Most wines, red and white, are meant to be consumed within 24 hours of their purchase. However, fine wines can be stored for consumption at a later date.  Historically wine storage was the sole responsibility of wine merchants.  However, since the mid-20th century more and more consumers have been taking on this task by storing their wines at home.

Wine is one of the few commodities that can improve with age.  As a result, storage of wine requires more than simply having shelf space in a pantry.  Paying close attention to light, humidity and temperature is a top priority.  If stored improperly wine can rapidly deteriorate reducing its overall value in price and taste.

Wines should be stored in a dark, humid cellar or cooler, around 55°F.  The goal is to aim for consistency with all three so that the wine is never exposed to extremes of any of those elements.  Cellars are great for long-term storage.  However, coolers give a collector the ability to accurately control the light, humidity and temperature.  With these three under tight control the only variable left is the duration of storage.

On average red wines can be stored for anywhere between 2-10 years.  White wines can be stored safely for about 2-3 years.  The overall time in storage depends on the delicate balance between the sugars, acids and tannins.  Regardless of the type of wine,  researchers have found the optimum angle for storing wine bottles is at a slight angle, allowing the air bubble to remain at the top with some wine coming in contact with the cork.  This allows for slower oxidation and maturation process, and keeps the cork from drying out.   

Once the means of storage is complete, the last step in storing your wine is creating a system. Knowing the order in which you need to consume your wines will insure that every bottle opened is opened at its peak.  Some folks use color coded sticker systems while others create lists to track when each bottle was bought and when it needs to be opened.

Counterfeit wine has existed for centuries and sometimes makes a big splash in the news. Take, for instance, the lawsuit against Hardy Rodenstock.  Once respected in the wine industry as an acclaimed connoisseur, Hardy was sued for selling what he claimed to be the long lost cache of wine that once belonged to President Thomas Jefferson.  This case was so popular, Benjamin Wallace based his 2009 book, “The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine” on it.

How does counterfeit wine come to be such big news?   Well, much like the aha moment reached when a magic trick is understood, uncovering counterfeit wine can reveal interesting tales of deception.  Counterfeit wines are also leading towards new innovations in the wine industry as well.    

Counterfeit wine, or wine fraud, can take on many different forms.  In some instances it involves the actual manipulation of the wine itself, and in others it involves wine labels.  When counterfeiters look to manipulate the wine itself they employ techniques such as the use of coloring agents, flavorings or additives.  Another form of fraud that has been in practice for centuries is label fraud.  Label fraud consists of gluing a counterfeit label representing cult, rare and/or expensive wines to inferior bottles of wine and then reselling the misrepresentations at a premium.  

Interestingly enough, most of today’s wine fraud techniques were common practice in the early days of wine making.  Centuries ago, wine making techniques were not nearly as refined as they are today.  Thus, early wines needed some amount of manipulation to make them palatable and/or to keep them from spoiling too quickly.  Common techniques included adding such items as milk, ground mustard, ashes and nettles.  Another common practice was to dilute wine with water.

While those practices were harmless by nature, there are some very dangerous techniques out there.  One of the most dangerous types of wine fraud is the use of hazardous materials. Con-artists have been caught utilizing such substances as lead, diethylene glycol and methanol; very dangerous chemicals.  

Luckily, for the every day $25-a-bottle wine drinker counterfeiting wine isn’t a big problem.  It would cost more in the production process to counterfeit than a seller could make.  Wine fraud is big in the wine collector market.  And, strangely enough, many collectors rarely detect counterfeits.  Sometimes this is due to blind faith and other times this is due to a lack of wanting to know.   This ignorance has also led to the same counterfeit bottle being sold and resold in the marketplace multiple times.

So, if you are a collector who desires to purchase collectible bottles of wine, some major producers are taking actions to protect your future purchase.  Many are marking the bottles of future vintages with serial numbers and taking more control over the distribution process.  If you are looking to protect an investment of unmarked and potentially fraudulent bottles of wine the new techniques of stable isotope analysis and isoscapes are beginning to grow in importance. Pretty soon, it will no longer be, “Buyer Beware!”

As we wrote in the  grape varietal information section, weather, soil, and topography all play a major role in wine production.  Combined they are called “terroir” and when balanced well can result in great wines.  Around the globe there is a narrow band of terroir that is most suitable for growing grapes.   Climate data from the last 100 years has revealed a gradual rise in global temperatures which have greatly impacted wine growing regions worldwide.

Well before scientists began to sound the alarm, grape growers were noticing a change in weather patterns above-and-beyond their region’s unpredictable weather close to 30 years ago.  What they were witnessing was the cumulative effect of the rise in greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.  For grape growers this translates into grapes ripening earlier than usual and more frequent summer droughts which are impacting the vine’s growth process.

