Get your questions answered with this reliable basic wine guide. Wine can be daunting and overwhelming, especially winemaking, so we are breaking it down to the basics.
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When I worked in Napa Valley, I saw just how complicated wine can be... Though, it also can be made pretty simple. I mean, it's grape juice and yeast how challenging can that be??
In this basic wine guide, you will learn the basic wine knowledge which includes the characteristics of wine tasting and types of grape wines.
Then we will dive into winemaking for beginners which includes the winemaking process, equipment, natural wines, aging wine, and more!
This post is all about a basic wine guide.
The Ultimate Basic Wine Guide
The Most Basic Wine Knowledge
In the most basic of basic wine knowledge we want to know about the characteristics of wine and how it tastes overall and the types of wines to choose from.
Then, basic wine knowledge also dives into winemaking and the winemaking process. But, for now we will start with the most basic of basic wine knowledge!
The 5 Key Characteristics of Wine
Characteristics of wine is where things get really fun because you can go around tasting tons of different wines!
The top 5 are:
- Body
- Acidity
- Sweetness
- Tannin
- Alcohol content
The one that is the most challenging to understand is tannin.
Tannins are a bitter and astringent compound that live on grape skins. Red wine usually has a higher tannin level due to the longer contact on skins in the winemaking process AND naturally there is a higher concentration of tannins in red grape skins.
The red wine with the most tannins: Cabernet Sauvignon.
Types of Grape Wines
For types of wine we have varying types and styles, but mostly we have 3 types of grape wines to choose from.
- Red (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Nior, Zinfandel, Grenache)
- White (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sémillon, Reisling)
- Rosé (made from red grapes)
Each type of wine listed above has a multitude of grapes within it. In wine, they are called the "grape varietal".
Each grape varietal grows independently. In a vineyard you have a Cabernet Sauvignon vine, a Pinot Gris vine, etc, and they all look and act differently.
Wine is grown in mostly 9 main regions around the world:
Chile, France, USA, Australia, Spain, Argentina, Italy, and South Africa.
Therefore, the amount of different grape varietals and grape wines are endless. French wines will be different varietals than Spanish wines, etc etc.
Let's Start Here
Man o man. Winemaking, in its purest form, is simple and straight forward.
However, over the years of humans refining this craft, we have created a stellar, but complicated, process.
In simple terms, a grape goes from fruit to glass in a few steps:
- Grow the fruit in a vineyard.
- Harvest the fruit. Usually in the fall months in the Northern Hemisphere and the spring months in the Southern
- Process the fruit. Either through a de-stemmers, stomping on them, a press, etc. It depends on the grape varietal.
- Primary Fermentation. The beginning of the formation of alcohol.
- Secondary Fermentation. Completing the alcohol and developing flavor.
- Bottle.
- Age the wines, which depends on the type of wine and winemakers preferences.
- Enjoy!
Take a Sneak Peak...
Learn the basics of wine making for beginners.
Winemaking Equipment
Among a basic wine guide, we ought to learn the basic winemaking equipment and how it all plays into our wine.
Especially if we are going to make our own wine at home, a winemaking equipment list is essential.
The basic wine guide to winemaking equipment:
- A fermenter where all the grapes go into, where we add the yeast, and where the alcohol is created.
- A siphon hose that moves the wine from the fermenter into barrels and then into bottles.
- Barrels, for obvious reasons!
- Bottles, preferably with corks for better aging.
- A few extra pieces of equipment that round everything out, but not too important when talking about the basics!
My favorite part of winemaking in a winery was the huge fermenters that carried 100 pounds of grapes. They would get poured in, smelling fantastic, and we would watch it transform into alcohol.
However, winemaking at home is equally as impressive.
To make wine at home, we use the same type of equipment but dialed down to create 1-5 gallons of wine.
Of course, there are plenty of pieces of equipment you can add into a home winemaking bundle, but the basics are pretty simple.
Check out our on-demand list of winemaking equipment for home winemakers. You can get everything you need in one click to your Amazon cart.
The Process
The basic wine guide to the wine making process is somewhat laid out above in "wine making for beginners".
The winemaking process is the process the grapes take from vine to glass. A huge, and critical, part of winemaking is viticulture.
Viticulture is the study of grapes and grape vines. High class winemakers will watch and analyze the vines from the start to ensure the vineyards are keeping pests and diseases at bay.
Along with winemaking equipment, the winemaking process includes:
- Processing the fruit
- Stabilize the juices
- Undergo primary fermentation
- Move into secondary fermentation
- Aging and bottling
To dive deeper into the winemaking process Jeff Cox, the author of Vines to Wines, breaks down everything from growing vines to making wines.
Overall, the wine making process starts with the vines. The vine health, the soil, the climate, etc are all so important in the finished product.
As for a basic wine guide, that is as basic as I shall make it! Take it further if you desire. Otherwise, let's jump into the easy stuff.
Wine Made... Easy
Wine, in its basic form, is sugary grape juice fermented with yeast to make an alcoholic drink.
So, easy wine making is:
- Sugary fruit juice
- Yeast
- Time
It really is that easy. Using a one-gallon fermenter, you can take fruit juice purchased from the store add some commercial wine yeast, and give it time to ferment.
Wine Made
(Un) Complicated
Just 2 simple ingredients!
How About, Natural Wine?
Recently, there's a huge push towards "natural wine". Or even, "organic wine".
What makes wine natural, and how can we find the best natural wines? Well, natural wine comes from the basics (stated above): grape juice and yeast.
However, the natural part of natural wines comes from the use of naturally occurring yeasts found on the grape skins.
Alternatively, in the market we see a lot of natural wines that just use "minimal additives" or "no preservatives". Though, these are not natural wines by the long standing definition.
It is wonderful to consume less preservatives and additives...
But, if you are interested in true natural wine then check out our NEW guide to everything natural wines to learn the secrets.
Aging Like Fine Wine
How long to age wine? A great question that deserve a mention in the basic wine guide because it can be pretty basic. Aging wine, like anything else, can be complicated if you want it to but here is the simplest answer. Basically...
Wines that have higher tannin levels and higher alcohol content will age better longer. That includes red wines! Now, some white wines can age well, but usually they lose the floral and fruity notes after a while of being in the bottle.
Tannins act as a natural antioxidant which keeps spoilage at bay. Alternatively, alcohol is a natural preservative therefore, the higher the alcohol content the greater the preservation/aging.
Check out more detailed information regarding how long to age wine here!
Last, and Maybe Least
Lastly on our basic wine guide is the introduction to herbal wines and meads. These products are not as popular as grape wine, obviously! But, they deserve a mention.
Herbal wines and meads are great ways to start the winemaking process at home. If you have extra herbs laying around, or have a favorite herb you want to get creative with.
Herbal wines use either added brown sugar, or sugar from a different fruit juice to ferment into wine.
Alternatively, mead is actually "honey wine" so you add honey with yeast to make mead.
Romantic Rose Petal Wine
See what it takes to make herbal wines at home.
Overall, this basic wine guide walked you through all the basics in wine: basic wine knowledge, winemaking process, wine basics, introduction to natural wines and herbal wines, and how long to age wines.
Other Posts You Maybe Interested In:
✓ 3 Forgotten Wines for Health Benefits Backed By Research Worth Trying
✓ 5 Simple Must-Do Things to Kickstart Your First Fermentation Project
✓ 10 Little-Known Wine Tips for Beginners to Get The Most Out of Your Wines
This post was all about a basic wine guide.