How is red wine made? Traditional maceration
The colour, tannin content and structure of red wine come from the grape skins. The key to making it is therefore maceration, that is, how long and in what way the grape juice is soaked on the skins.
Step 3 is the decisive one: this is where colour, aroma and tannin dissolve out of the skins.
The classic method
The crushed, destemmed grapes ferment together with the skins. The carbon dioxide rising during fermentation pushes the skins to the top of the tank, forming the cap. The winemaker pushes the cap down several times a day, or pumps the wine over the cap, to extract colour, aromas and tannins from it. Fermentation typically takes place at around 25–32 °C, and the time on the skins is one to four weeks. Then the wine is drained off and the skins are pressed. This is how most serious, age-worthy red wines are made.
Three common variations of the method
- Cold maceration: before fermentation the grapes are soaked on the skins for a few days in the cold (4–10 °C), which gives deeper colour and a fruitier aroma.
- Extended post-fermentation maceration: the wine is left on the skins even after fermentation, so that the tannins become more rounded.
- Whole-stem fermentation: part of the bunches are fermented with their stems, which adds spiciness and structure.
Malolactic conversion and barrel ageing
After alcoholic fermentation, most red wines go through malolactic conversion (malolactic fermentation): the hard malic acid is converted into softer lactic acid, making the wine rounder and more stable. Then comes maturing: more serious wines are kept in barrel for 6–24 months. The barrel lets a little oxygen through, which refines the tannins and gives the wine notes of vanilla, toast, smoke and spice. Good examples are the red wines of Villány, Szekszárd and Eger.
