Information AboutWine |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT WINE | |
| winewine | |
| agriculture | |
| fermented beverages | |
|
Wine is an word "wine" (and its equivalent in other languages) is protected by law in many jurisdictions.George, Rosemary, ''The Simon & Schuster Pocket Wine Label Decoder'', 1989. Wine is produced by Fermenting crushed grapes using various types of Yeast which consume the sugars found in the grapes and convert them into Alcohol . Various varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are used depending on the types of wine produced. 1 Wine has a long history dating back about 8,000 years and is thought to have originated in present day and Rome . Wine has also played an important role in religion since ancient times. The Greek God Dionysos and the Roman God Bacchus represented wine and wine has also played an important role in ceremonies in the Christian religion such as Mass . The word "wine" derives from the (cf. Arabic ﻭﻳﻦ ''wayn'') and in Georgian (''ğvino''), and the term is considered an ancient '' Wanderwort ''.Bretcher, T., etal, John Enjoys his Glass of Wine - Are there any English Words at all? , eHistLing Vol. 1. HISTORY See Also: History of Wine Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest wine production came from sites in Georgia and Iran , dating from 6000 to 5000 BC. 3 World's Earliest Wine . Archeology, vol. 49 (1996), Retrieved 24 February 2004. The archaeological evidence becomes clearer, and points to domestication of grapevine, in Early Bronze Age sites of the Near East , Sumer and Egypt from around the third millennium BC.4 The very oldest known evidence suggesting wine production in describe how the ancient Greeks used partly dehydrated gypsum before fermentation and some type of lime after fermentation to reduce acidity. The Greek writer Theophrastus is actually the oldest known source to describe this aspect of Greek wine making. 5 Online version: Gypsum/lime in wine In Egypt , wine became a part of recorded history, playing an important role in ancient Ceremonial Life . Wine was possibly introduced into Egypt by the Ancient Greeks . year old Mashed grapes found World’s earliest evidence of crushed grapes Traces of wine were also found in China, dating from the second and first millennium BC Wine Production in China 3000 years ago .. Wine was common in classical Greece and Rome. The history of wine in ancient Greece at greekwinemakers.com The Ancient Greeks introduced .Introduction to Wine Laboratory Practices and Procedures, Jean L. Jacobson, Springer, p.84 Dionysus was the Greek god of wine and revelry, and wine was frequently referred to in the works of Homer and Aesop . Many of the major wine producing regions of Western Europe today were established by the Romans. R. Phillips ''A Short History of Wine'' pg 37 Harper Collins 2000 ISBN 0060937378 Wine making technology improved considerably during the time of the Roman Empire. Many grape varieties and cultivation techniques were known. Barrels were developed for storing and shipping wine. R. Phillips ''A Short History of Wine'' pg 37 Harper Collins 2000 ISBN 0060937378 Since Roman times, wine (potentially mixed with herbs and minerals) was assumed to serve medicinal purposes as well. During Roman times it was not uncommon to dissolve pearls in wine for better health. Cleopatra created her own legend by promising Marc Anthony she would "drink the value of a province" in one cup of wine, after which she drank an expensive pearl with a cup of wine. . Another medieval application was the use of snake-stones (banded Agate resembling the figural rings on a snake) dissolved in wine against snake bites, which shows an early understanding of the effects of alcohol on the central nerve system in such situations In described a number of recipes where herbs, minerals and even gemstones are mixed with wine for medicinal purposes. So much wine was revered and its effect feared that elaborate theories were developed which gemstone-cups would best counteract its negative side effects. Wine Drinking and Making in Antiquity: Historical References on the Role of Gemstones Many classic scientists such as Al Biruni , Theophrastus , Georg Agricola , Albertus Magnus as well as newer authors such as George Frederick Kunz describe the many talismanic, medicinal uses of minerals and wine combined. GRAPE VARIETIES See Also: List of grape varieties Wine is usually made from one or more Varieties of the European Species , '' Vitis Vinifera ''. When one of these varieties, such as Pinot Noir , Chardonnay , or Merlot , for example, is used as the predominant grape (usually defined by law as a minimum of 75 or 85%) the result is a Varietal , as opposed to a blended wine. Blended wines are in no way inferior to varietal wines; some of the world's most valued and expensive wines from the Bordeaux , Rioja or Tuscany regions, are a blend of several grape varieties of the same Vintage . Wine can also be made from other species or from Hybrids , created by the genetic crossing of two species. '' Vitis Labrusca '', '' Vitis Aestivalis '', '' Vitis Rupestris '', '' Vitis Rotundifolia '' and '' Vitis Riparia '' are native North America n grapes, usually grown for eating in fruit form or made