WORLD OF

WINES
 WINES
• Wine is alcoholic beverage obtained
from juice of grapes

• Vine is one of the oldest cultivated

plants known to mankind.

• There are over 4000 varieties of grapes,

however, only 40 of them have a
recognizable flavour.
 WINES
• There are over 20 vine species. The vine
species that produces grapes is called
vitis vinifera.

• Study of wines is called Oneology and

science of growing grapes is called
Viticulture.
 VINE
• Like most plants, vine is produced from
seed.

• Easiest way is to plant the pip, however

the plant that grows is not as highly bred
as its parent plant.

• Every vine has to be a cutting either

planted to form root or grafted to a root
of another plant.
 VINE
• For first four year a young vine is busy
creating a root system and building
strong woody stalk to bear grapes.

• If left to itself, it can proliferate by

increasing shoots and by forming new
roots whenever it touches soil.

• In order to get quality grapes, the plant

has to constantly pruned or trimmed.
 VINE

• Best wines are produced from plants

with the age between 12-30 years, called
the ‘prime life’.

• Wines from new grapes are generally

light.
 ENEMIES OF VINE
• Mildew or Oidium - Attacks the root of
the plant.

• Phylloxera - Lives in the root.

• Grubb of the Cochylis - Eats the

flowers.

• Red Spider - Sucks the sap.

ENEMIES OF VINE
BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF VINE
The three most crucial requirements of making a
good wine are:

• Terroir

• Grape Variety

• Weather
TERROIR
 TERROIR

• The three crucial elements of climate, soil &

exposure to sun is represented in the term “ Terroir”

• Good quality wine is produced between 30 - 50º

altitude in both hemispheres.

• Vine is basically a Mediterranean plant therefore

it requires plenty of water.
 TERROIR
• Presence of rivers

– Expanse of water softens the climate, and avoids

frosting during harsh winters.

– Used earlier for transportation of wine barrels.

– Sunlight reflects from water onto the slopes.

 TERROIR
• Choosing the best spot - Cool Regions

– The warmest spot in a cold region can be found

by planting North to South, on a Western slope, so
as to receive maximum sunlight.

– Flat lands receive less sunlight than slopes, and

therefore more subjected to frost.
 TERROIR

• Choosing the best spot -Warm Regions

– Choose higher altitudes for warmer regions.

– Temperature drops by 1ºC every 100 mts.

 TERRIOR
SOIL

• Poorer the soil, the vine has to struggle, thereby

producing the best quality grapes

• Drainage is a crucial factor in selecting the soil. A

well drained soil tends to be warmer, and advances
the ripening of the fruit. Eg. Gravel, sand, limestone.
 TERRIOR
SOIL

• Clay holds back the moisture - thereby preventing

the root systems from going deep down.

• Chalk is considered to be in between.

• Soil should be high in mineral content should have

access to nitrogen, magnesium, calcium,
phosphorus, potassium
SOIL
 GRAPE VARIETY
• The varieties of grape identify their wines.

• Many grape varieties favour particular types of soil,

some ripening faster than the other.

• Some factors which differentiates grape variety are:

Size of the grape

– Smaller the fruit, the more concentrated are the
flavours. Eg. Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon.
 GRAPE VARIETY
Skin

– Thick skinned grapes produce aromatic wines.eg.

Sauvignon Blanc.

– Thin skinned grapes produce neutral wine,

although Gewurtztraminer , Semillion responsible
for noble rot ( Botrytis cinerea) producing the
greatest sweet wine with brilliant aromatics
 GRAPE VARIETY
Sugar Content

– The sugar content dictates the alcoholic strength

of the wine and sweetness of the wine.

– The crucial decision to pick the grapes largely

depends on the sugar content and acidity. As they
ripen, sugar content increases & acid
decreases.
 GRAPES
• Sugar content is examined by a “refractometer”.

• The system for measuring ripeness of a grape is

called “Brix”. This is approximately equal to
double the potential alcohol of the wine if all the
sugar is fermented. 19.3 Brix = 10% alcohol by
vol.

• 1 Brix = 1 gm sugar per liter of water.

 WHITE GRAPE VARIETY
• Chardonnay
– From Burgundy and Champagne
– Makes firm, full and strong wines
– Grows in chalky soil.

• Muscat
– Black or White, however, Muscat Blanc is the best.
– Most of Muscat wines are sweet.
 WHITE GRAPE VARIETY
• Riesling
– Classic German grape.
– Crops heavily and ripens late.
– Can make honeyed, delicate nectar wines.

