Final answer:
The wine-making process consists of Harvesting, Fermentation, Aging, and Bottling. Fermentation is a critical stage where yeast converts grape sugars into alcohol, in an anaerobic process producing CO2 as a byproduct. The resulting wine is then aged and bottled.
Step-by-step explanation:
Wine-Making Process
The wine-making process involves several key steps that transform grapes into wine. The steps are: Harvesting, Fermentation, Aging, and Bottling.
- Harvesting - This is the first step where ripe grapes are picked from the vineyards.
- Fermentation - During this critical stage, yeasts convert the sugars from the grapes into alcohol and CO2. This process is known as alcohol fermentation and happens in two steps; the first releases CO2 gas and acetaldehyde while the second step involves the reduction of acetaldehyde to ethanol.
- Aging - After fermentation, the wine is allowed to age, developing its flavors and character.
- Bottling - The final step is bottling the wine where it is prepared for storage and/or sale.
Wine fermentation is a type of anaerobic cellular respiration that occurs in the absence of oxygen. Yeast assists in this process, inducing a chemical breakdown of substances within the grapes, primarily sugars, to produce wine.