into grape juice, jam, or jelly, but sometimes made into wine, eg. Concord wine (''Vitis labrusca'' species). Hybrids are not to be confused with the practice of Grafting . Most of the world's vineyards are planted with European vinifera vines that have been grafted onto North American species rootstock. This is common practice because North American grape species are resistant to Phylloxera , a root louse that eventually kills the vine. In the late 19th century, Europe's vineyards were devastated by the bug, leading to massive vine deaths and eventual replanting. Grafting is done in every wine-producing country of the world except for Chile and Argentina, which have yet to be exposed to the insect. J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' pg 97 Abbeville Press Publisher 2003 ISBN 0789208830 The variety of grape(s), Aspect (direction Of Slope) , elevation, and Topography of the vineyard, type and chemistry of soil, the climate and seasonal conditions under which grapes are grown, and the local Yeast cultures all together form the concept of "'' Terroir ''." The range of possibilities lead to great variety among wine products, which is extended by the fermentation, finishing, and aging processes. Many small producers use growing and production methods that preserve or accentuate the aroma and taste influences of their unique terroir. H. Johnson & J. Robinson ''The World Atlas of Wine'' pg 22-23 Mitchell Beazley ISBN 1840003324 However, flavor differences are not desirable for producers of mass-market Table Wine or other cheaper wines, where consistency is more important. Producers will try to minimize differences in sources of grapes by using wine making technology such as Micro-oxygenation , tannin filtration, cross-flow filtration, thin film evaporation, and spinning cone. M. Citriglia High Alcohol is a Wine Fault... Not a Badge of Honor WineGeeks.com CLASSIFICATION Regulations govern the classification and sale of wine in various regions of the world. France has an appellation system which ranges from Vin de Table (or "table wine"), through Vin de Pays and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) to Appellation d'Origine Vin De Qualité Supérieure (AOVDQS) 6 and which is based on the concept of Terroir 7 (or region of origin) and wine quality. Germany developed a similar system in 2002 8, though this has not yet developed the authority of the French system. 9 Spain 10 and Italy also have a classification which is based on a dual system of region of origin and quality of product. 11 New World Wine , that is wines from outside of the traditional wine growing regions of Europe, tend to be classified by grape rather than by quality or region of origin, though there have been subjective attempts to classify by quality 12, most successfully by Langton's. 13 Wines are usually named either by their grape variety or by their place of production. Generally speaking, European wines are named both after the place of production (e.g. Bordeaux, , Barossa Valley , Willamette Valley , Cafayate , Marlborough , Walla Walla , etc. Some blended wine names are marketing terms, and the use of these names is governed by Trademark or Copyright Law , rather than a specific wine law or a patent on the actual varietal blend or process used to achieve it. For example, Meritage (pronounced to rhyme with "heritage") is generally a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot , and may also include Cabernet Franc , Petit Verdot , and Malbec , while the dôle is made from the Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes. Use of the term Meritage is protected by licensing agreements by The Meritage Association. Appellations The taste of a wine depends not only on the grape species and varietal blend, but can also depend on the ground and climate (known as , Rioja , Mosel and Chianti are all legally defined names, reflecting the traditional wines produced in the named region. These naming conventions or " Appellations " (as they are known in France) dictate not only where the grapes in a wine were grown, but also which grapes went into the wine and how they were vinified. The appellation system is strongest in the European Union, but a related system, the American Viticultural Area , restricts the use of certain regional labels in America, such as Napa Valley , Santa Barbara and Willamette Valley . The AVA designations do not restrict the type of grape used. Title 27 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §4.25 In most of the world, wine labeled Champagne must be made from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France and fermented using a certain method, based on the international trademark agreements included in the 1919 Treaty Of Versailles . However, in the United States, a legal definition called Semi-generic has enabled U.S. winemakers to use certain generic terms (Champagne, Hock , Sherry , etc.) if there appears next to the term the actual appellation of origin. Title 27 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §4.24 More recently wine regions in countries with less stringent location protection laws such as the United States and Australia have joined with well-known European wine producing regions to sign the Napa Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin, commonly known as the '''Napa Declaration on Place'''. This is a "declaration of joint principles stating the importance of location to wine and the need to protect place names."http://www.wineorigins.com/page.cfm?pageID=28 Napa Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin (press release, Napa Valley Vintners). The Declaration was signed in July 2005 by four United States winegrowing regions and three European Union winegrowing regions. The signatory regions from the US were: The signatory regions from the EU were:
