Wine-making, starts right from the selection of grapes and ends at the bottling process. Once the grapes acquire maturity, they are ready for harvesting. Maturity of the grapes is usually determined by parameters such as the level of sugar, PH level, ripeness, berry flavor, tannin development, disposition of the grapevine and weather forecasts. The level of sugar in the grapes determines the final alcohol content of the wine and is an indirect index of grape maturity.

Harvesting the same crop at different times decides the quality. The decision of time of harvesting is taken by the winemaker or trained or experienced individual who knows how to make wine the right way. Harvesting can be done manually or by using mechanical harvesters. Although mechanical harvesting is easier and faster, most premium wine makers go for manual harvesting, that is, handpicking, since mechanical harvesting is indiscriminate and more often than not, loose debris also get included.

Harvesting is then followed by de-stemming in which the stems are separated from the grapes to control the tanning level and vegetable aroma. For obtaining red wines, the grapes are crushed by mechanical crushers to break open the skins and fermented in tanks. This is an essential step for color-extraction. For white wines, this step is bypassed and the grapes are passed directly to the presses. The wine obtains its color, tannin and flavor from the grape skins. Hence, it is upon the winemaker to decide the time for which the mashed grapes remain in contact with the skin. This is followed by primary fermentation during which specific quantities of yeast and sugar are added at specified temperatures.

The fermentation temperatures influence not only the speed of fermentation but also the final taste of the wine. For red wines, it is around 25-28° C, whereas for white wines it is around 15-18° C. The fermented mash is pressed to separate the juice (wine) from the grape pulp and skins, after which it is run through a couple of heat and cold stabilization processes to get rid of sediments and other precipitation crystals from the wine. The wine so obtained is then stored in oak barrels for the secondary fer¬mentation process, commonly known as aging. This process may take from three months to a year. The aged wine is then blended or fined by the winemaker as an adjusting measure to remove discrepancies. The quality of a wine is assessed by its bouquet and taste. Bouquet is the complete aromatic experience that a wine offers to the wine-taster. Each step in the wine-making process influences the quality of the wine. From the plucking of the grapes, crushing and fermentation to the final aging and blending processes. Then retail part comes which is handed over to distributors. Many wineries offer packaged wine tours to corporate and tourist groups in their vineyards.  The wine is judged for its appearance, fragrance, taste and after-taste. The key characteristics that a wine-taster looks for are clarity, varietal character, integration, expressiveness, complexity, and connectedness.