About this course
This course walks you through how red wine is made, from the day you pick the grapes to the point where the wine goes into vessels for aging. It is built for people starting or growing a wine brand who want to understand the key decisions in red wine fermentation and what each choice does to the finished wine.
You will learn how to decide when to pick based on sugar and acid levels, and whether to de-stem or ferment whole cluster. Immature stems can add too much tannin or green character. You will compare a proven yeast strain, chosen for its alcohol tolerance and aromas, with a native fermentation, which can sometimes stall at a certain alcohol level. The course also covers controlling temperature through a two- to three-week fermentation on the skins, and adding natural yeast-derived nutrients to help the yeast turn sugar into ethanol.
You will see why daily pump-overs or punch-downs matter. They extract color and tannin, and they keep the cap from drying out and growing mold or bacteria. You will learn how harvest timing shapes sweetness: leave fruit on the vine longer for more sugar, or pick earlier for a drier wine. Finally, you will follow the steps after fermentation: press, settle for two to three days, and run malolactic fermentation for two to three months before sulfuring, aging and topping the vessels. A second lesson introduces wine barrel basics.
Lessons
- 01How Red Wine Fermentation Works, From Crush to Barrel AgingHead winemaker Dean Guzman of McClean Cellars walks through red wine fermentation step by step, from the de-stem or whole cluster decision to pressing, malolactic fermentation and aging. You will learn how choices on yeast, nutrients, punch downs and pick timing shape a red wine's color, tannin, sweetness and character. Knowing these decisions helps you understand how a great red is made and how to plan for the style you want.13 min
- 02Wine Barrel Basics: Barrel Types, Toast, Size, Aging Time and Case MathLearn how barrel aging shapes a wine's flavor, texture and finish, and how to choose between oak, stainless steel, concrete and clay. The lesson covers how toast level, barrel size, time in barrel and barrel age change the wine, and the simple math for turning barrels and gallons into cases. Head winemaker Dean Guzman also explains how barrels are managed month to month. These basics help you make informed decisions with your winemaking team and plan production.18 min
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