*Picking the grapes is the first step. They are watched in the fields for ripeness. When they are just right, grape pickers select the best grapes on each vine.

　　Each bunch of grapes is examined. The grapes that are broken or bruised are cut away. The ripe, sound grapes are put into baskets and transported to the wineries. There they are put through giant presses that squeeze the grapes and release the juice. After the grapes are crushed, their pulp and juice ferment in vat, producing the wine and giving off bubbles of carbon dioxide. The fermentation time depends on the kind of grape used and the wine being made. This process may be stopped after a few days or continued for more than three months.

　　White wines can be made from either white or red grapes. To make the wine white, the grape skins are removed from the juice. To make red wines, the skin of the grapes is left in the juice during part of the fermentation. Rose is a light pink wine. It is made by removing the skins before they can impart a deep color. Rose can also be made by blending red and white till the desired tint is achieved. When fermentation is complete, the wine is put in bottles.

　　The cork, or stopper, must fit the bottle tightly and it must remain wet; otherwise the wine will turn to vinegar. To keep the cork wet, wine bottles are stored on their sides. Cork, rather than plastic, is the preferred material for making stoppers. Cork permits only a minute fraction of air to enter the bottle and allows the wine to age slowly to perfection.