How red, white and sparkling wine is made

The art of making red, white and sparkling wine: step by step

Wine is much more than a drink; it is the result of a meticulous process combining science, art and tradition. At Bodega Crusoe Treasure, we follow these time-honoured methods under the guidance of our master winemaker Antonio T. Palacios, with an innovative touch: after vinification, our bottles rest in the wild Cantábrico Sea, evolving inside our artificial reef winery. But before we dive into that part, let us discover how red, white and sparkling wine are made.

How red wine is made

1. Harvest: Red grapes are harvested at the optimum stage of ripeness. Traditionally, harvesting is done by hand to select the finest bunches.
2. Destemming and crushing: The grapes are separated from the stems and gently pressed to release the must.
3. Maceration and alcoholic fermentation: This is where the magic happens. The must ferments in contact with the skins for days or weeks, giving the wine its characteristic colour and structure.
4. Pressing and malolactic fermentation: The liquid is separated from the solids, and the young wine undergoes a secondary fermentation to soften its acidity.
5. Maturation and ageing: It may mature in oak barrels or in bottle. At Crusoe Treasure, our wines spend time on land before completing their evolution beneath the sea, where pressure and movement create unique nuances.
6. Bottling and underwater ageing: After their time ageing on land, the bottles of Crusoe Treasure, unlike those in traditional wineries, are submerged in our reef winery in the Cantábrico, where they spend from 6 months to several years developing unparalleled characteristics that have made the recognition of the cla

How white wine is made

1. Harvesting and immediate pressing: Unlike red grapes, white grapes—or even red grapes without their skins—are pressed immediately to prevent the extraction of colour and tannins.
2. Fermentation in stainless-steel tanks: Fermentation takes place at lower temperatures than for red wines, preserving freshness and fruity aromas.
3. Ageing on the lees (optional): Some white varieties gain complexity by resting on their dead yeast cells.
4. Clarification, filtration and bottling: Impurities are removed and the wine is bottled. At Bodega Crusoe Treasure, our white wines are submerged in the ocean, where they evolve with unique nuances.

How sparkling wine is made

1. Making the base wine: It is made like a white wine, but with more pronounced acidity. 
2. Second fermentation: This is where the bubbles are created. Sugar and yeast are added to the bottle to generate carbon dioxide.
3. Ageing on the lees: The wine rests with its yeasts to develop complexity.
4. Riddling and disgorgement: The bottles are gradually turned so that the sediment collects in the neck, and is then removed.
5. Addition of the dosage: The sweetness is adjusted according to the desired style.
6. Submerged at sea: At Bodega Crusoe Treasure, we take this process to another level, as you can see below. We carry out the second fermentation beneath the sea. The result is a sparkling wine with incomparable freshness and fine, elegant bubbles.

How Crusoe Treasure sparkling wine is made

1. Making the base wine: It is made like a white wine, but with higher acidity.
2. Adding sugar and yeast. This is where the bubbles are created. The added sugar and yeast make it possible for carbon dioxide to form in  the bottle.
3. Immersion at sea. We submerge the bottles in our underwater facility in the Cantábrico. It is an environment of constant movement, very stable temperatures, continuous changes in pressure and the constant effect of the tides on the bottles. Let us not forget that the tides depend on the moon. Pure biodynamics, as our winemaker Antonio T Palacios likes to say.
4. Second fermentation: Beneath the sea, the second fermentation takes place under conditions very different from those on land.
5. Ageing on the lees: The wine rests beneath the sea with its yeasts to develop complexity.
6. Riddling and disgorgement: The sea moves the bottles naturally, preventing sediment from collecting in the neck. The sea is the finest riddler of our bottles.
7. Removal from the sea. Disgorgement and removal of sediment.
8. Addition of the dosage: The sweetness is adjusted according to the desired style.
9. Packaging and dispatch: The wine is prepared for dispatch.

Every bottle that emerges from the sea is a testament to innovation and respect for tradition. When you enjoy a wine Crusoe Treasure, remember that its journey began on land... and ended in the depths of the ocean.