Lesson 1Looking at picking grapes: when ripe, hand pick or machine pick, sortingThis part talks about when to pick grapes, how ripe they should be, and how hand or machine picking keeps grapes good. It also shows sorting ways to take out bad bunches and make better wine.
Sugar, acid, and flavor indicators of ripenessHand harvesting: benefits and limitationsMechanical harvesting: pros, cons, key settingsField and winery sorting methodsImpact of harvest decisions on wine styleLesson 2Soaking skins for reds: time with skins, getting colour and tanninThis part explains soaking skins in red wine making, how time, heat, and mixing skins get colour and tannin. It covers soaking before and after ferment, and how it changes the wine style.
Skin contact time and extraction curvesCap management: punch‑downs and pump‑oversTemperature effects on color and tanninsCold soak and extended maceration optionsManaging seed tannins and harsh phenolicsLesson 3Usual checks for quality in making: acid, sugar level, sulphur dioxide, no bad germsThis part looks at normal checks while making wine, like sugar level, acid, sulphur dioxide, and germs. You learn how to take samples, good ranges, and how results help make right choices quick.
Sampling plans and measurement frequencyMonitoring Brix and fermentation progressTitratable acidity and pH managementFree and total SO₂ targets and testingMicrobial stability checks and responsesLesson 4Making clear and stable: moving wine, adding clearers, basic filteringThis part shows ways to make wine clear and stable for good look and long keep. It covers moving wine, adding clearers, filtering, and how each step removes bits, cloud risk, and bad germs.
Racking schedules and lees managementFining agents for tannin and protein issuesFiltration levels: coarse, fine, sterileCold stabilization for tartrate controlMicrobial stabilization before bottlingLesson 5Main ferment: picking yeast, watching heat, turning sugar to alcoholHere we look at main ferment for white and red, focus on yeast pick, food for yeast, heat watch. You learn how sugar becomes alcohol and avoid slow or stuck ferment.
Inoculated vs spontaneous yeast strategiesYeast nutrition, YAN, and supplementationTemperature ranges for white and red fermentsMonitoring Brix, density, and fermentation rateCauses and prevention of stuck fermentationsLesson 6Pressing for whites vs handling red juice with skinsThis part compares soft pressing for whites with handling red juice and skins. It shows press steps, pressure levels, separating parts, and how pressing choices change taste, air touch, and quality.
Whole‑cluster vs crushed pressing for whitesFree‑run vs press fractions and blendingPress types: basket, bladder, and pneumaticManaging oxidation and solids in white juiceTiming of pressing and drainage for red winesLesson 7Crushing and removing stems: why, machines, effect on juice mixHere we see why crush grapes and remove stems, main machines, and how changes affect juice mix. You see how handling seeds, skins, stems change tannin, colour, bitter taste.
Destemming to control stems and green tanninsCrushing intensity and berry breakage controlRoller gap, speed, and whole‑berry optionsEquipment types: crushers, destemmers, combosMust composition changes after processingLesson 8Bottling and stopper choices: cork kinds, screw tops, no-air gas and air riskThis part looks at getting ready for bottling, filling, picking stoppers. It explains cork kinds, screw tops, gas use, and how air in and stopper let-through affect wine change and problems.
Bottling line hygiene and pre‑bottling checksNatural, technical, and micro‑agglomerated corksScrewcaps and liner oxygen transmissionUse of inert gas during bottling operationsPost‑bottling storage and bottle shockLesson 9Ageing choices: steel tanks, old wood, new wood, how they change tasteHere we compare ageing in steel, old wood, new wood for white and red. You see how tank size, air touch, wood bits change feel, smell, long growth.
Stainless steel and reductive aging stylesNeutral oak and slow oxygen exchangeNew oak flavors: toast, spice, and vanillaBarrel size, age, and grain tightnessMatching vessel choice to wine style goalsLesson 10Two main differences between white and red making shown with real examplesHere we point two big differences in white and red making: juice handling and skin soak. Real examples show how these choices change colour, tannin, smell, age power in final wine.
Pressing timing in whites vs redsSkin contact strategies and color outcomesCap management unique to red fermentationsOxygen exposure differences by wine styleImpact on aging potential and service styleLesson 11Second ferment: what it is, when white and red do it, taste changeHere we explain second ferment, germs that do it, how it makes acid soft. You learn when white and red do it, manage time, how it changes feel, smell, germ safety.
Biology of lactic acid bacteria in wineChemical changes from malic to lactic acidMLF in reds vs selected white wine stylesInoculation, co‑inoculation, and sequencingFlavor, texture, and stability consequences
