Alonto, Abdullah Nur Ash-Shams M.

CHE150L – A03

Wine Making

For thousands of years, wine has been a popular beverage among humans. The Humans’ natural

fondness for this drink stems from its delicious taste, nutritious properties, and, of course, psychotropic

(intoxicating) effects. None of the alcoholic beverages have had such an impact on society. The exchange

of wine between cultures paved the way for religious and philosophical ideas to spread throughout

Europe. Wine is also mentioned frequently in the Bible, from Noah and his grape vines to Jesus, who is

considered to be the greatest winemaker to date.

Wine is still used in the Catholic Church as a substitute for Christ's blood, indicating the important

role the beverage has played in the past. Centuries ago, a prosperous and competitive wine industry was

also a sign of a prosperous country, as only developed societies could support a prosperous and

competitive wine industry. It is often said that wine laid the groundwork for Western civilization.

In 8000 BC, what is now modern-day Georgia was home to the first known wine producers. Large

earthenware vessels used in winemaking have been discovered. After 8000 BC, the ancient tribes of Jiahu,

Henan Province, in China's Yellow River Valley, made wine from rice, honey, and fruit and stored it in

earthenware jars in 7000-6,600 BC.

In Year 1000, The world’s oldest vineyard was built which is the Chateau de Goulaine. In the year

1100s, Monasteries started developing vineyards in regions of Champagne, Burgundy, and The Rhine

Valley. In 1857, California's first commercial winery which is the Buena Vista Winery opened in Sonoma.

In 1900s, Wineries can now easily control the temperature of the fermentation process and produce high-
quality wines in hot climates because of refrigeration. By 2006, Italy became the world’s largest producer

of wine.

There are five steps in making wine: Harvesting, crushing and pressing, Fermentation,

Clarification, and aging and bottling. The first step in the winemaking process is harvesting or picking. The

process of making fine wine requires the harvesting of grapes at a specific time, preferably when

physiologically ripe. When deciding when to harvest, a combination of science and old-fashioned tasting

is usually used, with consultants, winemakers, vineyard managers, and proprietors all having a say. The

next step in the winemaking process is traditionally to crush whole clusters of fresh ripe grapes.

Mechanical crushers now perform the time-honored tradition of stomping or trodding the grapes into

what is commonly known as must.

Fermentation is the third step in the winemaking process. With the help of wild yeasts in the air,

the must or juice will begin fermenting naturally within 6-12 hours. Fermentation usually continues until

all the sugar has been converted to alcohol and a dry wine has been produced. Fermentation time can

range from ten days to a month or more. The Fermentation in wine making can also be called alcoholic

fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation is the process where the yeast cells obtain energy under anaerobic

conditions. Alcoholic fermentation has similarities with glycolysis. Glycolysis is the chemical process by

which glucose is converted to lactic acid. This process provides energy for cell activity in the form of

adenosine triphosphate, a high-energy phosphate compound. Except for the final step, alcohol

fermentation is identical to glycolysis. Pyruvic acid is converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide during

alcoholic fermentation. The enzyme used in glycolysis to produce lactic acid is lactate dehydrogenase

while the enzymes used in alcoholic fermentation to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide are alcoholic

dehydrogenase and pyruvate decarboxylase.

 Glycolysis Alcoholic Fermentation

Glucose Glucose

Pyruvic Acid Pyruvic Acid

Lactic Acid Ethanol and Carbon

Dioxide

When the fermentation process is finished, the clarification process begins. Winemakers rack or

siphon their wines from one tank or barrel to the next leaving the precipitates and solids known as pomace

at the bottom of the fermenting tank. The aging and bottling of wine is the final stage of the winemaking

process. Following clarification, the winemaker either bottles the wine immediately, as is the case with

Beaujolais Nouveau, or ages it further, as is the case with Grand Cru Bordeaux and great Napa Valley

Cabernet Sauvignon. Additional aging can take place in the bottle, stainless steel or ceramic tanks, large

wooden ovals, or small barrels known as barriques.

All the processes contribute to the differences of flavor. In harvesting, the correct time of

harvesting of grapes was being done to obtain their desired flavor. Some winemakers time the

fermentation process when there is still sugar left to produce sweet wine. In clarification, some

winemakers add other substances that can change the flavor of the wine. Lastly, aging can also change

the flavor of the wine.

Due to the meticulous process of wine making, it makes the wine expensive. From the vineyards

developed to the handpicked grapes and time used in aging, this all contributes to the high value of wine.
References:

A Brief Outline of the History and Traditions of Wine. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.winebuzz.hk/history.html?fbclid=IwAR088Q7ENXeTaclWRg7By9LLuF4uQuGWo7wL1YY0u

Mt67p0RnNqv72AZsVw

The History of Wine: Arena Flowers. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from

https://www.arenaflowers.com/blogs/news/history-of-wine/?fbclid=IwAR0Av6-

G0ZFkbzc_zopBn8HIFLQkp3zI9YiHg-kVjBrgVnNZPoiVih7lAR4

Wine Making Process: How to Make Wine: Wine of the Month Club. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2021,

from https://www.winemonthclub.com/the-wine-making-

process?fbclid=IwAR13O1_egMHzH5LwRNupEQA5ld5qM-F5wwdXUYNXBS8cAWMritRySJtdbn8

Morton, J. S. (n.d.). Glycolysis and Alcoholic Fermentation. Retrieved November 5, 2021, from

https://www.icr.org/article/glycolysis-alcoholic-fermentation/