Red Wine
To make red wine [go to listing of red wine grapes], when the grapes are harvested, they are transported to the winery for processing. Crushing and destemming is usually done by machine, but there may be a "ceremonial stomping" as a celebration. The winemaker has the option to leave stems on during pressing; however, many choose to remove them so that the skins come in contact with the must (juice). Contact with the skins adds color, tannins, and flavor. The tannin in red wine is one of the primary differences between red and white wines. Tannin acts as a preservative and also add a slightly bitter taste and varying degrees of "dryness". There are some fine red wines that must be aged for a period of time until they reach their peak when the tannins have mellowed. Others have little or no tannins so they are able to be enjoyed without ageing.
During the fermenting process, the winemaker will monitor the extraction of tannins, pigment, and flavor from the grape skins and may choose to remove the cap (mixture of skins, stems and and solids that rise to the top of the barrel or tank) when the wine has reached its peak varietal character. If more exposure to the solids is needed for further extraction, the cap is either punched back down into the wine or the wine is pumped over the cap. Most red wines are fermented until all the sugar has turned to alcohol. This produces a dry wine. If fermentation is stopped before this happens, it will yield a sweeter wine. Once the alcohol fermentation is complete, if the wine is drawn off the solids prior to pressing, it is called "free-run" wine. The wine that results after pressing the solids is called "pressed" wine. These two wines are kept separate, but may be blended before bottling.
Then the ageing process begins. Ageing is usually done in oak barrels, however stainless steel vats may be used. New oak barrels imbue more intense flavors and barrels that are several years old impart more subtle flavors. Another factor that may add complexity to the wine is when the inside of the barrel has been toasted. Red wines spend more time barrel-ageing than do white wines.
When the wine is aged to the specification of the winemaker, it must be cleared of any remaining sediment before it is bottled. There are several methods of acomplishing this task. One of them is racking. Racking is when the wine is decanted from the barrel in which the sediments have collected to a clean barrel. Another method is by forcing it through a filter. Fining is a gentler way to filter wine. This is when an insoluable substance is introduced to the wine to attract any remaining sediment. Some neutral fining agents are egg whites, milk solids and sturgeon bladder. The wine is then bottled for distribution.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Chambourcin