The list of signatories to the agreement expanded in March 2007 when Sonoma County , Paso Robles , Chianti Classico , Tokay , Victoria, Australia and Western Australia signed the Declaration at a ceremony in Washington, DC. Red or white wine The colour of wine is not determined by the juice of the grape, which is almost always clear, but rather by the presence or absence of the grape skin during fermentation. K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 31 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345 Grapes with coloured juice, for example alicante bouchet, are known as Teinturier . Red wine is made from red (or black) grapes, but its red colour is bestowed by a process called Maceration , whereby the skin is left in contact with the juice during fermentation. White wine can be made from any colour of grape as the skin is separated from the juice during fermentation. Rosé wine See Also: Rosé A blush wine can be made by removing the skins from the juice part way through fermentation, by blending reds and whites, or by concentrating liquid removed during fermentation. Table wine See Also: Table wine Table wines may have an alcohol content that is no higher than 14% in the U.S.. In Europe, light wine must be within 8.5% and 14% alcohol by volume. As such, unless a wine has more than 14% alcohol, or it has bubbles, it is a table wine or a light wine. Table wines are usually classified as "white," "red," or "rosé," depending on their colour. In Europe 'vins de table' (in French), 'vino da tavola' (in Italian), 'Tafelwein' (in German) or 'vino de mesa' (in Spanish), which translate to 'table wine' in English, are cheaper wines that often on the label do not include the information on the grape variety used or the region of origin. Sparkling wines See Also: Sparkling wine Sparkling wines such as Champagne , contain Carbon Dioxide which is produced naturally from fermentation or force-injected later. To have this effect, the wine is fermented twice, once in an open container to allow the carbon dioxide to escape into the air, and a second time in a sealed container, where the gas is caught and remains in the wine. K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 170 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345 Sparkling wines that gain their Carbonation from the traditional method of bottle fermentation are called 'Bottle Fermented', 'Méthode Traditionelle', or ' Méthode Champenoise '. The latter designation is considered wrong by those who hold that Champagne refers to the origin as well as the method of production. Other international denominations of sparkling wine include Sekt or Schaumwein (Germany), Cava (Spain), and Spumante (Italy). ' Semi Sparkling Wine s' are Sparkling Wine s that contain less than 2.5 atmospheres of carbon dioxide at sea level and 20 degrees C. Some countries such as the UK impose a higher tax on fully sparkling wines. Examples of Semi-Sparkling Wine s are Frizzante Italy , Vino De Aguja Spain , Petillant France . Dessert wine See Also: Dessert wine Dessert wines range from slightly sweet (with less than 50 g/L of sugar) to incredibly sweet wines (with over 400 g/L of sugar). Late Harvest Wines such as Spätlese are made from grapes harvested well after they have reached maximum ripeness. Dried grape wines, such as Recioto and Vin Santo from Italy as well as Vinsanto from Santorini Greece , are made from grapes that have been partially raisined after harvesting. Botrytized wines are made from grapes infected by the mold Botrytis Cinerea or Noble Rot . These include Sauternes from Bordeaux , Numerous wines from Loire such as Bonnezeaux and Quarts De Chaume , Tokaji Aszú from Hungary and Tokaj from Slovakia , and Beerenauslese from Germany and Austria . Eiswein is made from grapes that are harvested while they are frozen. Fortified wine See Also: Fortified wine Fortified wines are often sweeter, and generally more alcoholic wines that have had their fermentation process stopped by the addition of a spirit, such as Brandy , or have had additional spirit added after fermentation. K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 488 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345 Examples include Port , Madeira and Banyuls . Cooking wine Cooking wine or '''Cooking sherry''' refers to inexpensive Grape Wine or Rice Wine (in Chinese and other East Asia n cuisine). It is intended for use as an ingredient in food rather than as a beverage. Cooking wine typically available in North America is treated with Salt as a Preservative and Food Colouring . K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 87 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345 When a wine bottle is