Additions are compounds added to juice or wine to improve fermentation or preserve quality. Every so often, nature provides the winemaker with the perfect grapes. Oftentimes there is one or more adjustments

Wine undergoes a period of ageing following fermentation. This lets the wine mature, giving well integrated characters that very young wines tend to lack. Most wines receive some sort of

Table wines in the U.S. generally contain alcohol levels ranging between 12% and 16%. The winemaker will aim for a particular percentage of alcohol depending on the style and

Amelioration is when water is added to a must in an effort to dilute the concentration of grape sugars. High sugar levels bring the potentials of high alcohol

Anthocyanins are the phenolic group that is responsible for the color in red wine. They are also antioxidants. More specifically, anthocyanins are one class of flavonoid compounds found in wine. Their color ranges from red to blue. The color of anthocyanins

Blending is the art of combining different wines to produce a new wine. Most finished wines are a combination of grape varietals. Different grapes possess different sensory and physical properties. Usually

Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar, or concentrated grape juice, to must to raise the potential ethanol level in the final product. Cane sugar is the most common source of chaptalization, but beet sugar and concentrated grape juice are also

After red grapes have been sorted and sent through the crusher-destemmer, they are kept around 10˚C degrees for several days. The cool environment prevents spontaneous

The following is a list of common measurements and additions made to wine during the wine's journey from vineyard to bottle.  

After the grapes are sorted, they can be sent through a machine called a crusher. The crusher splits open grape skins to release a portion of their juice and expose the skins. This allows the juices to have more contact with the grape skins during