For Women who Want to Learn about Wine and Shine !
For Women who Want to Learn
about Wine & Shine
How Wine is Made: 7 Steps You Need to Know!
Wine—it's not just fermented grape juice (well, technically it is, but let’s keep the magic alive).
Every sip of your favorite red, white, or sparkling wine has gone through a fascinating journey before reaching your glass.
From juicy grapes on the vine to that glorious pour, winemaking is an art, a science, and sometimes a bit of a wild adventure.
So, how does it all happen?
Let’s break it down into seven essential steps that transform humble grapes into the elixir of life. 🍷
1. Harvesting – The Grape Pick-Up Party
It all starts in the vineyard, where grapes are picked at their peak ripeness. Timing is everything! Pick too early, and you get mouth-puckering acidity; too late, and you might end up with a wine that’s more like jam.
Harvesting can be done by hand (which is traditional and fancy) or by machine (faster but less selective). Either way, it’s a race against time to get those grapes into the winery while they’re still fresh and fabulous.
Step 2: Destemming – Out With the Stems!
Once the grapes arrive at the winery, they need to be separated from their stems. Why? Because stems can add bitterness to the wine.
Most modern wineries use machines that gently shake the stems away, leaving just the juicy grapes ready for the next step. Some winemakers, especially those making certain natural wines or using carbonic fermentation, might keep some stems for added structure, but that’s a stylistic choice.
3. Crushing – Juice Extraction Time
The grapes are crushed to release their juices. Modern wineries use machines to gently squeeze the grapes, but in some places, people still stomp on them barefoot (yes, like in the movies!).
For white wine, the grape skins are removed quickly to keep the juice light and crisp. For red wine, the skins stay in contact with the juice, giving the wine its color and tannins (aka the thing that makes your mouth feel dry).
4. Fermentation – The Magic Begins
This is where the yeast party starts. Yeast (either natural or added) transforms the grape sugar into alcohol, and voilà—grape juice becomes wine!
Depending on the type of wine, fermentation can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
Want bold flavors? Longer fermentation. Want bubbles? Trap the CO₂, and boom—sparkling wine! 🍾
Step 5: Pressing (Again for Reds) & Malo-lactic Fermentation
For red wines, pressing happens after fermentation to extract more tannins and structure.
Then, some wines (especially reds and creamy whites like Chardonnay) go through malolactic fermentation—a fancy way of saying the wine becomes smoother and richer by converting tart malic acid into softer lactic acid.
Think of it as turning green apple acidity into buttery goodness! 🧈
6. Aging – The Waiting Game
Wine now takes a much-needed nap—sometimes for months, sometimes for years. Aging can happen in stainless steel tanks (for fresh, fruity wines) or oak barrels (for complexity and smoothness).
The barrel-aged wines get those delicious vanilla, spice, and toasty notes that make people swirl their glasses and pretend they know what they’re doing. 😉
7. Filtration & Bottling – The Final Touch
Before wine hits the shelves, it’s filtered to remove any unwanted particles (because nobody wants chunky wine). Some winemakers skip heavy filtration to keep more flavor and texture—hence the term “unfiltered wine.”
Then, it’s time for bottling! Some wines go straight to market, while others rest in the bottle for even more aging.
Final Sip 🍷
At last, the wine is ready for YOU. Whether it’s a casual dinner, a celebration, or just a Wednesday night (because why not?), wine is meant to be enjoyed, shared, and savored.
Watch the video at the top of this article, if you didn't do it already, because nothing beats seeing it all happen!
Now that you know the seven steps, you’ll never look at a glass of wine the same way again.
Next time you take a sip, think about the journey it took to get there—the careful harvest, the bubbling fermentation, the slow aging, and finally, the pour.
Pretty amazing, right?
What’s your favorite step in the winemaking process? Let me know in the comments!
And don’t forget—new videos drop every Wednesday on my YouTube channel Vio's Food & Wine, so make sure to subscribe for more wine fun!
Cheers! 🍷🥂
Check these out
Master Wine Glass Etiquette
in 5 Minutes!
How Did Chardonnay Become The World's Favorite White Wine?
The most mysterious grape that drives wine collectors wild!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Autem dolore, alias, numquam enim ab voluptate id quam harum ducimus cupiditate similique quisquam et deserunt, recusandae.
© 2025 Vio’s Food & Wine. All rights reserved.