opened and the wine is exposed to Oxygen , a Fermentative process will transform the Alcohol into Acetic Acid resulting in wine Vinegar . The salt in cooking wine inhibits the growth of the acetic acid producing microorganisms. This preservation is important because a bottle of cooking wine may be opened and used occasionally over a long period of time. Cooking wines are convenient for cooks who use wine as an ingredient for cooking only rarely. However, they are not widely used by professional chefs, as they believe the added preservative significantly lowers the quality of the wine and resultantly the food made with that wine. Most professional chefs prefer to use inexpensive but drinkable wine for cooking, and this recommendation is given in many professional cooking textbooks as well as general cookbooks. Many chefs believe there is no excuse for using a low quality cooking wine for cooking when there are quality drinkable wines available at very low prices. Cooking wine is considered a wine of such poor quality, that it is unpalatable by itself and intended for use only in cooking. (There is a school of thought that advises against cooking with any wine one would find unacceptable to drink K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 86-87 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345; however, a recent study has found that inexpensive wine works as well as expensive wine in cooking.) 14 VINTAGES See Also: Vintage A year may not be as significant to wine quality as currently thought.Roman L. Weil, Parker v. Prial: The Death of the Vintage Chart Non-vintage wines, however, can be blended from a number of vintages for consistency, a process which allows wine makers to keep a reliable market image and also maintain sales even in bad vintage years. Vintage wines are generally bottled in a single batch so that each and every bottle will have a similar taste. Climatic factors can have a dramatic impact on the character of a wine to the extent that different vintages from the same vineyard can vary dramatically in flavor and quality A primer on wine vintages Frenchscout.com. Thus, vintage wines are produced to be individually characteristic of the vintage and to serve as the flagship wines of the producer. Superior vintages, from reputable producers and regions, will often fetch much higher prices than their average vintages. Some vintage wines are only made in better-than-average years. TASTING See Also: Wine tasting Wines may be classified by their primary impression on the drinker's Palate . They are made up of chemical compounds which are similar or identical to those in fruits, vegetables, and Spice s. The Sweetness Of Wine is determined by the amount of residual sugar in the wine after fermentation, relative to the acidity present in the wine. Dry Wine , for example, has only a small amount of residual sugar. However, a technically dry wine might taste sweet when it is not. For example, fennel might taste sweet, but does not contain much sugar. Specific flavors may also be sensed, due to the highly complex mix of organic molecules such as Ester s and Terpene s that grape juice and wine can contain. Tasters will also distinguish between flavors characteristic of a specific grape (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon and blackcurrant) and flavors that are imparted by other factors in wine making, either intentional or not. The most typical intentional flavor elements in wine are those that are imparted by aging in oak casks, and virtually every element of chocolate, vanilla, or coffee is actually a factor of oak and not the native grape Major types of wine Frenchscout.com. Banana flavors (). Sulfides in Wine ETS Laboratories Technical Bulletin Some varietals can also have mineral flavor, due to the fact that some salts are soluble in water (as limestone), and thus absorbed by the vine. Wine aroma is the result of the interaction between components of the grapes and those produced during winemaking process, fermentation and aging.M. Jose Gomez-Miguez, Manuela Gomez-Miguez, Isabel M. Vicario and Francisco J. Heredia, Assessment of colour and aroma in white wines vinifications: Effects of grape maturity and soil type , Journal of Food Engineering, Volume 79, Issue 3, April 2007, Pages 758-764. Being served at room temperature increases the vaporization of aroma compounds, making the wine more aromatic. For some red wines that are already highly aromatic, like Chinon and Beaujolais , the volatility of the wine makes it better served chilled. H. Johnson & J. Robinson ''The World Atlas of Wine'' pg 44-45 Mitchell Beazley ISBN 1840003324 COLLECTING , a First Growth from the Bordeaux region of France , is highly collectible.]] At the highest end, rare, super-premium wines are amongst the most expensive of all food, and outstanding vintages from the best vineyards may sell for thousands of dollars per bottle. Such wines are considered by some as Veblen Goods . The most common wines purchased for investment include Bordeaux , Cult Wine s and Port . The reasons for these choices over thousands of other products and regions are: #They have a proven track record of holding well over time. #Their plateau drinking window (the period for maturity and approachability) is of