain lactic
acid bacteria (Oenococcus oeni, Lactobacillus, etc.). In essence, the role of these bacteria
comprises of malic acid consumption and the release of energy. It is necessary to point out
that malolactic fermentation should be done prior to bottling the wine. If it starts on its own
after the wine is bottled, the effects are quite dire.
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Racking
Racking is essentially a decantation process, which helps wine makers eliminate the so called lees that
accumulate at the bottom. Most wines require you to perform the racking 2-3 times before they develop
the crystal-clear aspect, but you can repeat the operation as many times as necessary. You can rack the
smaller carboy by siphoning it with a clear plastic tube, whereas for a larger barrel or drum, you will
need a pump.
With regards to the perfect time to perform the racking, for white assortments of wine it can be done
right after the primary fermentation, while for the red assortments of wine you will have to wait for the
malolactic fermentation to complete.
Filtration
Filtering the wine is an alternative method of eliminating the particles and microorganisms in the wine,
which aids in stabilizing the beverage. However, the downside is that filtering the wine for particles
with around 0.65 micrometers lightens its texture and color significantly. While it does not sterilize it
completely, filtration will substantially decrease the presence of particles and bacteria.
You will at this point need to add preservatives and sulfur dioxide is one of the most frequently
utilized. Its basic functions comprise of acting as microbial agent and preventing the oxidation of the
wine. Sulfur dioxide also stabilizes the color of the wine and averts spoilage issues or the restart of the
malolactic fermentation while in the bottle.
Stabilizing the wine can be done by cold application, heat application or a combination of the two. The
cold stabilization process entails keeping it chilled at very low temperatures for approximately one week
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for the purpose of determining the extra potassium bitartrate to precipitate. The hot stabilization on the
other hand involves treating the wine with bentonite and keeping it at higher temperatures in order to
extract the excessive proteins. However, certain assortments of wine require a combination of the two.
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Bottles
If the bottles have been used for something else prior to storing wine, then
you will want to make sure that they are perfectly clean, unlabeled and
without any chipping. You can remove the labels on the bottle quite easily
with nothing more than a solution comprising of hot water and washing
soda by rinsing with an appropriate brush.
On a side note, if you come across cold stable glues, then you will need a
mixture of hot water and ammonia to remove the labels. The bottles can
then be sterilized with bleach and bathed in citric acid solutions in order
to neutralize it. Rinse the bottles with water and allow them to dry.
Corks
Depending on the type of bottles you opted for as wine containers, you
will need to decide on the appropriate type of cork. Standard corks
require a corker to open and are the most popular solutions due to their
ability to age wine. However, there are also corks that can be screwed
on the bottle and crown caps, but their main impediment is that they
make quick oxidation a certainty. When using normal corks, soaking
them in a mixture of 1/5 parts sulfite and 4/5 water will help you prevent
contamination.
Bottle fillers are not mandatory, but they will allow you to transfer
the wine to the bottles with the minimal air exposure. At the same time, corking them immediately is highly
advisable. Once filled, the bottles should be arranged with the cork pointing upwards and left in this position for
3 to 5 days. The scope of this practice is equalizing the pressure in the bottle and drying the cork. After 3-5 days,
the bottles can be turned upside down and placed in a cool and dry location.
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Cheers to
Good wine! :-)
Now, Whats Next?
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helpful.
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