Climate models predict these effects are expected to be more pronounced in the northern hemisphere.  The result will be a change to the margins and suitability for growing certain varietals.  In California, suitable land for growing premium wine grapes could be cut in half by 2040.  In France, Bordeaux and other regions could be unsuitable for wine-growing by 2050.  

While one solution is being implemented, a switch to more heat-resistant grape type, not everyone is worried about the rising temperatures.  In England, a land not known for its ability to provide the right terroir for grape growing, there has been a steady increase in the number of commercial vineyards.  The island, known for its rainy climate, cooler weather and limited days of warmth and sunlight has witnessed an average rise of 3 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 50 years.  So by 2050, England and China could be atop the wine industry for production.

So, while rising temperatures are a definite long-range concern for the wine industry, thus far the gradual rise has been well received.  The warmer temperatures are resulting in more consistent harvests.  This means whole grape clusters from vine to vine are more similar with regards to flavor and sugar content.  As a result, the wine industry has experienced a steady rise in quality ratings coinciding with the rising temperatures.

In conclusion, rising temperatures around the globe have been and will continue to impact the wine industry.  Most notably, once fertile areas may become barren lands and other regions, not previously hospitable to grape production, will become so.  While we still have some time, 30-40 years until disaster strikes large swathes of the industry, will the wine industry become a larger advocate for environmental legislation?  For their own sake they might need to.

These days what isn’t China producing?  Well, you can cross wine off that list.  While wineries and vineyards in the U.S. and Europe don’t have anything to fear, the same can’t be said for Chile, Argentina and Australia.  China has risen to be the world’s 6th largest producer of wine and it’s 5th largest consumer.  While this fact has not gone unnoticed, connoisseurs worldwide are awaiting the industry’s rebound following a lackluster 2012.

While China continues to import high quality wines from around the world in large quantities, wine producers in China are quickly trying to address their sub-par performance.  National production standards regarding equipment are quickly being adopted throughout the industry and many producers are hoping that regulation is the key.  However, disputes over approving grape type translations from English to Mandarin and other dialects has slowed standardization and education of the public.

Despite those internal struggles in the Chinese Wine Industry, consumers have not been prevented from purchasing foreign and domestic wines.  Even for consumers who have never tasted currants, cranberries or passion fruit (usually no equivalent word in Chinese exists), their consumption is estimated to grow by 150 million bottles a year over the next 5 years.  This type of growth, in production as well as consumption, has some speculating that in 45 years China could be number one in one, if not both of those categories.

For critics that argue against China’s potential reign, they might have missed the fact that a Bordeaux blend from China won ‘Best in Show’ at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2011.  And in 2012 another Bordeaux won high praise and top honors from judges.  While there are still some large issues that need addressing, don’t be surprised to see a bottle of Chinese wine sitting on your friend’s dinner table; quite possibly sooner than later.

If you were to look at the free-run juice from red and white grapes you wouldn’t see much difference.  In both cases the free-run juice would be similar in color and consistency.  Red wine is produced when the skins are allowed to macerate in the must for a specific period of time.  However that’s not the only thing that separates red wine production from white wine production.

The steps for making red and white wine involve similar steps but at different times in the wine making process.  Below we’ve listed all of the steps for making red and white wine together to help demonstrate the difference in the processes. Remember, before you start making wine clean and sanitize your equipment; barrels, carboys, bottles, EVERYTHING!

Harvesting

When to harvest your grapes will vary depending upon your type of grape, terroir and the style of the wine you hope to produce.  Some grapes produce sugars slowly which delays harvesting, while other grapes have thin skins that mandate earlier harvesting.  So, while many variables are involved, the key is to find the right kind of balance for your wine.

De-stemming & Crushing Red and White Grapes

When de-stemming and crushing grapes of any color it is very important that as many stems are removed as possible.  Stems are abrasive and leave behind unpleasant tannins.  In red wine production crushing grapes produces a liquid that is called must which contains skins, seeds and juice.

In white wine production this step is usually skipped in favor of immediate pressing.  However, some wine makers will crush, then macerate the skins for approximately 2 days to help add body to their wines, before pressing.

Adding to Fermentation Containers, Pressing

The must from red grapes is placed in fermentation containers; stainless steel tanks, oak barrels, and plastic tubs.  There it rests for a few days.

Pressing white grapes must be done gently.  Pressing the grapes with gentle pressure helps to completely separate the juice from the skins and minimizes the acid levels and tannins.  The grape bunches can be left intact for what is known as “whole-cluster” pressing.

