How wine is made: from harvest to aging

Wine is one of the sources of Italian pride and, despite the fact that other countries have tried to reproduce it, to imitate it, to diminish it at times, they will not be able to minimize the productive effort of those who, to bring it to our tables, have the signs of work on the hands.Following the processing of wine, from its harvest to aging, is not just a study, but it is a real experience that has been optimized and improved over time so that an ever wider audience can enjoy and recognize its qualities.
Finding tradition in experience nourishes the primary needs of the human being who, in contact with the roots of the Earth and with what it produces, completes his own well-being and, in part, better understands himself and what surrounds him.
In this perspective of self-knowledge, as well as information relating to winemaking from the didactic point of view, the experiences proposed by Foodaloo concerning the topic and which want to convey the curiosity to know, understand and deepen this topic are expanded. , with the right amount of fun.
Let's try to imagine what are the important points of an experience in the middle of the fields and what are the important phases to live before tasting a nice glass of wine, so as to tell what is the real work that has been there previously.

What is the harvest and how is it done?

The harvest is the grape harvesting phase: in this case we will talk about wine grapes.
To date, the technology to carry out the harvest has been introduced, therefore it is possible to find at the edges of the fields of the harvest machines that collect the bunches of grapes in an automated way without distinction; but in some places where tradition leaves no room for modernity, or where the cultivation and processing of more expensive wines takes place, which need more care, the harvest is carried out manually: hordes of laborers personally choose the bunches to be picked , with the same precautions that the professionals who acted centuries ago took.
The manually selected grapes must not contain wet berries, because they would ruin the entire harvest; it must not be picked in the hottest hours of the day because they would ferment in advance; it must be placed in containers large enough not to crush the berries and transported as soon as possible to the places for subsequent processing.
The beginning of the harvest has always been a reason for celebration for the peasant families, who inaugurated it with meetings of friends and loved ones, with whom they celebrated for lunch and dinner with local dishes and rituals so that the harvest was abundant.

Crushing, racking and aging

The next phase is that of pressing and in many villages where medieval and even more ancient traditions are recalled, this moment is also celebrated in a widely participated way and shared with relatives and friends, because the transformation of grapes into wine takes place.
The pressing, until a few years ago, took place barefoot in collection barrels, where the grapes were carefully crushed in a festive atmosphere. Today this operation takes place in a mechanical and automated way, using specific machinery to which acidifiers and other substances are then added to help the subsequent fermentation process.
The liquid obtained is defined as grape must and is subjected to purification and filtration treatments to eliminate the solid substances that can be found inside.

Fermentation of the must

The fermentation of the must, obtained following the pressing described above, is the main operation within the vinification and, depending on the type of wine to be made, has different methods of execution: white wine, which is usually less alcoholic, it is created by fermenting the grape berries deprived of skin and seeds, and is ready after a week of rest in the barrel; red wine, which is commonly more full-bodied, is left to macerate with peel and seeds, so that it reaches a higher alcohol content and therefore also a more decisive flavor; rosé wine, on the other hand, undergoes both types of fermentation.
The red or rosé color of the wine emerges precisely due to the fermentation of the skins and seeds present in the must.
Unlike white wine, red wine has a longer fermentation period that can last up to 5 years, which is called aging.
The bottling of the wine takes place after an estimated rest period that changes according to the type, followed by a further period of aging when it comes to the red.
Tradition wanted the wine to be aged in controlled humidity cellars, using barrels built specifically for it with precious woods and locally available.
The art of aging, which today is studied through special training courses, was transmitted through empirical knowledge, curated from father to son for centuries.

What kind of experience will it be?

One of the most frequently asked questions, when deciding to grasp the essence of the traditions of the beautiful country, is precisely that relating to what it can leave us inside at the emotional level: getting closer to the earth, seeing the vineyards that grow and develop, experiencing the relative festivals to the various procedures for the production of wine and participate in them, aware of what great work has been done previously, until you sip a glass of wine in a different way and feel more complete.
These words, which may not make sense to those who do not have the courage to take my invitation to try, are actually so understandable for those who have the blood type of curiosity and attachment to the experiences to come.
The work of "construction" of wine is an ancient ritual, which existed before what one can imagine and binds its image to union, to the sense of family, to the joy and celebration of a harvest that this year too, fortunately, he had the leniency of rains and winds.
After seeing with your own eyes what happens to this apparently simple product that is found in abundance on supermarket shelves and that has never been described too worthily, drinking a glass of it will certainly change its flavor.