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Wines are alcoholic beverages that everyone enjoys drinking. Each one of us has a wine label that we like to sip. It can either come as red, white, or sparkling wines. All these wines undergo an intricate process of craftsmanship starting with the grape nourishment until the last step, which is the aging of the wine. It is why most of us are excited to cork up a bottle of wine in the time we needed it the most.
Every wine is exciting because of the unique flavors it exudes. Aside from that, what makes the wine more interesting is the way it’s made. Many of us enjoy sipping a glass of wine, but have we ever wondered how these wines are made? Did we also think what is the process of winemaking and can we make it at home?
Winemaking, in general, undergoes several processes to make such as Petrus Bordeaux . Each winemaker makes sure that they have all the resources needed to craft their best wine label. On the other hand, if you are dreaming of making a bottle of fine wine at home, then you can ultimately fulfill your wildest dreams. Make sure you carry all the patience and perseverance when you choose to make wine in the comfort of your home since the process is a bit complicated.
In this article, we’d like to lay-out all the helpful steps you need to make wine at home. We have included some necessary ingredients you might need to achieve the wine flavor you want.
Gather All The Needed Ingredients And Tools
The first thing you need to do so you can fulfill your winemaking at home is to gather all the required ingredients and tools. Here is a list of ingredients you will need.
- Lots of wine grape varietals
- Filtered Water and Granulated Sugar
- Yeast for wine fermentation
You also need the following tools and equipment.
- High quality food-grade plastic bucket, around 4-gallons capacity. It will serve as your container for complete wine fermentation.
- 1 gallon glass jugs, around three of them for secondary fermentation purposes.
- A funnel that fits every fermentation glass.
- Airlocks for fermentation traps
- A cork to cover the glass for fermentation
- Large nylon mesh straining bag.
- Plastic tubing which measures 6 feet
- Wine bottles (around 20)
- Pre-sanitized corks to cover each bottle
- You may also need a hand corker
- A hydrometer which can measure the level of sugar you put into the wine.
Sanitize All The Needed Equipment
Sanitizing every piece of equipment is essential to make sure that no unwanted bacteria is added. You can use tartaric acid to mix with water so you can spray to all your tools and make sure to wash them after.
The Fermentation Process
The fermentation process starts by getting all the grapes. Make sure that you select those grapes in the highest quality. Wash them and make sure that it does not contain any residue. You must crush each grape first into your home-made crusher to release all the juices. Extract all the juice from the grapes until the last drop.
You need to add the yeast once you have all the grape juice extracted. Make sure you use a hydrometer to check the sugar level. Dissolve your granulated sugar first into the filtered water if you need some. Adding sugar is only applicable if the sweetness of the grape juice ranges around 1.010. Stir the grape juice and sugar, mixing thoroughly. Put the liquid into the container for the fermentation process. You should set aside this for ten days to settle all the sediments and get a clear juice.
Wine Aging, Bottling, And Racking
Get back to your grape juice which you fermented after ten days. You need to get a clean cloth so you can strain the juice to separate it from the froth and other sediments. Once you are done with this process, you should run the juice to the secondary fermentation container using a funnel. Ferment each juice in the secondary bottle around 2 to 3 months for the complete aging process.
After three months, fill your wine bottles and rack them. Make sure to store them around 55 degrees room temperature. You can also chill this and serve.
Author Bio
Scarlett Wells is a freelance writer and wine enthusiast. She is an active critique examining all levels of wine types so she can produce reviews and articles that will help guide every consumer in selecting the right kind of wine to drink. Aside from that, she wrote a lot of blogs maximizing the real usage of wines. In her free time, she reads a lot about food and beverage pairing in order to help her become an effective mentor inspiring everyone to maintain a fit and fab lifestyle.