• Aligote -
– A thin skinned grape of unexceptional quality grown
in Burgundy.
– Makes wines of moderate alcoholic content which is
dry & crisp. The taste is short lived.
 WHITE GRAPE VARIETY
• Sauvignon Blanc
– From Bordeaux.
– Used with Semillion and Muscadelle to make Graves
and Sauterns.
– Highly aromatic or smoky flavoured or like
gooseberries.

• Chenin Blanc
– Grape from Loire
– Intense wines
– High in acidity and low in alcohol.
 WHITE GRAPE VARIETY
• Silvaner
– From Germany
– Lacks flavours of Riesling.

• Muller Thurgau
– Grape from Germany
– Aromatic
– Soft , low in acidity.
– Best for sweet wines.
 WHITE GRAPE VARIETY
• Pinot Blanc
– White variant of Pinot Noir
– Low in substance and aroma.

• Gewurztraminer
– Spicy grape from Alsace
– Most pungent wine grape.

• Semillion
– Sweet in Sauterns and Dry in graves.
 RED GRAPE VARIETY
• Cabernet Sauvignon
– Grape from Bordeaux.
– Always blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
– Gives tannin, aroma and body to wines.

• Gamay
– Best wines in Beaujolias, in rest of Burgundy it is an
inferior variety.
– Grows in sandy soil.
– Produces light, fruit and gulpable wines.
 RED GRAPE VARIETY
• Grenache
– Sweet grapes. Makes strong wines with character not
much colour.
– Used in making Chateauneuf du pape and Tavel Rose

• Pinot Noir
– From Burgundy.
– Best grape variety.
– Also used to make Champagne
– Makes scented, flavouful and full bodied wines.
 RED GRAPE VARIETY
• Merlot
– Grows in St. Emillion and Pomerol
– Soft, fleshier wines.
– Used in Medoc wines, blended with Cabernet.

• Syrah
– Best red grapes from Rhone
– Makes dark, tannic and long lived wines.
 WEATHER
• Vine is dormant between November to March.

• Between Bud break to Vintage every drop of rain,

hour of sunshine and degree of heat effects the
quality.

• Sunshine
– Reason for climbing
– 1300 - 1500 hours of sunshine in summer
 WEATHER
• Temperature
– largely reflected in weather conditions.
– ideal temperature is 10 deg C - 20 deg C.
– Lowest temperature it can survive is (-18ºC)

• Humid Air

• Frost and Hail are nightmare of wine growers.

 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
The entire year can be sub divided into 4 seasons :
 WINTER
JANUARY

Pruning
• After the previous year’s harvest, the vines are
pruned to shred off the excess.

• Begins after S. Vincent’s day on 22nd January.

• If there is no snow then it begins in December.

 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
FEBRUARY

• Finish pruning.

• Take cuttings for grafting and graft

indoors.

• Copper Sulphate is used to spray.

 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
 SPRING

MARCH

• Sap begins to rise from dormancy.

• Soil is aerated.
 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
APRIL

• Vineyard is cleared.

• 1 year old cuttings from nursery are planted.

• The vines are trained to the favourite Double Guyot

method so as to allow maximum exposure to the
sun.
Double Guyot Geneva Double
Curtain
 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
 SPRING
MAY

• Frost danger.

• Stoves are light.

• Reworking on soil and

destroying weed.
 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
JUNE

• Vines start flowering

• Temperature reaches 18-20ºC.

• Sulphur is sprayed to destroy Oidium.

 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
JULY
• Surplus branches are cut, so as to provide greater
concentration of flavours to the ones that are left.
 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
JULY
• Chemical sprays are used to kill any diseases, but
needs to stop well before harvesting, to avoid any
trace remaining in the grape.

• Wine is sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.

• Weeds are removed, wines are trimmed

 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
 AUTUMN
AUGUST
• Subsequently, each fertilised flower expands into a
recognizable grape.

• The sugar content in the fruit increasing,

thereby reducing the acid levels .

• The grape undergoes colour change in

this cycle, which should be closely monitored.
 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER

• By the third week grape is ready and vintage begins.

 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
OCTOBER

• Grape harvest continues through first two weeks.

Hand Picking - Better selection of grapes,
though time consuming.
Machine - Faster process, does not guarantee
quality of grapes.

• When picking is over, manure is spread and land is

ploughed.
 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
NOVEMBER
• Long Vine shoots are cut and used for fuel.

• Vineyard is ploughed to move

soil over base of wine to
protect from frost.
 WINEMAKER’S CALENDAR
 WINTERS
DECEMBER

• Soil redistributed if washed by rains.

