Vinifying white wines: pressing occurs before fermentation

The vinification process for white wines is slightly different to that for reds. Unlike with red wines, where the winemaker is seeking to extract tannins and color from the skins and pips through maceration, grapes for white wines are pressed immediately after harvest, usually without being destalked.

The juice is then put in oak barrels or vats and alcoholic fermentation occurs.
White wines in the Bourgogne region are then left to undergo a secondary malolactic fermentation, unlike white wines produced elsewhere. During malolactic fermentation, the malic acid in the juice turns to lactic acid, making the wines smoother.

Watch our animation about vinifying white wines to improve your knowledge!

Vinifying white wines

Burgundy white wine vinification

Filtration / Bottling

Filtration / Bottling

In order to be bottled the wine must be free of all elements in suspension and be clear and shiny. It can be filtered according to different techniques. This stage is at the winemaker’s discretion; certain wines are not filtered.

The wine is then pumped into a tank and the bottles are filled using a filler and corked using a corking machine. The bottles are then capped and labelled ready to be put on the market. White wines must be protected against excessive oxygen addition during bottling. 

  • Wines ready to be marketed: the choice of closure for the bottles is made by the winemaker according to conservation length, the appellation, the properties of the closure and the commercial market. The bottles can be labelled differently according to the markets
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The process for vinifying

white Bourgogne wines

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