Growing White Grapes
White grapes hang on the vine until they are ready. The sun helps them to ripen, accumulate sugar, and develop fresh and delicate flavors.
White Grape Harvest
Once the grapes are ready to be harvested, they are picked by hand or machine and immediately chilled in the winery to keep them fresh. At this stage, it is important that the grapes are not exposed to too much oxygen, so they don’t spoil and develop unwanted bacteria.
White Grape Pressing
In the winery, the white grapes are sorted by hand or machine to remove unwanted material and make sure the remaining berries are healthy and usable. The grapes are pressed to remove the juice from the skins. The juice is ready to be fermented.
White Grape Fermentation
The white juice is placed in a fermentation tank. Yeast is added to convert the sugar into alcohol. This process may take a couple weeks. The temperatures remain relatively cool, so the juice doesn’t get too warm and lose its fresh fruit flavor.
White Wine Aging Options
When fermentation completes, the winemaker must decide what to do next. The wine may be:
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1. Bottled for immediate consumption
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2. Aged in oak to develop additional flavors and texture
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3. Stored in a vat and bottled at a later date