Adding Sulfur Dioxide and Yeast, Adding to Fermentation Containers

While natural yeast is present on the skin of the red grapes, cultured yeast is added to provide more predictable results.  Sulfur Dioxide is used to help prevent the discoloration and oxidation of the must.

Depending upon the style of white wine to be made, the juice from the pressed grapes are stored in different types of containers.  Wine makers choose barrels to impart tannins and other flavors like vanilla. Stainless steel tanks allow for more control over the entire process.  Wooden vats, concrete tanks and plastic tubs are inexpensive and neutral on their impact to the juice.

Alcoholic Fermentation, Sulfur Dioxide Addition

While red wine must, rests for a couple of days, the addition of cultured yeast helps see the primary fermentation process through to completion.  This stage usually lasts for about two weeks and occurs slightly above and below room temperature; depending on the varietal.

Along with preventing oxidization, sulfur dioxide is added in this stage of white wine making to also prevent spoilage.

Maceration, Clarification

After fermenting your wine must, you will still want to draw more colors and tannins into your juice.  Leaving the skins of red grapes in your juice will allow this to happen.  This stage typically lasts longer than the fermentation stage.  During this stage a cap will form at the top of the fermentation vessel.  This cap consists of the solids present after crushing the grapes.  In order to extract more color and tannins many winemakers will punch down the cap allowing the juice and solids to mix more.  Some winemakers utilize a rotofermenter that turns on its side to prevent the cap from forming. Note: This should be done until  the cap stops rising back to the top of your primary fermentation vessel.

Clarifying white wine involves filtration, fining, cold stabilization, electrodialysis and racking.  Filtration is reserved for high production wines as it has a tendency to remove tannins and other important characteristics.  Fining occurs when a substance is added to the wine that bonds with particles and helps them to fall out of the wine as sediment.  Cold stabilization crystallizes tartaric acid so that they can be removed through racking.  Electrodialysis is a more efficient way of removing tartaric acid by passing the wine through two different membranes placed in electrically charged water.  Racking helps separate the wine from the sediment.

Pressing, Selecting Yeast Type

Once enough color and tannins have been imparted on the red wine, pressing occurs.  If winemakers hope to impart oak flavors on the wine, it is stored in oak barrels after passing through a vertical basket press.

In order to begin the the fermentation process for white wine, wine makers select their yeast.  The addition of yeast allows for more control over the rest of the wine making process.

Malolactic Fermentation, White Wine Alcoholic Fermentation

Malolactic fermentation helps to lower the acidity in red wines.  Leuconostoc bacteria, vitamins, nutrients and amino acids are added to the wine and the fermentation begins.  The bacteria naturally triggers the fermentation and is aided by warmer temperatures.  Grapes grown in warmer climates generally have lowered acidity and thus need less softening.  Cooler climate grapes usually undergo more malolactic fermentation.

White wines are fermented between 50 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.  This stage lasts longer and is less intense than the same stage for red wines. Wine makers will allow the white wine to continue to ferment with dead yeast cells in order to further develop the body of the wine.

Racking, Barrel Aging

Racking separates red wine from sediments that develop during the previous stage of wine production.  Leftover sediment is used as fertilizer in order to decrease the amount of waste produced from wine production.

Barrel aging white wines is reserved for certain grape types.  Most white wine makers skip this step and rely on the fresh and fruity characteristics to carry the wine.

Clarification, White Wine Malolactic Fermentation

Clarifying red wine involves filtration, fining, cold stabilization, electrodialysis and racking.  Filtration is reserved for high production wines as it has a tendency to remove tannins, color and other important characteristics.  Fining occurs when a substance is added to the wine that bonds with particles and helps them to fall out of the wine as sediment.  Cold stabilization crystallizes tartaric acid so that they can be removed through racking.  Electrodialysis is a more efficient way of removing tartaric acid by passing the wine through two different membranes placed in electrically charged water.  Racking helps separate the wine from the sediment.

Malolactic Fermentation is an important decision for white wine makers.  Because this process lowers acidity in the wine, most wine makers skip this process.  This way the tart acidity that white wines are known and valued for remains.  Typically, barrel aging and this step go hand in hand.

Bottling and Labeling, Racking

After the clarification stage, red wine is ready to be bottled and corked.  After aging in the bottle for some time based on the varietal, a label is affixed and the cases are shipped.

White wines that do not undergo barrel aging and malolactic fermentation are immediately racked following alcoholic fermentation.  Leftover sediment is used as fertilizer in order to decrease the amount of waste produced from wine production.

