Discovering wine: The Winemaking

"Discovering wine" is a series of articles focused on discovering the whole universe that lies behind the production of wine. The first article deals with the history of winemaking from the techniques used for the winemaking up to the maturation phase of this last. We wish you a good reading.

The use of the vine has prehistoric origins so as to find finds dating back to 7,000 BC. in present-day China, while the use of the vine as an effectively cultivated plant is probably attributable to the area of the fertile half-moon dating between 5,000 and 6,000 BC.

Across the Mediterranean basin, first the Phoenicians and then the Greeks spread the cultivation of the vine, but it was mainly during the Roman Empire that the spread of culture occurred throughout the European continent.

Coming to our times, at the end of the 1800s, there was an "apocalyptic" period for the survival of the vine in Europe (Vitis vinifera). In this period a parasite of American origins called Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) manifested itself which destroyed 85% of the European wine heritage and resulted in the need to completely reconstruct the wine heritage of the continent, dividing the history of wine and lives into two periods, the pre-phylloxera and post-phylloxera period. Phylloxera causes damage both at the root level and at the leaf level causing the death of the plant

Many ways were tried to stem the scourge, but the effective solution of the problem was finally achieved when we understood the radical immunity developed by some American species, which could be used to build a plant with an American foot but a European vegetative and reproductive system (grafting ). Whole wine regions over time rebuilt with the new cuttings: thousands of native species that developed in the ancient and medieval world had disappeared forever, and in this way, modern viticulture was born in Europe.

Fortunately, not all of the European vines were destroyed by the Fillosera, in fact, the vines grown at high altitudes, volcanic soils, sandy lands or particular geomorphological areas made the life of Phylloxera difficult, allowing the survival of the ancient European vine. This ancient vine, not grafted with the American vine, is called: cultivated free-footed.

Coming to our times, at the end of the 1800s, there was an "apocalyptic" period for the survival of the vine in Europe (vitis vinifera). In this period a parasite of American origins called Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) manifested itself which destroyed 85% of the European wine heritage and resulted in the need to completely reconstruct the wine heritage of the continent, dividing the history of wine and lives into two periods, the pre-phylloxeric and post-phylloxeric period. Phylloxera causes damage both at the root level and at the leaf level causing the death of the plant

Many ways were tried to stem the scourge, but the effective solution of the problem was finally achieved when we understood the radical immunity developed by some American species, which could be used to build a plant with an American foot but a European vegetative and reproductive system (grafting ). Whole wine regions over time rebuilt with the new cuttings: thousands of native species that developed in the ancient and medieval world had disappeared forever, and in this way, modern viticulture was born in Europe.

Fortunately, not all of the European vines were destroyed by the Fillosera, in fact, the vines grown at high altitudes, volcanic soils, sandy lands or particular geomorphological areas made the life of Phylloxera difficult, allowing the survival of the ancient European vine. This ancient vine, not grafted with the American vine, is called: cultivated free-footed.

Cultivation techniques and viticulture breeding systems

In the past, viticulture was based on the adoption of cultivation techniques that allowed abundant production but often lost sight of the quality. Over time, wine has taken on an increasingly hedonistic role, per capita cultivation has reduced, benefiting quality. New types of cultivation have developed by changing:

• The density of planting, i.e. the number of plants per hectare, is determined by the sixth planting, i.e. the distance between the rows and between the plants of a row, and affects the quality of the wine, because the high density forces the plants to compete with each other and to push the roots deeper.
• The reduction of the number of buds per vine, therefore of bunches, thus obtains a higher concentration of extractive substances in a few bunches and a more valuable final product;
• The breeding systems are schemes adopted to modify the growth of the plant through appropriate cultivation techniques and adapt it to the purposes for which it is grown. When choosing, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of the vine, the soil and climatic conditions and, if you want to mechanize, the cultivation operations. Some of the main breeding systems are:
• Sapling: this system provides a low trunk of the plant with a height from the ground of 40-60 cm. This system is preferred for less fertile or drought soils.
• Pergola: roof training system that, thanks to its leaf development, repairs the bunches from the direct action of the sun. The limit of this system is represented by the very high yields at the expense of quality:
• Guyot: it is probably the most widespread system of growing vines, suitable for less fertile and dry soil on the hills, it is characterized by its reduced expansion

 The vinification phase

Once the harvest period has arrived, it is time to harvest the grapes and obtain the must: the juice obtained from the pressing of the grapes. In the past, the grapes were pressed with the feet and, although hygienically not very calming, this technique has the advantage of not squeezing the stem which, being rich in lignin and cellulose, would give the wine a too hard and aggressive character. Today there are special machines that carry out this "soft pressing". The number of sugars in the must can vary greatly (from 17% to 40% by weight) in relation to the ripening of the grapes.

