From vineyard to glass: The hidden life of wine
Have you ever wondered about the journey your wine takes before it ends up at your table? It’s a surprisingly fascinating process, that reveals the complex backstage process that makes wine happen. So come along with us, as we follow the life of a bottle from vineyard to glass.
Humble origins
Our story begins in a sunny vineyard with rows upon rows of grapevines. With just the right amount of sun, rain, and care from viticulturists, these grapes will grow plump and juicy over summer and autumn. When they reach peak ripeness, it’s harvesting time. Skilled pickers meticulously hand-select only the best bunches to make their way to the winemaking facility. And then this is when the real magic happens…
Needs must
Once picked, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, transforming the fruit into a lovely purple liquid called must. Must is essentially an intensified version of freshly squeezed grape juice…but much better! The winemaker tests the must for sugar, acidity, and other qualities to make sure it is a perfect match for the intended style of wine.
If you want to understand how these factors impact the final taste of the wine, we wrote a guide just for that. Have a read.
Time to choose – white, red, rosé?
As with all good things in life, wine needs time before it’s ready to be shared with the world. Over weeks or years, the wine ages gracefully in tanks, barrels, and bottles.
For reds, the aging process softens tannins and allows intriguing new flavors to develop. Whites and rosés tend to be best while still delightfully young and fruity. Regardless of style, wine requires patience as it matures into the refined liquid that we know and love.
Bottling magic
When the winemaker decides the time is right, the blank bottles are labeled with a vintage year, winery details, and artistic design. Now our wine is ready to be sold! Restaurants, wine shops, and supermarkets carefully select wines from distributors to offer to their patrons.
Maybe next time you’re dining out and a server presents a bottle to your table; as you swirl, smell, taste, take a moment to savor all the years of patience bottled up just for you. From vineyard fruit to the finished glass, it has transformed into a complex, delicious work of art.
We hope you enjoyed this stroll from the vineyard to the table. Here’s to the delicious world of wine. Cheers!
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