Cork in the Bottle

After the wine has aged sufficiently, as determined by the winemaker, it is time to bottle and package it for sale. The operator pumps the wine from the storage tank to the bottling machine. There, bottles are loaded by hand and a pre-measured amount of wine flows into each bottle. After each bottle is filled, the operator removes it and places it in the corking machine. The machine draws a vacuum inside the bottle that sucks the pre-loaded cork into the neck of the bottle.

Photos courtesy Chatham Hill Winery Bottling machines (left) and corking machines (right)

After the bottle is corked, the operator places the neck into the foil machine, which seals an aluminum foil wrapper over the cork. Next, the operator moves the bottle to the labelling machine, where the winery's self-adhesive label is placed on the bottle. Finally, the operator loads the bottle into a case for shipping and distribution.

The foil machine (left) and the labeler (right)

Many wineries offer tours so you can see the winemaking process. They may also have tasting rooms where you can sample and purchase their products.