There is always a tendency to confuse the two terms viticulture and viniculture because of their proximity. The first refers to all agricultural activities related to the cultivation of vines for consumption, while the second includes all the operations necessary for the production and ageing of wine. In the agri-food industry, it is quite obvious to have recourse to adequate equipment and installations to ensure proper functioning. In this article, you will find out more precisely what equipment is needed for winemaking.
Viniculture more concretely
The whole of all the processes leading to the finished product is, in a way, the definition of viniculture. Indeed, it includes the activities of production, cultivation and winemaking. On
Nanolike, you can find several vats. For this reason, it should not be confused with oenology, which consists of referring to the scientific aspect of wine and its study: viniculture has only the simple aim of producing wine. In short, it is simply the fabulous mixture of viticulture and winemaking to give a more general term and it begins immediately after the harvest.
Equipment before and during vatting
Before vatting, the harvest is directly sorted and pressed with the help of specialised machines: first there are the de-stemming machines and then the presses which are used to break up the grapes. As regards vatting, this operation consists in binding the non-liquid part of the harvest and the must. It is during this stage that the wine will find its colour and intensity depending on the time spent in either stainless steel or wooden vats. Depending on the element of the vat, they can also be distinguished in various forms, each with its own specificity. Examples include open vats with floating or submerged tops, vats with automatic leaching and instant devatting, and closed vats.
Maceration and maturing equipment
After vatting, which consists of fulfilling the conditions for alcoholic fermentation, the wine is macerated for 8 to 10 days to give it colour. This maceration takes place in egg-shaped vats so that a kind of movement is created inside each stirring. This equipment is generally always made of wood. In order to separate the solid elements from the liquid, the draining is done by machines provided for this purpose. After this stage, a second fermentation takes place to reduce the acidity of the wine and to give it suppleness. Finally, the finished product is aged in oak vats with a consequent age.