Distillation is an artificial manufacturing process whereby a greater concentration of alcohol than possible through fermentation is produced. As the juice converts to a solution of alcohol and water, carbon dioxide is released and, in the case of red wine, tannin and color are absorbed from the grape skins by the fermenting juice. Fermentation continues until all sugar in the juice has been converted to alcohol. Alcohol is produced during a natural process called fermentation , which occurs when yeast, a microscopic plant that floats freely in the air, reacts with the sugar in fruit or vegetable juice, creating alcohol and releasing carbon dioxide. A similar process is used to make beer.
Distillation is the process used to make beverages with a higher alcohol content.
In this process the fermented liquid is heated until it vaporizes, and then the vapor is cooled until it condenses into a liquid again. The distillation of liquor increases alcohol content. . . . Whiskey, rum, brandy, and gin are so made, and usually carry an alcohol content of 47 to 54 percent. . . . Although Mother Nature can be credited as the inspiration for distillation, adventurous alchemists developed the process. Once they learned how to capture steam, they had discovered distillation.