Wine bottling

Bottling wine bulk wine: how to do it step by step

Bottling wine: a real and proper ritual moment that, year after year, is passed on with passion. A tradition made of gestures, scents and colors of our territory that, from the vineyards cultivated by our grandparents, has arrived until today: with the same love.

But bottling wine is also a crucial step: in fact, it is from this step that depends its preservation. And, obviously, the product we will put on the table. But don’t worry:  following the right steps, even the most inexperienced ones will be able to get an exceptional wine.

Let’s see how to do it.

Bottling Wine: What to Do Before, During and After

If we are talking about bottling wine, first of all you need wine. If you do not have one of your own, you can buy it in bulk.

Going to the winery, choosing the wine and coming home to decant it into bottles: for many families, the tradition of bottling began just like that. In the same way, you can find bulk wine in our cellar: you can start with the everyday wine to those to be matched with game, red meat and cheese. We remind you that in order to buy bulk wine it is important to bring containers: demijohn, basket, checkers are fine, provided their volume is at least 5 liters.

Once our favorite wine has been chosen, we will move on to the next phase: bottling.

However, it will be necessary to pay attention to two elements: the moment in which the wine will be bottled and the preparation of the bottles.

But let’s go in order.

The first question to be asked is: when to bottle the wine? The suggested months are March, or anyway the beginning of spring, and the end of summer period August/September; but please remember to check the moon. Specifically:

• March for a young wine that we will consume in the course of the year
• End of August/September for a mature wine that will be aged for long periods of time. Structured wines with an important alcohol by volume can be bottled practically in any month.

Moreover, another factor not to be neglected in home bottling is weather: we recommend not rainy days and a mild climate.

Lastly, another element to be considered: the moon. Lunar phases in fact, would influence the structure of wine: we are more in the field of belief than in the scientific one, but wasn’t the bottling of wine also a tradition? Therefore, in order to keep in touch with the culture of the peasant civilization, moon is indispensable.

In particular:

• New moon: bottling wine is absolutely not recommended
• First quarter moon (western hump): ideal moon for sparkling wines
• Full Moon: suitable for any wine to be made
• Last quarter moon (eastern hump): perfect moon for sweet and aging wines

Anyway, it is important not to leave bulk wine in containers for too many days: in fact, wine could change taste. We suggest you to ask in the cellar how many days your bulk wine can be kept in demijohns.

At this point, after the when, there is a second question to be asked: how can wine be bottled?

First of all, by using a pouring tube or a filling machine like the one in the picture. Then by placing the container with the wine higher than the shelf where the bottles are placed. Finally, arm yourself with patience and wait for the wine to fill the bottles up to the beginning of the neck: it is always better not to fill up to the cork, as the wine could increase in volume.

After the wine has been bottled, bottles can be stored vertically for at least 48 hours in order to give the cork time to expand and then they can be placed horizontally as well.

Caps and bottles: how to choose them

We talked about bottling wine, but we did not talk about bottles and corks yet. Which ones should be chosen?

As for bottles, there is no rule to be followed. What is important, however, is their cleaning and drying: this is true both in case we are reusing bottles we already had and in case we bought them new.

In fact, bottles must be washed with warm water: no solvent or chemical detergent, at the most bicarbonate to remove any encrustation. Or we can help ourselves with the appropriate hand brush and, obviously, the automatic bottle washer. By the way: the same trick for the pouring tube and the corking machine: warm water.

In order to dry bottles, it is enough to put them upside down. However, before proceeding to pouring, it is necessary to wash the bottles again: it can be sanitized by using a wine pourer, or it can be briefly washed with the wine itself.

This is the last step: corks. Not all corks are the same and they cannot be reused: whether they are made of cork or not, they must be bought new in order to guarantee a perfect hermetic seal. In short, wine must not “vent” or else it will oxidize and get spoiled. For young and crisp wines we suggest synthetic corks whereas for structured wines we suggest corks in order to allow the aging in bottle.

In order to close bottles, it is possible to use a corking machine. Moreover, it is impossible to hermetically seal a cork by oneself.

So, have you decided to proceed with wine bottling? At Vogadori winery you will find all the bulk wines you need.

But if you want to visit our beautiful Valpolicella, our winery is open all year round: the precious Amarone and Recioto are waiting for you. Come and visit us and discover our wines!