Wine has been loved by many across the centuries. Though the technology has changed, the same methodology is still used to produce the fruit based beverage. Most wineries will employ a chief winemaker to be sure that the grapes they grow are turned into delicious wines, and this is how they do it:
First of all you need to grow the correct grape variety for the wine you need to produce. A few of these types include Pinot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Shiraz. Typically a wine would be made of one of these variations, but it is also quote common for 2 varieties to be combined to make a unique mix of flavour.
After picking the ripe grapes, the next stage of the method is to smash the grapes. This used to be done by stepping on the grapes with bare feet, and it’s still done this way by some tiny wine outlets, but the bigger wineries use automated machines to smash the grapes.
The crushed grapes are then placed into enormous boxes and left to ferment for a period. Some winemakers will add additional yeast to the blend to accelerate the fermentation process, whilst others choose to leave it as is. The natural sugars in the grapes produces carbon-dioxide so it is really important that the crushed grapes are left in an open container, or a container that's got a vent for the carbon dioxide to escape.
After the winemaker is OK with the fermentation process the wine is placed into massive wooden barrels and left to further mature. The average size of these barrels is between 220 and 250 litres, so they're quite big. The wine is then placed into smaller glass bottles and are sealed with a traditional style cork or a metal cap.
If the method is carried out well, the end result will be a wonderful wine such as this wine here.
For even more information on the Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz , take a peek at the full review by Alexander James by coming over to our YouTube channel here