Bottle
The winemaking journey is nearing its end. Concluded winemaking steps combined with the wine’s clarity and color, taste, and age—specific to the wine type—suggest it’s ready to bottle.
Congratulations on successfully getting this far!
While bottling completes the hands-on efforts, the wine continues to evolve in the bottle. Ensuring it is ready for bottling and that you have the necessary equipment is central to this last step.
Achieving a certain level of free SO2 in a wine keeps microbial spoilage at bay while in the bottle, helping it keep fresh, and age gracefully. If you don’t have the availability to test SO2 levels before bottling to affirm an amount of sulfite suggested, adding 1/4 tsp per five gallons in the form of Potassium Metabisulfite can provide blanket protection.
There are several possible approaches to bottling wine. It can be transferred to bottles with tubing via a simple siphon (or pump), using a racking cane, wand, and/or bottle filler. There are several bottle fillers designed to automate transfer and filling. As covered in the Clarify and Age topic block, filtering wine before bottling is an option, not a requirement. Aside from having bottles and corks, a corker is of absolute necessity. While a hand corker performs the task, it is recommended you spend a little more for a floor corker. A floor corker provides the leverage required to easily set a cork.
“Bottle dressing” shouldn’t be overlooked after bottling. Yes, in a pinch you can identify each wine by hand using adhesive dots, labels, and even painter’s tape but creating and applying your own self-designed labels, completes the journey in fashion. Bottle sleeves, foil, and wax can also be considered. When dressed to your liking, you’ll have a wine to proudly show and share with friends and family.
Various bottling aspects and approaches are covered in the topic blocks below.
Enjoy!
When is the Best Time to Bottle Wine? (Smart Winemaking)
Deciding when to bottle your wine can be tricky. There is no one size fits all timeline, but there are some factors that should be taken into consideration. No matter what the wine type, it should appear crystal clear by the time of bottling. The wine should also be “stable” so that no unexpected processes occur inside the bottle.
How to Bottle Wine (Midwest Supplies)
So you are ready to bottle your wine? Great. Bottling wine is very easy to do, but there are a few things to know to make sure your wine will last for a long time. Sanitation always comes first! Second, here’s a list of everything you’ll need to bottle your wine:
Corks and Closures (WineMaker)
Every bottle of wine needs some form of closure to keep oxygen out and your wine sealed inside. What you select to seal your bottles up with should be highly dependent upon your ultimate winemaking goals. But a few generalities should be followed:
Wine Bottle Shapes (The Carey Company)
With 1 billion gallons of wine consumed by U.S. wine drinkers in 2020 alone, the wine production industry is poised for exponential growth. Browse the shelves in any wine shop and you’re likely to see many different varieties of wines available. You’ll also notice the wide array of wine bottle shapes, colors, and sizes available. But what are these different bottle shapes and why are there so many variations?
Getting Closure: Corkers and Cork Sizing (WineMaker)
Properly sealing up your wine is the last great task at hand before laying down bottles. Making informed decisions on what size and type of cork suits your needs best and using the right tool can make a world of difference in its age-ability. In the April-May 2020 issue of “Beginner’s Block,” we covered the various closure options that are available to most winemakers and special considerations for each.
How to Bottle Wine – Filling Bottles (The Home Winemaking Channel)
Four-minute video exploring bottling with a wand and water-induced siphon.
Bottling Wine at Home 1-oh-1 (SHredWorld)
Seven-minute video demonstrating an easy method of bottling and labeling wine at home. Quick, low-cost method explained. Review of equipment, techniques, and sterilization included.
Tips on Designing Your Own Custom Wine Labels (Wine Folly)
Creating a custom wine label is a clever way to personalize the gift of wine. However, how do you get started creating a label and what should you consider? How does one come up with a great wine label concept or how does one go about making wine labels?