Whites spend the least amount of time in this maturation process. With less tannin influence, white wines are not required to mellow as much and can be quickly bottled. The storage that does take place is done in tanks or barrels. Small barrel storage is particularly beneficial to top quality Chardonnay. During this mellowing process, any leftover sediment in the juice settles to the bottom of the barrels or tanks.
Clarification is the final step in maturation and required before bottling takes place.
The final step in wine making is the bottling process. Determining the perfect moment when a wine is ready for bottling requires much skill. But too much maturation can ruin the fruity flavor so valued in whites. All major vineyards employ an automatic bottling line to bottle their wines. Before entering the bottle, though, the wine must be pasteurized.