But how do you get wine? How can a sugary substance like must turn into wine? Through fermentation: the crushed grapes are left to ferment, that is, the yeasts, already present on the grapes or inserted into the must, "feed" on the sugars of the grapes and, through a chemical reaction, transform the must into wine.

Generally, the wines are divided into white and red because they come from white and red grapes, but what does the hue and intensity of the color depend on? What are rosé wines? It all depends on the winemaking:

• Red winemaking: this type of winemaking, typical of red wines, is characterized by maceration, that is, the must is left to ferment with the skins of red grapes. During this period the skins, which contain dyes, release the color and, depending on the maceration time, the wine may have a more or less intense color.
• White winemaking: unlike red winemaking, there is no maceration, ie contact of the must with the skins, which are removed (draining) after pressing and before fermentation. So white wine can also be obtained from red berried grapes. In fact, by removing immediately after pressing the red grape skins from the must, the skin does not give time to transfer its natural color (just think that the juice of grapes, whether of white or red grapes, have the same color precisely because the color it is contained in the peel and not in the pulp).
• Vinification in rosé: rosé wines, or rosè, in recent years have become a trend of food precisely because of the characteristic rosé color. This wine is obtained only from red berried grapes, in fact, the must is left in contact with the skins for a limited period of time, so that the passage of coloring substances from the red grape skin is limited and the color becomes a characteristic rosé. This short maceration of the skins with the must can last a few hours up to a maximum of two days. Curiosity: in Italy, it is forbidden by law to create rosé wines mixing red and white wines (the only exception for rosé sparkling wines).
• Vinification with carbonic maceration: it is used to obtain wines with very intense colors, with vinous, floral and fruity aromas, wines generally unsuitable for aging and to be consumed in a few months, this process is typical of "new" wines, that is wines marketed at the end of October of the same year of the vintage.

In this vinification, the whole bunches are placed inside hermetic containers in which, after creating the vacuum, carbon dioxide (CO2) is introduced at a temperature of 5-10 ° for 5-10 days. The indigenous yeasts present on the peel migrate from the peel to the pulp in search of oxygen and water, triggering an intracellular fermentation process. Once this process is completed, the grapes are pressed and sent to red winemaking with a further fermentation of 3-4 days.

The stage of maturation

After fermentation, the wines are "hard" to drink and not very balanced, therefore they must pass a period of maturation in which they will undergo changes in the visual, olfactory and gustatory levels. This maturation period translates into a pause of variable duration, from a few months to several years, which often takes place in steel or wood containers. 

• Maturation in steel: these containers are neutral towards the wine and do not generate exchanges of oxygen with the outside. Stopping in these containers tends to keep the characteristics of the vines unchanged, the freshness of the aromas and flavors and avoids oxidation. For these reasons, the maturation of wines to be tasted young takes place in this type of container.
• Wooden barrels: they have always been used for the aging of wines, especially red ones. The main factors that determine the importance of the use of wood are the exchange of oxygen and tannins. Oxygen, given the microporosity of the wood, creates an exchange of oxygen with the outside, thus creating an oxidative environment inside the barrels that characterizes the wine. Tannins, on the other hand, are chemical substances, belonging to the polyphenol family that is naturally found in the wood (but also in the skin of red grapes), are a fundamental component of aged wines: they have protective preservative properties of the wine, the function to influence the color of the wine, and also determine the flavor, giving it astringency characteristics, what in jargon is called "tannicity". The wooden barrel, therefore, in addition to the typical characteristics of the wood, can affect other ways:
• Type of wood: depending on the type of wood used, more or less characteristic hints and especially tannins are released. The most used woods are oak, chestnut, and cherry.
• Barrel dimensions: they are decisive because they influence the relationship between the surface of the wood and the volume of the wine. In the smaller barrels most of the wine is in contact with the barrel and therefore is subjected to greater oxidation;
• Barrel seasoning: depending on the seasoning, some characteristics of the wood can be altered or intensified which will then be transferred to the wine;
• Roasting the slats: during the construction of the barrels, the slats are subjected to the action of the flame to soften the wood and be able to bend it and make it assume the typical curved shape. The longer the toasting time the greater the spicy and smoky hints transferred to the wine;
• The number of times the barrel is used: if the barrel is new, it will release more substances to the wine, while in the following steps it will release less and less.

A very particular and ancient method is the maturation in terracotta amphorae, these amphorae, often buried in the ground, allow an exchange of oxygen between the wine and the outside without giving particular hints that would allow the wooden barrels.

And here we are at the end of the first article of this series that will allow us to discover step by step the whole process of making wine. See you in the next article.