Clarification & Bottling (White only)

After racking, white wines are clarified once more.  Once clarification is complete the wine is bottled, corked and labels are affixed.  White wine is not typically aged in the bottle.  Sulfur is added as a preservative and to prevent any unwanted fermentation from occurring.

Pressing grapes is not the same as crushing grapes.  Pressing grapes extracts the juice from the grape.  Pressing grapes has an influence on the color of the wine you make.  Therefore, when making red or white wine, wine makers will pick specific times throughout the wine making process to press.

When processing red grapes, pressing usually takes place during or after the alcoholic fermentation.  This allows the skin to come into contact with the must and impact the color of the wine.  White grapes are usually pressed immediately after processing in a grape crusher to avoid skin contact during fermentation and control the color of the resulting wine.

When pressing red grapes a vertical basket press is commonly utilized. The vertical basket allows the free run juice to drain into a container before the press wine is collected.  Both juices (free-run and press) are kept separate through the fermentation and racking process and may be blended later in the wine making process.  If you are operating a vertical press size 50 or larger its worth considering hydraulic heads to make the work more efficient.

Pneumatic (bladder) pressing is commonly used for white grapes.  This type of press applies gentle, steady pressure to extract the juices.  This results in less juice overall but helps to keep the free-run juices from mixing with the skins. Whole cluster pressing is also common with white grape wine production.  This minimizes acids and tannins that are naturally present in the skins, seeds and stems.

Crushing your grapes before you press them purposefully bursts the skin of each individual grape.  That way the juice is released from the pulp and your resulting wine can reach its full potential.  Once your grapes are crushed properly then they will be ready for your grape press.

Crushing can be done in various ways depending on the amount of grapes you are working with.  When dealing with 10 pounds or less, you can effectively and timely crush all of the grapes by hand.  When dealing with more than 10 pounds you will most likely want to look into utilizing some type of crushing equipment.

Lastly, depending on the type of grape you are using, red versus white, you will want to take different precautions.  White wine does not utilize the skins of the grape and must be crushed by equipment that can effectively press all of the juice from the skins.

Items for Crushing:

1. Grapes, red or white
2. Colander
3. Large stainless steel or aluminum container or,
4. Grape crusher (manual or mechanic)
5. Glass jars

Instructions for Crushing:

1. Sanitize your metal container or grape crusher (same as you would your carboy)
2. Sanitize your jars (same as bottles)
3. Inspect grapes for mold
4. Separate your grapes from the stalk and rinse off with cold water
5. Fill your container for crushing grapes
6. Crush grapes
7. Place the crushed grapes and juices into your jars and place them in the refrigerator

Have you ever produced wine that you refused to drink?  The good news is that your not alone.  The bad news is that it is most likely your fault.  The most common problem in poor wine production starts in the kitchen sink.

Regardless if you are making red or white wine, wine making is a process that deserves a lot of time, and patience.  Taking the time to properly clean, then sanitize your equipment is very important and should never be overlooked.  Having the patience to inspect each piece of equipment to ensure that it’s been properly cleaned and sanitized is an important skill.  Patience is also needed throughout the rest of the wine making process to ensure that steps like crushing, fermentation and racking are done properly.

With all of the equipment involved in home wine making you might be asking yourself, “What should I sanitize?”  The easy answer is, “Everything.”  However, the proper answer is, anything that comes into contact with your must or wine; that includes your hands.

Before you sanitize your equipment it is important to clean it.  As noted in our blog on Cleaning and Sanitizing Barrels, cleaning is not the same as sanitizing.  Cleaning only removes visible grit and grime.  Sanitizing your equipment removes bacteria and other harmful microbes.

In order to clean your equipment you can use soap and water.  You should use unscented soap and warm water.  (Scented soap can leave behind residues that can negatively impact your wine.)  After cleaning your equipment and letting it dry you will be ready to sanitize.    The accepted methods of sanitizing include:

1. Boiling
2. Iodine
3. Chorine (unscented)
4. Citric Acid and Sodium Bisulfite

There are advantages and disadvantages to each.  Boiling requires no chemicals but is time consuming and difficult with large items.  Iodine is inexpensive but can be toxic in high concentrations and stains clothes easily.  Chlorine is a commonly found chemical but is hard to remove from porous material and can ruin wine if not properly rinsed.  Citric Acid and Sodium Bisulfite is also inexpensive but needs careful measuring and can trigger allergic reactions in some people.

Usually some mix of all of these methods will work best.**  For your smaller pieces of equipment, boiling water in a pot will work just fine and for your larger pieces of equipment, a chemical cleaner will be more efficient.  Regardless of which method you choose, don’t skip the sanitizing step.

