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Red wine, blood
of the gods.
Among the many types of wine available, red wine makes up
roughly 40% of the popular wines on the market. There are many
types of red wine available, although most are made using the
same methods.
This very exhilarating type of wine is made from black grapes,
drawing their color from the skins of the grapes, and bringing
that same color to the cheeks, lips, tongues and teeth of all
those who drink it.
During the beginning stages of making red wine, the grapes
that have been picked are put into a crusher.
The crusher gently breaks the skins of the grapes. Depending
on what type of wine is being made and the tannin that’s
required, the stalks will either be used or discarded at this
point.
Next, the grapes are put into a fermentation vat with the
skins. This can be a long process, taking several weeks to
complete. If a higher ambient temperature is used, more tannin
and color will be extracted from the grapes.
When making soft wines, the whole grapes are fermented using
sealed vats. The carbon dioxide that becomes trapped in the
sealed vats ferment the grapes under pressure. This is
normally a quick process, taking only a few days.
Keep in mind, the color and tannin content of the wine is
based on how long the fermenting process takes.
If the fermenting process takes a long time, the wine will
generally hold more flavor and color.
The remaining bulk of the grapes go through a press, being
crushed to create a tannic wine. Sometimes, this tannic wine
is added with a free run wine in order to add a bit more
structure to the wine blend. Both the press and vat wine are
then mixed and transferred to either tanks or barrels for a
second fermentation. The second fermentation will take the
longest, although it brings out the quality and taste from the
wine.
Often, the spent skins and pulp, after primary fermentation is
boiled up, refermented, and distilled to make Grappa.
All types of fine red wine will spend a minimum of a year in
barrels.
Some types of red wine will spend a lot more time in the
barrels, possibly several years. Red wine is also fined with
egg whites or isinglass.
Fining is a process whereby a substance is stirred through the
wine mix. This substance holds an opposing electrical charge
to the yeasts, stalks, pulp and grape remains in the mix. As
oppositely charged substances are attracted to each other, the
undesirable contents of the mix bond with the fining
substance, and fall to the bottom of the holding vessel. This
is why there is sometimes an allergy warning on the label on a
bottle of wine. Because, even though no egg or isinglass
remains in the wine, it has been in contact with the liquid,
and health laws in some countries state that the warning must
be present for the sake of people with serious allergies.
Once the wine has been bottled, it is then shipped off and
sold. Some wine however, will be stored for a period of time
in the bottle before it is offered for sale.
The time a wine spends in the bottle is very important,
although not every wine needs to spend a great deal of time in
the bottle. The more complex and more expensive types of red
wine will age well in the bottle, holding their unique flavor
and color.
Simple types of red wine however, don’t need to spend much
time at all in the bottle. |
