Holy land wine

Destemmingand extraction of juice: stalks of grapes are removed (partially or totally depends on style of wine). If stalks 

are required a crusher-stemmer is used to remove before crushing the grape. Extraction of juice (2 methods): Pressing (for white wines) just 

enough pressure to draw the juice untainted by pigment from skins. Crushing: larger crusher which tears apart the berries and allows the pigment to 

colour the juice.

Treatment of the must: extracted grape is called must, treated with sulphur dioxide to disinfectant and kill off wild yeasts and micro-organisms. 

Sulphur dioxide stops wine oxidation (preservative) and micro-biotic activity (stops wine turning to vinegar). Skin contact: leaving the grape skins 

with must to extract elements of flavour for fruitier wine styles for short period, clear juice is then sent for fermentation (white wines). Maceration:  

skins are left to macerate with fermenting must, colour and tannin of skins drawn by presence of alcohol darkens the wine and add 

more tannin. For Rose wines similiar process up to 48 Hours only. 

Racking and removal of gross lees: after fermentation, solids or sediments (called gross lees) are removed (dead yeast, pips, pieces of grape 

skin). Racking is a method used to clarify the wine by transferring wine from one vat or cask into another, leaving behind any solids. 

Adding to yeast and alcoholic fermentation: Yeast is added to convert the natural sugars in must into alcohol and Co2. Yeast will stop working 

at 15% abv, any sugar remaining is termed ‘residual sugar’, the higher the residual sugar the sweeter the wine. Malo-lactic fermentation (bacterial 

conversion): Lactic acid bacteria present in wine become active as alcoholic fermentation slows down. This converstthe harsh tasting malic acids 

(tart acidity like green apples) into lactic acids (richer softer milk like). Malo-lactic fermentation is an optional activity for white wine production, most 

red wines grown in warm climtes use malo-lactic fermentation. 

Fining and cold stabilisation: Fining (process which involves a colloidal matter to coagulate anu solid matter within the wine to ensure clarity 

(types: small amount if wine mixed with egg whites, Islingclass, Kieselgur and Bentonite – types of powdered clay). Cold stabilisation: removing the 

substance by filtration responsible for the white crystals found on insides of corks or at the bottom of a very chilled bottle.

Blending:Cellar master or wine maker assesses the wines and decides on a blend (cuvee), to create a desirable wine, eliminate possible 

variations in fruit quality within a vintage or several vintages.

Final filtration: to clear unwanted particles ands sediment, done by centrifuges and super fine filters. Some wine makers prefer unfiltered.

Bottling:Wine is bottled and a cork is rammed in to form a seal, capsules protect the cork from pests and moulds.

Luck of the year: The weather (un-controllable factor), hailstorms can rip young shoots reducing yields, strong winds during flowering season can 

spoil pollenationfor fertilisation and the grapes may for form, rainfall (blessing or curse) – during summer light rainfall is desired, heavy rains during 

autumn near harvest can dilute the concentration of flavours.