• If there is no winters then pruning begins.

MAKING WINE
 TYPES OF WINE
• White Wine
• Sweet
• Dry

• Red Wine
• Sweet
• Dry

• Rose Wine
• Sparkling Wine
• Fortified Wine
 MAKING WHITE WINE

Handling the fruit

• The objective here is to prevent the weight of

large quantities from crushing the grapes before
they reach the cellar.

• Unhealthy grapes are discarded in the vineyard.

• The final sorting is done in the winery.

 MAKING WHITE WINE
Crushing / Pressing
• Nearly all grapes ( White & Red) are de-
stemmed since the stalks contain bitter
tannins it is done in Egrappoire.

• Fresh & fruity white wines are made by pressing

the grapes as soon as possible after picking.

• The objective is to prevent the juice from picking

up any flavours or ‘extract’ from the skin.
 MAKING WHITE WINE
• Care needs to be taken that pressure is gently
applied. Too much of it would result in the pips
breaking, thereby making the juice bitter.

Types of press : Vertical / Willmes Bladder press

• Free run Juice - Juice from the first pressing

without any real pressure. Upto 70% can be free
run juice, allowing only 30 % to be extracted by
pressing harder.
 MAKING WHITE WINE

• For fuller & robust wines with more flavour and

tannins are made by holding the skin in contact
with the juice for about 24 hrs after crushing.

Addition of SO2

• Small doses of sulphur dioxide is added to the

crushed grapes (must) to protect the must from
premature fermentation.
 MAKING WHITE WINE

• It also prevents oxidation, which at this stage is

harmful and could result in decay in the wine
& loss of freshness, aroma & even colour of the
juice.

• The amount is regulated by law.

 MAKING WHITE WINE
Clarifying the juice

• Juice produced has suspended solids (skin, flesh,

pips , dirt).

• Fermentation being the next process with these

solids would result in bitterness.

• Clarifying the juice is done by :

Settling /Filteration / Centrifuging.
 MAKING WHITE WINE
Fermentation

• Carried out in Oak barrels or stainless steel vats.

• The SS vats are double layered, and has a layer

of ammonia as a cooling agent.

• Another method is to dribble the water

continuously down the outside surface.
 MAKING WHITE WINE

• SS is preferred as it is strong, easy to clean, good

conductor of heat and versatile.

• Temperature : 10-15ºC

• Duration : 4 - 6 weeks
 MAKING WHITE WINE
Yeast
• Cultured yeast is used. Some wineries kill all natural
yeast present by flash pasteurization method ( 85ºC)
so as to have total control over the process.

Temperature rise
• 30-35 ºC (yeast dies at 35-40º C)
 MAKING WHITE WINE

Dry wine - all sugar converted into alcohol

(16 %v/v)

Semi dry - interrupt fermentation process. Addition

of sulphur or filter the wine of the yeast or blend
sweet grape juice.

Lees - Dead yeast cells that settle at the bottom.

 MAKING WHITE WINE
Filteration / Racking

• The wine must again be clarified to rack it off its

lees. Sometimes lees are left in the wine (Sur
lie).

• Fining agents ( egg / bentonite/gelatin/

isinglass) are added to remove excess proteins
and other solids to produce a clear wine. Cold
stabilization could be another method.
 MAKING WHITE WINE
Cold Stabilization

• The wine is chilled down to -5º C to

precipitate any solids which may be removed.

• Furthermore, to avoid formation of crystals by

tartaric acid when bottled ( a vital ingredient
present in the wine).
MAKING WHITE WINE
Handling the juice ( SO2 )
Crushing & Pressing
Juice Clarification
Fermentation
Filtration
Cold Stabilization
Blending / Aging
Bottling
 MAKING RED WINE
• The colour of the red wine comes from the grape
skin, and not the juice.

• Grapes are fed into crusher. There after pumped into

fermentation vats.

Heating the Must

• One of the modern ways to get a deep red colour to

the wine is to boil the must before
fermentation.
 MAKING RED WINE
Fermentation

• This process is usually carried out in open vats for

14 days at 24ºC.

• The skins float on the top due to CO2 bubbles and

forms a cap.
 MAKING RED WINE
• It is vital that it is mixed back in the liquid below for
2 reasons :

– It forms the essential colouring and flavouring

matter.

– If left to dry, bacteria will start growing thus

ruining the wine.
 MAKING RED WINE
• Pressing takes place after the free run wine has
been removed from the fermentation vat.

• Skin is pressed in hydraulic basket by a

descending plate which forces the juice called
Vin De Presse.