many, many years, where the taster will be able to enjoy the wine at its best. #There is a record of quality and consensus amongst experts as to the uniqueness of the wines. Investment in fine wine has attracted a number of fraudsters who play on fine wine's exclusive image and their clients' ignorance of this sector of the wine market.McCoy, Elin. "Trophy Status and History Trump Taste in Fuss Over Old Wines." Bloomberg.com, March 20, 2007. Wine Fraud scams often work by charging excessively high prices for the wine, while representing that it is a sound investment unaffected by Economic Cycle s. Like any investment, proper research is essential before investing. False labeling is another dishonest practice commonly used. PRODUCTION See Also: List of wine producing countries List of wine-producing regions The first ten grape producing countries in the world (2005) are: TOTAL 656,134 Wine grapes grow almost exclusively between thirty and fifty degrees north or south of the , Sweden , just above the 59th parallel. Wine History Beer100.com] Evolution of wine production in the European Union in 2005 and 2006 Forecasts 2006 (millions of hectolitres) # Italy : 52036 # France : 51700 # Spain : 39301 # Germany : 8995 # Portugal : 7390 # Greece : 3908 Forecasts 2005 (millions of hectolitres) # France : 52105 # Italy : 50562 # Spain : 34789 # Germany : 9256 # Portugal : 7266 # Greece : 3997 Exporting countries The 15 largest exporting nations (2005 figures) – Italy , France , Spain , Australia , Chile , the United States Of America , Germany , South Africa , Portugal , Romania , Moldova , Bulgaria , Hungary , Croatia and Argentina . California produces about 90% of the wine in the United States. In 2000, Great Britain imported more wine from Australia than from France for the first time in history. First ten wine exporting countries in 2005 TOTAL 78,729 The leaders in export volume by market share in 2003 were:
USES A 2007 study found that both red and white wines are effective anti-bacterial agents against strains of Streptococcus. 18. Interestingly, wine has traditionally been used to treat wounds in some parts of the world Wine has anti-bacterial properties Whilst evidence from both laboratory studies as well as cautions people "''not to start drinking ... if they do not already drink alcohol. Consult your doctor on the benefits and risks of consuming alcohol in moderation''". Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease , American Heart Association, Retrieved February 2007. ADVERSE REACTIONS TO WINE Some people report negative reactions to various types of wine, which can include severe Headache s, Nausea , and even Anaphylactic reactions. Although these symptoms are unlikely to be a result of Allergy , they could be caused by certain compounds in wine. Allergic Reactions to Wine , Wine International, Retrieved 05 June 2007 Sulphites Sulphites are present in all wines and are formed as a natural product of the fermentation process. Additionally, many wine producers add Sulphur Dioxide in order to help preserve the wine. The level of added sulphites varies, and some wines have been marketed with low sulphite content. Ageing and Storing Wines , Wines of Canada, Retrieved 05 June 2007 Sulphites in wine are not a problem for most people, although some people, particularly people with asthma, can experience adverse reactions to them. Sulphur Dioxide is also added to many other foods though, for example in dried Apricot s and Orange Juice. Histamines Histamine is a chemical released by the body in the true allergic response, and it is also found in wine (red wine more so than white). It is thought by some people that histamine is a possible cause of these adverse reactions, although there is no clear evidence of this. Allergic Reactions to Wine , Wine International, Retrieved 05 June 2007 PACKAGING & STORAGE See Also: Cork (material) Alternative wine closures Wine bottle Box wine Most wines are sold in Glass Bottles and are sealed using a Cork . Recently a growing number of wine producers have begun sealing their product with alternative closures such as Screwcap s or synthetic Plastic "corks". Some wines are packaged in heavy plastic bags, which are typically packaged further within cardboard boxes, similar to the packaging of Breakfast Cereal . One advantage of boxed-wine is that it can stay fresh for up to a month after opening, while bottled wine will start to oxidize immediately after opening. The contents of Boxed Wine are typically accessed via a tap on the side of the box. In addition to being less expensive, alternative closures prevent Cork Taint , although alternative closures can also cause other types of wine spoilage. Wine Cellar s offer the opportunity to protect alcoholic beverages from potentially harmful external influences, providing darkness and a constant temperature. Wine is a natural, perishable food product. Left exposed to heat, light, vibration or fluctuations in temperature and humidity, all types of wine, including red, white, sparkling, and fortified, can spoil. When properly stored, wines not only maintain their quality but many actually improve in aroma, flavor, and complexity as they mature. PROFESSIONS
FILM AND TELEVISION
REFERENCES FURTHER READING SEE ALSO
|
|
|