**Do not, for any reason, mix any of the chemicals with each other!

There is often confusion around “what is” and “what isn’t” racking.  Racking “is” the process by which you move wine must from one carboy to another in order to leave the sediment behind.  The sole purpose of racking is “to leave the sediment behind.”

Racking is necessary because the solids that settle out of the wine during the fermentation process are dead/inactive yeast cells. As generations of cells continue to die off the active yeast begins to run out of food (sugar).  Once that happens the active yeast begins to feed on the dead cells.  In order to consume the dead cells the active cells begin to produce and enzyme to aid in that consumption.  This process is known at autolysis and can ruin a wine’s flavor if allowed to carry on.  Following through with racking on a strict schedule is important and will also help the clarification process.

Throughout the home wine making process, racking should be performed 2-4 times.  The first scheduled racking should occur 5-7 days after fermentation begins.  The second racking should occur approximately 4-5 weeks after the first (depending on how fast sediment develops).  The third and fourth racking*, prior to bottling your wine, should occur when more sediment has developed and once the wine has cleared up.

Items for Racking:

1. Food grade hosing (siphon, with or without clamp)
2. Secondary Carboy

Racking Instructions:

1. Sanitize Carboy
2. Sanitize siphon tube with Sodium Bisulphite sanitizing solution or by submerging (for 15-20 sec) in water that has been brought to a rolling boil; remove siphon tube with clean tongs or other clean instrument and place on a clean towel to air dry
3. Place your secondary Carboy side-by-side underneath the primary carboy
4. Place one end of the siphon tube in the primary carboy being careful to keep the tube from touching the bottom of the carboy
5. Suck from the other end of the tube to start the flow of wine (Feel free to practice this step with water beforehand)
6. Place the other end of the siphon tube into the secondary carboy
7. Let the wine flow into the secondary carboy until the primary carboy is only left with sediment
8. Place the air-lock on the secondary carboy and follow your racking schedule

*It is possible to rack your wine too many times.  Thus, more racking is not better.  The negatives of too much racking is over oxidation and the deterioration of the wine’s flavor.

Now that your wine has fermented and is clear of sediment (racked) it’s time for the final step; bottling!  Your first task is to find the type of bottle that will best suit your wine.  Then, to ensure that your wine ends up as perfect as you envisioned, you’ll need to follow some pre-bottling steps that must be adhered too.  After you follow those easy steps then you’ll be ready for the final step of bottling your homemade wine.

Bottling Items:

1. Bottles
2. Corks
3. Siphon tube with or without clamp
4. Hand corker or Bench or Floor corker

Pre-Bottling Instructions:

1. Clean & Sanitize your bottles
2. Soak your corks for 1-2 hours then sanitize them by boiling them in water and finishing them off with a cold-water rinse; allow to air dry
3. Sanitize siphon tube with Sodium Bisulphite sanitizing solution or by submerging (for 15-20 sec) in water that has been brought to a rolling boil; remove siphon tube with clean tongs or other clean instrument and place on a clean towel to air dry

Bottling Instructions:

1. Remove the airlock from the carboy
2. Wet towel with boiling water and wipe out inside of neck of carboy being mindful not to touch the wine or drip excess water into the carboy
3. Place your bottle side by side, underneath your carboy
4. Place one end of the siphon tube in the carboy being careful to keep the tube from touching the bottom of the carboy
5. Suck from the other end of the tube to start the flow of wine (Feel free to practice this step with water beforehand)
6. Place the other end of the siphon tube into the bottle allowing this end of the tube to touch the bottom of the bottle
7. Fill the bottles to the top (use a tube clamp to stop the flow, or raise the bottle so that it is above the carboy to stop the flow) (practice this step with water beforehand as well)
8. Remove the tube from the bottle, the space remaining in the bottle is ideal displacement for each cork
9. Repeat steps 5-8 until all bottles are filled
10. Using a hand corker (for a few bottles), or bench or floor corker (for many bottles), cork your bottles (follow the instructions for the device you use) The cork should be level or slightly below the level of the top of the bottle.
11. Wipe down the corker and each bottle.
12. In a cool dark area, place bottles upright for a 5-7 days to ensure that the corks are properly seated and to allow excess air to leak out.
13. If using natural corks, lay each bottle on its side in order to keep the cork from drying out. Synthetic corks do not need to be kept moist.
14. Let bottles sit for at least a month, then enjoy!

NOTE: If you had any left over wine in you carboy because it wasn’t enough to fill an entire bottle, sample your creation.  If there was a sediment in your carboy, mark the last bottle you filled, let it sit upright for a day before you open it and pour it slowly.