Five Important Aspects of Wine Making

Wine making began in root cellars, basements, garages and sheds. The process of making wine is not like fast food. It doesn’t happen instantly. You need several components in order to be successful, as well as wine making equipment and tools.

You need the fruit of course, and the right container to store the wine in as it ages. You need additives such as; yeast, yeast nutrients, campden tablets and tannins (depending on what kind of wine you wish to make).

1. The Location

Grapevines grow the best in sunny and dry climates, however, man has long experimented with hybrid vines and now grapes will grow virtually anywhere in the world. That is, if great care is given to the vines themselves during the growing process. Grapes planted on a hillside will escape the threat of an early frost, but will become susceptible to soil erosion. Planting grapevines on a hillside or mountainside on the southern most exposed slope extends the growing season of the fruit and ultimately results in a better-tasting wine.

Grapevines planted in the desert heat need to be of a hardy variety in order to withstand the intense heat of the day, and the bitter cold that night will bring.

Grapevines grown in the valley are easy to maintain and cultivate, but they are susceptible to early frost because cold air settles down into lower elevations.

During heavy rainstorms, the soil around the grapevines can be washed away and along with it all the vital nutrients in the dirt. This exposure opens up the roots to the danger of the sun’s burning rays. To prevent this from occurring, oftentimes a groundcover is laid to protect the roots, carpeting the soil around the plants.

Growing grapes for winemaking is a bit of a gamble. It requires careful configurations to figure out the best possible locations to plant the vines, that will in turn yield the best harvest resulting in a more favorable and saleable wine.

Grapes that are cultivated all over the world are dependent on man and nature. Man must come to understand the soil composition that will yield the best harvest of grapes. And Nature must cooperate, though sometimes, Nature doesn’t want to listen.

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