CHOW visited Napa winery Clos Du Val, known for its dry reds, during the last days of the grape harvest. The staff put us to mixing, testing, and tasting, and we took pictures. This photo essay isn’t a step-by-step, but rather an overview of the making of various wines. Why? Because different grape varietals ripen at different times, so no two wines were at the same point in their fermentation process when we visited. Also, red and white wines are made differently. White grapes get juiced, and then the juice is fermented in the barrel. Reds go through their first fermentation in steel tanks with the skins and pulp mixed in with the juice, then they are moved to an oak holding tank, and they finish in the barrels.

Photographs by Tom Sicurella.