Back in the days of the Roman Empire the word ‘amateur’ meant ‘lover’ and referred to an individual who did something from a love of doing it, instead of for any financial gain. These people were considered to be the finest of experts because they perfected their craft motivated by nothing more than joy for their work.
Despite the fact that professional winemakers still imbue their work with passion and skill, amateurs, helped by modern technology and knowledge passed down over generations, can frequently now produce similar results.
The chemistry behind the fermentation process was not well understood until the start of the last century but, nevertheless, the basic process of fermentation has been used for more than 5,000 years. Left unattended a wine grape will ripen until its skin splits and the juice ferments naturally. Nowadays, however, this process is guided by a combination of art and science.
Grapes are put into a press in which they are turned into must which is a mixture of pulp, skin and juice. Natural yeast (which is found on the skin near the stem) and additional yeast reacts with the sugars in the juice and produces ethanol (alcohol), carbon dioxide and heat. This process continues until either the sugars are depleted or the yeast is killed by the products of the reaction.
As a result of work undertaken by Pasteur and others we are now able to tightly control the process so that we get exactly the result we want. For people who are not lucky enough to have their own vineyard close to hand, wine juice concentrates can now be purchased relatively cheaply.
Merely add sugar, yeasts, acids and nutrients (to feed the yeast) to a suitable container like a carboy or other jug and allow the mixture to sit for a few days at approximately 75 degrees fahrenheit (24 degrees centigrade). Specific recipes are often provided with the wine juice concentrate giving specific amounts and fermentation details.
After a few days, siphon the liquid off the pulp and permit it to ferment at about 65 degrees fahrenheit (18 degrees centigrade) for a few weeks until bubbling (gas production) ceases. Then, siphon the wine from the sediments (lees) and store the bottles on their sides at 55 degrees fahrenheit (13 degrees centigrade) for six months for white wine and up to a year for red wine before tasting.
Of course, it sounds simpler than it is but it is certainly not beyond the dedicated amateur’s ability. Nowadays, the process is closely monitored and sometimes adjusted daily and, thanks to inexpensive refractometers to measure sugar concentrations, thermometers, hydrometers, temperature controlled cabinets and a host of other items the job is a lot easier than it used to be.
Of course things can and do go wrong as nature takes its own course. Fermentation may not begin, it may begin and then mysteriously stop prematurely, the resulting wine might be excessively sweet or cloudy or full of sediments. The wine may contain too much pectin, too many bacteria, taste sulphurous or flat or even moldy. Crystals may form if the temperature is too low or secondary fermentation may result from keeping the wine too hot.
Nevertheless, in no small measure thanks to the Internet, today there are a number of websites devoted to assisting the amateur winemaker to produce wines that can rival those made by the masters of wine. The only thing that it takes is a little bit of practice.
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