Wine Production : Vine to Bottle - Vinum Vine

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WINE PRODUCTION
‘by-product’, by draining part of a vat for a rosé and leaving
behind a great concentration of skins to produce a full-bodied
red wine. Alternatively, red grapes can be chilled and lightly
crushed just sufficiently to release their juice. They are then
allowed to macerate for between 12 and 24 hours, during which
time the colour pigments and flavourings are allowed to ‘bleed’
into the juice. The juice is then drained off and fermentation
begins. This method can produce quite good depth of colour,
especially if the grapes used have deep coloured skins, e.g.
Cabernet Sauvignon. This style of rosé is likely to be firmer,
often showing some tannins.
14.3 Liqueur (fortified) wines
This category of wines has higher alcohol levels than the light wines
previously discussed. Indeed, they are often referred to as ‘fortified’,
since a quantity of grape spirit is added to ‘fortify’ them. The resulting
alcohol levels in these wines can vary between 15% and 22% ABV.
Historically, brandy was added to light wine in barrels as a means
of preservation and stabilisation, especially on long sea voyages.
Detailing the production of liqueur wines is an extensive subject,
but we will consider the topic very briefly here.
One method of production of liqueur wines involves fermentation
to dryness before the addition of grape spirit. The other basic method
involves the addition of grape spirit during the fermentation process,
taking the alcoholic degree above that at which yeasts will work, resulting
in naturally sweet wines.
The most well-known examples of these wines are Sherry and
Port. A crucial difference in the method of making the wines is the
timing of the addition of the grape spirit. Sherry is initially fermented
to dryness; Port has the spirit added during the fermentation.
14.3.1 Sherry production
Sherry is the liqueur wine produced in Andalucia in south-western
Spain, and the processes now detailed are those that apply to wines
made in that area. Once fermentation has ceased, leaving the wines
fully dry, they are initially classified as either ‘Finos’ or ‘Olorosos’.