Aging, Clearing, and Bottling Wine

• The next step is probably the easiest of all--Aging the wine. Rack the wine every three months for the first year. Once the wine clears sufficiently, or no more sediment gathers on the bottom of the carboy, additional racking is not needed.
• Wine should be aged in a cool (50-60 degrees Fahrenheit), dark location. Avoiding rapid fluctuations in temperature is probably more important than the actual temperature that the wine is stored during aging.

• If the wine is still not clear after the 2nd racking--consider adding finings to help clear the wine.
  • For white wines, a common technique to clear the wine is to place the wine at cold temperature (30-40 degrees F) for 1-2 days. This acts to crystallize particles in the wine, causing them to drop as sediment. This is a very effective method to "clear" wine, and does not require the addition of any chemicals of finings.

  • Add one teaspoon per gallon of bentonite--mixing first with a small quantity of water and stirring in with the wine. The bentonite will attract the small particles in the wine, causing them the precipitate to the bottom as sediment. Rack the wine a week after adding bentonite to clear the sediment.

• Sample the wine at least monthly. Once the wine has cleared sufficiently, the wine can be bottled.
  • White wine typically is ready to be drunk between 6-12 months after primary fermentation. In general white wines do not age well, that is that they will reach their "peak" within the first year. As result, it should be drunk the within the first year.

  • Red wines typically require more aging than white wines. Although red wines may be "drinkable" after one year, I found that the red wines continue to improve during the second year, and (sometimes even longer periods) of aging.