WINE GUIDES · WOUTER PARENT
From grape to glass: how wine is made
Wine begins in the vineyard. Grape variety, weather, soil and the grower’s decisions all influence the fruit. The next stages shape that fruit into the wine in your glass.
Harvest and pressing
Harvest timing affects ripeness, acidity and potential alcohol. For many white wines, the grapes are pressed and the juice ferments separately from the skins. Red wines usually ferment with their skins to extract colour and tannin. Rosé can be made with a shorter period of skin contact, among other methods.
Fermentation
Yeast converts grape sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Temperature, yeast choices and fermentation vessels influence the result. The winemaker decides how to manage extraction, freshness and texture.
Maturation and bottling
Wine may spend time in steel, oak or other vessels before bottling. Oak can affect both texture and aromas; steel does not contribute oak flavours. Some wines are made for youthful fruit, while others have the structure to develop in bottle.
Taste the decisions
Compare a fresh unoaked wine with an oak-matured example. Notice changes in aroma, body and texture. A visit to a vineyard can make these steps more tangible, but you can explore many of them through a thoughtfully chosen tasting.
Read next
Try it around the table
Join a guided wine tasting or keep exploring at your own pace.
A tasting at your home More wine guides