03 · Making Beginner

Red, white, rosé and sparkling methods

The same raw material — grapes — produces radically different wines depending on what happens in the winery. The key decisions: whether to include skins, how long, at what temperature, and whether to add a second fermentation.

White wine

Grapes are harvested and pressed quickly — skins are separated from the juice before fermentation.
The juice (must) ferments with yeast, converting sugar to alcohol and CO₂. Temperature is kept cool (12–18°C) to preserve aromatic freshness.
After fermentation, the wine is clarified (fining, filtration or natural settling) and stabilised.
Most white wine is bottled without oak ageing. Some (Chardonnay, white Rioja) are fermented or aged in oak barrels.

Key point No skin contact = no tannin, minimal colour.

Red wine

Crushed grapes (juice + skins + seeds) ferment together — this is maceration. Skins provide colour (anthocyanins) and tannins.
Temperature is warmer (25–30°C). Winemakers punch down or pump over the "cap" of skins to extract colour and tannin.
After fermentation, the wine is pressed off the skins. Longer maceration = more tannin and colour.
Most reds undergo malolactic fermentation (MLF), converting sharp malic acid to softer lactic acid. Then oak ageing (optional) and bottling.

Key point Skin contact duration is the main lever for tannin level and colour intensity.

Rosé wine

Method 1 (skin contact): Red grapes are lightly crushed and the juice sits on the skins for 2–24 hours, extracting a small amount of colour, then pressed off.
Method 2 (saignée / "bleeding"): A portion of juice is "bled" off a red wine fermentation early to increase concentration of the remaining red wine.
The pink juice then ferments like a white wine — cool, without skins.
Blending red and white wines together to make rosé is permitted in the EU only for Champagne rosé, not for still wines.

Key point Colour in rosé comes from limited skin contact only — not from blending.

Traditional method sparkling

A still base wine is produced first (often blended from multiple parcels or vintages).
The wine is bottled with a small addition of sugar and yeast (tirage). Secondary fermentation in the bottle creates CO₂, which dissolves into the wine under pressure.
The dead yeast cells (lees) remain in the bottle. Extended lees contact (minimum 15 months for non-vintage Champagne, 36 for vintage) adds biscuity, toasty complexity.
Riddling (remuage) gradually moves the lees to the bottle neck; disgorgement removes the frozen plug of sediment. Dosage (a small sugar addition) sets the final sweetness.

Key point Used in Champagne, Cava, Crémant, English sparkling, Franciacorta. Fine, persistent bubbles from bottle fermentation.

Tank method sparkling (Charmat)

The base wine undergoes secondary fermentation in a pressurised tank rather than individual bottles.
The wine is filtered under pressure and bottled directly from the tank.
No extended lees contact — fresher, fruitier style.

Key point Used in Prosecco, most Sekt. Larger, less persistent bubbles than traditional method.

The role of fining and filtration

After fermentation, most wines are clarified before bottling. Fining involves adding a substance that binds to particles and causes them to fall out of suspension — common fining agents include egg white (albumin), milk protein (casein) and fish bladder (isinglass). These are removed with the sediment, but trace amounts may remain, which is why allergen labelling is required under EU Regulation 2021/2117. Filtration physically removes particles through a filter membrane. Natural wine producers often skip both steps, which is why natural wines can be hazy.

Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) is added at various stages as a preservative and antioxidant — it prevents oxidation and microbial spoilage. It appears on labels as "Contains sulphites" if above 10 mg/L. Most wine contains 80–150 mg/L of free SO₂; sweet wines and whites intended for ageing typically contain more. The tannins in red wine provide some natural antioxidant protection, so reds generally require less sulphur than whites.

Next steps

04 Sparkling sweetness terms — Brut, Extra Brut, Demi-Sec explained 05 How to taste wine — apply what you know about making to what you find in the glass → Tannin — the structural compound that comes from skin contact

Sources: WSET (winemaking curricula); OIV (oenological practices); Comité Champagne (traditional method); AWRI (SO₂ and fining research); IFOAM Organics (natural and organic winemaking standards). Last updated: 2026-10-14. Corrections via the contact form.

Questions

About winemaking.

Why are all wines made from white grapes, but not all white wine?

Grape juice — from both red and white grapes — is colourless or very pale. The red colour in wine comes from the grape's skin pigments (anthocyanins), which only dissolve into the juice during skin contact (maceration). This is why you can make a white sparkling wine from Pinot Noir — a red grape — by pressing quickly without skin contact, as in Champagne's Blanc de Noirs. Conversely, extended skin contact with white grapes produces orange wine, which has tannin and colour from the skins. See the tannin glossary entry for more on how skin contact creates tannin.

