How to Grow Grapes and Make Wine
By Alexa Aren
Wine making is an age old art form with archeological data that dates back as far as 6000 BC. The evolution of wine is closely tied to the evolution of agriculture and the development of agrarian society as a whole. The Egyptians are the first to have recorded history indicating that wine played a significant role in their sacred rituals. In Europe there is evidence of wine and wine making in the region of Macedonia dating as far back as 6500 years ago. Today wine plays an important role in social interaction and is synonymous with celebration and enjoyment. The process of wine making is a long and arduous one, but well worth the fruits it will bare.
When setting out to make your own wine, the first ting you need to know is how to grow grapes. Generally, there are only two known varieties of grapes for your grapevine: the European grapes and the hybrids. People in the region of California produce the European variety while those who live in places where growing seasons are shorter opt to have the hybrid. The choice of the types of grapes to grow should be carefully considered while keeping in mind that wines are offered either red or white. To achieve the best tasting wine, the grapevines will play a major factor and not only the winemaker. Grapes are considered perennial plants so you will need about three years before you finally have that first crop. Grapevines need full access to sunlight, the right type of soil, and the most ideal growing site. Otherwise, the vines become stressed and eventually lead to poor produce. Larger grapes contain more juice and less skin and are very tasty to eat, winemakers, however, prefer the smaller grapes with less juice since all the natural flavor and taste that will dictate the taste of the final products is found in the skin.
During harvest, start off with disease-free and fully ripe grapes. If you are using the hybrid variety, you need to obtain specific chemicals from your local winemaking shops. Hybrid grapes have higher levels of acidity, thus the need for such chemicals is important to obtain the proper acidity of the grapes before adding the yeast for fermentation. There are varied types of yeasts for fermentation that add character and flavor to the wine. After fermentation, which takes no less than a week, the wine is now read for ageing. This process can take anywhere from a few months to even years before finally completed. Generally speaking, the longer the wine is aged, the better and more sophisticated its taste becomes. Once the wine is crystal clear, you can start bottling it and have it age for a few months more. Empty wine bottles and corks can be purchased from your local wine shops.
Wine making is indeed an arduous task, however it should be a labor of love. There is surely no better tasting wine than the one you have made yourself. Now that you have an idea of how to grow grapes it is only a matter of time before you get to enjoy that very first bottle of your very own wine.
Alexa Aren is a winemaking enthusiast and author. She lives in Montreal and spends her time teaching others how to grow their own grapes and make amazing wine. For more great tips on how you can grow your own grapes and make your own wine visit http://www.thebackyardvineyard.com
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