A process, particularly in the production of red wine, in which the phenols (colouring agents and tannins) are extracted or dissolved out of the dark grape skins through maceration and mash fermentation. These substances are mainly extracted by the alcohol; the colouring agents are extracted first, while the tannins take a little longer. The soft tannins are the most desirable and are released first. Today, this process is precisely controlled in order to get the desired amount of the relevant substances into the wine. When the wine has sufficient structure, it is drawn off the skins.
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