What is malolactic fermentation?

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a bacterial conversion of sharp malic acid (think green apple) into softer lactic acid (think milk or butter). It is almost universal in red wine making and widely used in white wines where a rounder, fuller texture is desired (Chardonnay especially). White wines that skip MLF — Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Vinho Verde — retain a crisper, more vibrant acidity. MLF is triggered by adding lactic acid bacteria after alcoholic fermentation or by allowing naturally present bacteria to do the work in the winery environment.

What does "oak ageing" add to wine?

New oak barrels contribute: vanilla, coconut and toasty notes (from the barrel staves); tannins (exogenous tannins that soften over time); and micro-oxygenation (tiny amounts of oxygen passing through the barrel staves, which softens harsh tannins and develops complexity). French oak gives finer, spicier notes; American oak gives more pronounced vanilla and coconut. Older barrels that have held wine before contribute less flavour but still provide micro-oxygenation. Heavily oaked wines are less fashionable now than in the 1990s — most producers balance new oak with used barrels.

What is the difference between Champagne and Prosecco?

The primary difference is the method: Champagne uses the traditional method (secondary fermentation in the bottle), while Prosecco uses the tank method (secondary fermentation in a pressurised tank). Traditional method wines have smaller, finer, more persistent bubbles and more complex, toasty flavours from lees contact. Tank method wines have fresher, fruitier character. Champagne uses Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier; Prosecco uses Glera. For sweetness terminology used on both types, see the Sparkling sweetness terms guide.

What does "natural wine" mean?

There is no legal definition for "natural wine." In practice, the term is used by producers and sellers to describe wines made with minimal intervention: organic or biodynamic farming, no added yeasts or nutrients, no fining or filtration, little or no added sulphur dioxide (SO₂). The lack of SO₂ makes natural wines more fragile and prone to faults, which advocates argue produce more "alive", complex wines and critics argue produce faulty, inconsistent ones. Certified organic and biodynamic wines are more precisely defined: Demeter certifies biodynamic wines globally, while IFOAM Organics sets the international framework for organic agriculture standards that apply to organic wine production. Natural wine is a broader, uncertified designation.

What is orange wine?

Orange wine is white wine made with extended skin contact — the same process used for red wine. The prolonged maceration on skins extracts tannins, colour (ranging from golden to deep amber-orange) and textural compounds from white grape skins. The result is a white wine with tannin, a richer, more structured palate, and oxidative complexity. Orange wines are also called "skin-contact wines" or "amber wines." The practice is ancient — Georgia's qvevri tradition dates back thousands of years — and has been revived by natural wine producers in Italy (Friuli), Slovenia and beyond. Orange wine is not a rosé and is not made from orange fruit.

What is the difference between Champagne and Prosecco?

The primary difference is the production method. Champagne uses the traditional method: secondary fermentation happens inside each individual bottle, and the wine ages on its lees for a minimum of 15 months (non-vintage) to 36 months (vintage). Prosecco uses the Charmat (tank) method: secondary fermentation happens in a pressurised stainless steel tank. Traditional method produces finer, more persistent bubbles and a characteristic toasty, brioche character from lees contact. Prosecco is fresher and fruitier with larger bubbles. Champagne uses Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier; Prosecco uses Glera. They also come from entirely different regions — Champagne from northeast France, Prosecco from the Veneto in northeast Italy.

Is Prosecco the same as Champagne?

No. Prosecco and Champagne are both sparkling wines, but they are made differently, from different grapes, in different countries. Champagne must come from the Champagne region of France and uses the traditional method. Prosecco comes from northeast Italy (Veneto and Friuli) and uses the tank method. Champagne is generally more expensive and complex; Prosecco is fresher, lighter and more affordable. The common question "is Prosecco champagne?" has a simple answer: no — "Champagne" is a legally protected designation of origin. For sweetness terminology on both, see the sparkling sweetness terms guide.

What is rosé wine and how is the colour made?

Rosé wine is made from red grapes with limited skin contact — typically 2–24 hours — which extracts a small amount of colour from the skins before the juice is pressed off and fermented like a white wine. The result is pink wine ranging from pale salmon to deep cherry-pink. The colour in rosé comes from contact with red grape skins only, not from blending red and white wine (which is prohibited for still wines in the EU — the only EU exception is Champagne rosé). Provence rosé (Grenache, Cinsault) is the benchmark pale, dry style; darker rosés often come from Malbec or Syrah. Rosé is almost always made dry.