• At the discretion of the wine maker, it may be

added to the first run to provide tannins and
character to the wine.
 MAKING RED WINE
Malolactic Fermentation

• It is secondary fermentation wherein malic acid

present is converted into lactic acid & CO2 by
bacteria present n the grape juice. Highly
desirable for red wines as it
– Lowers sharpness, increases stability, adds to the
complex flavours.

• Carried out at room temp of 20 deg C.

 MAKING RED WINE
Fining / Racking
• Same as white wine

Aging/ Maturation
• There are 2 separate & distinct ways in which
wine can age :

– Oxidative aging - in contact with oxygen. Barrel

aging. Barrels are Oak from Burgundy or
Bordeaux.
 MAKING RED WINE

– Reductive aging- Oxygen supply is cut off. Bottle

aging. Once the wine is bottled, the only oxygen
available is the limited amount dissolved in the
liquid or trapped between the liquid & the cork.)
 MAKING RED WINE
Handling the juice ( SO2 )
Fermentation / Carbonic Maceration.
Pressing
Filtration
Malolactic Fermentation
Blending / Aging
Bottling
 MAKING ROSE WINE
• Grapes are de-stemmed.

• Crushed.

• Fermentation - for a very short time.

• Racking and Finning.

• Bottled.
 STORAGE OF WINES
• 1st Chai
– Wine stays in oak for 1 year and is regularly
topped up and racked.

• 2nd Chai -
– Moved from 1st Chai in November
– Left to mature till next summer and then it is
bottled.
 EXAMPLES
• Many white wines - are bottled young, but
improve enormously in the bottle.

• Champagne / Port - are matured entirely in the

bottle.

• Fine Red wines - 2-3 years in a barrel, and

perhaps another 5-7 years in a bottle.

• Sherry- Aged entirely in the barrel.

 BOTTLING

• Before bottling, the wine must be checked for its

stability, as it remains vulnerable to oxidation
and contamination until the cork goes in.

• The bottle is first filled with nitrogen ( to remove

any oxygen)

• Wine filled in through a long nozzle to the

bottom, pushing out the gas as the level rises.
 BOTTLING

• Bottles of Standard wines are heated to 55ºC

to prevent any further fermentation.

• Many light / Rose and few Red wines benefit

from being bottled with a degree of carbon
dioxide dissolved in them too give a refreshing
sharpness to the wines.
CORK
 CORK

• Wine must be sealed to stop air entering the bottle.

Cork is the traditional stopper.

• Cork is the thick outer bark of the cork oak,

Quercus suber, concentrated in the Mediterranean
area and the neighboring Atlantic coasts. Portugal
produces half of the total supply.
 CORK
Process

• The bark is cut from mature trees every 9 - 10 years

between the months June & August. Each tree has a
productive life of 165 years.

• Sheets are stacked to dry for 3 months.

 CORK
Process

• Later boiled in vats.

• Stored in dark, cold cellars for several months.

• Corks are now cut from the thickness of the bark.

 WHY CORK?
• Its light, clean, available in vast quantities,
almost impermeable, smooth, unaffected by
temperature, rarely rots, extremely hard to burn,
and most importantly, it is uniquely elastic,
returning after compression exactly to its original
form.

• It very slowly goes brittle and crumbly over a

period of 20-50 years
 DISADVANTAGES

• Cork at times develops a musty smell.

• Corks are sterilized during manufacture, but

sometimes one or two of the many cells that
make up the cork are infected with fungus.
When these cells are in contact with the
wine, the wine picks up the smell and becomes
‘corky’.
 Size

• A normal wine cork is 24mm in diameter,

compressed into an 18 mm neck.

• For Champagne, a 31 mm cork is compressed into a

17.5 mm neck.
 FACTORS DETERMINING COST OF
WINE
• Grape Variety- Viticulture cost.

• Hectoliter per hectare

• Storage Cost

• Evaporation

• Labour Cost
 LOOKING AFTER WINES

• Dark Cool Place

• Well aired, ventilated cellar.

• Temperature 7-21ºC.

• Kept lying position for cork to remain moist.

 SERVICE OF WINES

• Host presented the selected wine with label facing

the guest.

• Opened on side station.

• 30 ml for tasting to host.

• If selected served 3/4 of the glass.

 DECANTING WINES

• Ideally decanted into a carafe.

• However it is unpredictable.

• Young wines are best when aerated.

• French people never decant wines.

 IDEAL TEMPERATURE

• White - Sweet - 4-6ºC Dry- 6-10ºC

• Red - 8-14ºC

• Rose - 10-13ºC