Wine making is an art and a science. From the moment a winemaker decides when to harvest the grapes to the final choices about aging, filtering and blending, every step along the way shapes what ends up in your glass. And while the basic concept is simple — grape juice ferments into wine — the decisions a winemaker makes at each stage can lead to dramatically different results, even from the same vineyard and the same grape.
This page brings together a wide range of articles that pull back the curtain on that process, whether you’re just curious about the basics or want to dig into the finer details of the craft.
Photo by Maja Petric on Unsplash
The Art of Wine Making Series
This series takes a close look at the specific decisions every winemaker faces — from choosing which grapes to plant to determining how long to age the finished wine. Each article focuses on one key choice and explains why it matters.
- Determining Which Grapes Will Grow Best
- Knowing How to Prune Dormant Grapevines to Ensure Proper Growth
- Grape Vine Canopy Management
- Removing Clusters Before They Ripen
- Choosing the Right Time to Harvest Grapes
- De-Stemming the Grapes versus Using the Whole-Clusters
- Deciding How to Press the Wine Grapes
- Deciding When and How to Macerate the Grapes
- Picking the Right Yeast for Fermentation
- Choosing the Right Vessel for Wine Fermentation
- Selecting the Right Temperature for Fermentation
- Choosing the Duration for Fermentation
- Choosing Malolactic Conversion or Not for the Wine
- Choosing to Do Punchdowns and Pumpovers
- Choosing to Allow a Wine to Age On-Lees
- Knowing When to Top Off Oak Wine Barrels
- Choosing Whether or Not to Filter a Wine
- Making Decisions on Blending Wines
- Choice of Oak Barrels for Wine Aging
- Choosing Aging Vessels Other Than Oak Barrels
- Determining How Long to Age the Wine
The Basics
If you’re new to winemaking or just want a clear overview, start here. These articles explain what wine actually is, what goes into it, and walk you through the entire process from harvest to bottle.
Some of the Factors that Go into the Art of Wine Making
How is Wine Made? Part 1 - Harvesting the Grapes
How is Wine Made? Part 2 - Fermentation
How is Wine Made? Part 3 - Processing and Aging
In the Vineyard
Great wine starts long before fermentation. These articles explore what happens in the vineyard — how grapevines grow, how winemakers read the fruit, and how they decide when the grapes are finally ready to pick.
What is the Grape Growing Cycle?
Did You Know that Grapevines are Self-Pollinating?
How Winemakers Know it’s Time for Harvest
The Grapes are Harvested! But How Do They Become Wine?
Fermentation
Fermentation is where grape juice becomes wine, but the choices a winemaker makes along the way — the vessel, the temperature, the yeast — have a lasting impact on the finished result. These articles explain how.
Fermentation Vessels Can Affect the Flavors of a Wine
Should You be Concerned that Wine Contains Sulfites?
Ever Wonder how Temperature Affects Wine Fermentation?
Why Do Some Winemakers Co-Ferment Syrah and Viognier?
Why Do Winemakers Blend Viognier with Tannat?
Oak, Barrels and Aging
Oak is one of the most powerful tools in a winemaker’s cellar, capable of adding flavor, softening tannins, and helping a wine evolve. These articles look at the different approaches, from traditional barrels to concrete tanks to clay amphora.
What the Difference Between a New Oak Barrel and a Neutral Oak Barrel?
Do Some Oak Barrels get Charred or Toasted?
Your Oaked Wine May Have Never Been in an Oak Barrel!
Did You Know that Oak Flavor in Wine Can Come from Chips, Staves and Powder?
Why Some Wines are Made in Concrete Tanks
How Amphora is Used in the Making of Wine
How a Wine’s Structure and it’s Balance Affect its Ability to Age Well
Finishing the Wine
Before a wine reaches the bottle, it goes through a series of final decisions — what to do with the lees, whether to fine or filter, how to manage tannins. These articles explain what happens in the cellar once fermentation is done.
Ever Wonder What “Unfined” Means on a Wine Label?
Tannin Management in Winemaking is an Important Factor in Producing a Balanced Wine
Color and Style
The color of a wine tells you a great deal about how it was made. These articles explore the winemaking decisions that determine whether a wine ends up red, white, rosé, or something else entirely — including orange.
Where Does the Color of a Wine Come From?
Ever Wonder Why the Color of Red Wines Can Differ?
Did You Know that White Wine Can Be Made with Red Wine Grapes?
How Does Orange Wine Get Its Color?
Natural, Organic and Sustainable
Terms like organic, natural, and biodynamic appear more and more on wine labels, but they don’t all mean the same thing. These articles explain what each approach actually means in the vineyard and the cellar.
What is an Organic Wine versus a Wine Made from Organic Grapes?
What are Natural, Bio-Dynamic and Sustainably Produced Wines?
Ever Wonder Why Most Wine is not Vegan?
Noble Rot in Wine is a Good Thing!
Curiosities and Fun Facts
Not everything in winemaking follows the expected rules. These articles cover some of the more surprising and genuinely fascinating corners of the craft — the kind of things that make you say “I had no idea.”
Lady Bug Taint in Wine? Yes - It’s a Real Thing!
The Solera System of Winemaking
Some Key Terms in the Production of Sparkling Wine