Autumn
is here and so is grape harvesting, the first step in the process that produces a drink that is fit for the gods: wine. Do you know how grape turns into wine? It’s not that complicated actually however one needs a lot of experience to get it right. The (very) basic process is as follows: you start with picking the grapes, then you crush them to release their juice (see pic on the right, doing it the old-fashioned way). Next store the grape juice, it’s actually called stum at this point, in a suitable container, ideally oak barrels or stainless-steel containers. Then you wait until most of the sugar present in the grape juice turns into alcohol via natural fermentation. You may add yeast to aid the process. Then you bottle it and there you have it, new wine. Of course, there are an infinite number of small steps that will affect the taste of the final product, such as the actual pressing process, controlling the stum (grape juice after pressing), adding of sugar or sulfur, filtering the wine, storing temperature, etc, etc. Nevertheless, if it’s done right you’ll have a wonderful drink that, in small quantities, is actually good for health.
“Never trust a man who doesn’t drink because he’s usually afraid of something deep down inside, either that he is a coward or a fool or mean and violent.” — James Crumley
Alex