Harvest | Stemmer/Crusher | Fermentation | Ageing | Bottling

Harvest:
For every vintner harvest time is the crucial moment in the wine's vegetative cycle. Most grapes are hand-harvested into boxes or bins and delivered to wineries in open containers called gondolas.

Stemmer/Crusher:
Grapes are conveyed to a stemmer/crusher where grape leaves and stems are removed and the grapes are crushed. Some grapes may bypass and go directly to the press for whole berry pressing.

Fermentation:
After crushing, destemming and sulphuring, the harvest is put into what are called the fermentation vats, which may vary in size between 50 to 300 hectolitres, where alcoholic fermentaiton take place. Most red grapes go to the fermenter for primary fermentation (the conversion of sugar into alcohol and CO2) while most white grapes are pressed prior to fermentation. Some white wines are fermented in small oak barrels. Yeast is added to start fermentation.
Some winemakers prefer to utilize the native yeasts that are present on all grapes.

Ageing:
After fermentation and the wine is racked off, it is often put into 225 liter oak barrels where it will continue its develoment, its "ageing" process, until bottling. More and more reputable growths are using new oak for brrel ageing. Some others growths are settled in large stainless steel. After barrel ageing and prior to bottling, some wines are fined and filtered to help stabilize and clarifiy them. Some wines are not fined or filtered.

Bottling:
The last stage before the slow and relatively lengthy ageing process. The bottle glass must be tinted, with a shoulder. Heavy bottles are the most costly. The cork, preferably natural, the best quality comes from Portugal or Catalania, Sardinia and Northa Africa also produce cork. Many wines are ageed further in the bottle, others are ready for immediate enjoyment.