If one were to take ripe grapes, crush them and leave them to ferment they would produce a basic form of wine. Unlike the brewer who must heat and mix his basic ingredients, the wine producer is more akin to a conductor of the natural process.

Many wines are produced in a winery, a form of wine factory, and these will often produce a dozen or more wines. The traditional small property, often referred to in Bordeaux as a chateau, will typically produce only two. Scale varies too. A Burgundian grower may make as little as twenty 230 litre barrels per year, while the largest Californian wineries produce over 300 million bottles.

The year begins with pruning. Traditionally this process begins on St. Vincent's day, 22nd January, but now often begins in December. Even without snow, the ground is usually frozen at this time of year, but the vines can survive temperatures as low as -18c. In the cellar, the barrels are kept topped up and bungs are wiped with sulphur dioxide to disinfect them. If the weather is fine, older wines can be bottled.

Pruning ends in February and cuttings are taken for grafting onto root stock. The tradition is to wait for a new moon and a north wind (i.e. high atmospheric pressure) to rack the new wine to clear in new barrels.

In March, the vines start to emerge from dormancy. The soil is turned over to aerate it and to uncover the bases of the vines. The first racking of last years wines is performed. Legend has it that the rising sap in the vines is supposed to act sympathetically on the second fermentation of the previous year's wine.

Ploughing ends in April and the vineyard is cleaned up for the new cuttings to be planted out. Topping up of the casks continues as five per cent of the wine evaporates through the cask sides in a year and there must be no empty space.

May sees the danger of frost. On clear nights, workmen fuel stoves among the vines to protect the newly forming blossom. Strength sapping suckers are removed, and indoors, last year's wine is given a second racking.

The vine flowers in June. This is when the weather is preferred to be warm and still. After flowering, the best shoots are tied to the supporting wires and others trimmed.

Bordeaux mixture (copper sulphate solution) is applied in July to reduce any chance of infection or fungal growth. Weeds are checked and the vine growth is diminishing.

The vintage approaches in August with black grapes changing colour. Everyone is busy with the cleaning of vats and casks in preparation for the new harvest.

The vintage month, September has arrived. In around the third week, the grapes are picked. The cuvier where the wine will be made is scoured and the fermenting vats are filled with water to swell them.

The vintage continues for two weeks into October. Once finished, manure is spread on the ground. The new wine begins to ferment, and the old wine is given a final racking. The barrels are now bunged and turned by 90 degrees so that the bung is at the side.

Ploughing is started in November to cover the bases of the vines to protect them from frost damage. Old wine is racked and fined.

December arrives once more. Soil washed down the slopes must be redistributed. Casks of new wine are topped up and the old wine can now be bottled. Once more, pruning in the vineyard starts.

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