Depending on the grape, the region and the kind of wine that a winemaker wishes to produce, the exact steps in the harvesting process will vary in time, technique and technology.
But for the most part, every wine harvest includes these basic vine-to-wine steps:
1. Pick the grapes
2. Crush the grapes
3. Ferment the grapes into wine
4. Age the wine
5. Bottle the wine
Check out this photo guide of each of the steps of how wine is made from the moment the grapes are picked until the wine is put into bottles shared by Winefolly.com.
For the home vineyardist, harvest day is the most important — or at least the busiest — day of the year. Planning and preparation is critical in order for everything to run smoothly. Check out some tips for a successful harvest day at Winemakermag.com.