Wine

WINE

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. 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.
^History
The oldest..
known evidence of wine production in Europe is dated to 4500 BC and comes from archaeological sites in Greece. The same sites also contain the world’s earliest evidence of crushed grapes. In ancient Egypt, wine became a part of recorded history, playing an important role in ceremonial life. Traces of wine have also been found in China, dating from the second and first millennia BC.
Kinds of Wine

1. Natural wine is wine made with as little chemical and technological intervention as possible, either in the way the grapes are grown or the way they are made into wine. The term is used to distinguish such wine from wine which is 'organic'. Wine is organic in the sense of having been 'made from organically grown grapes', but it is subject to technical manipulation in the winemaking process.

2. Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, (either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, or in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved, as in the Charmat process) or as a result of carbon dioxide injection

3. Fortified wine is wine to which additional alcohol has been added, the most common additive being brandy (a spirit distilled from wine).^[1] The original reason for fortification was to preserve wines, as the higher alcohol level and additional sweetness help to preserve the wine (when supplemental alcohol is added before fermentation finishes, it kills the yeast and leaves residual sugar). Even though other preservation methods exist, the fortification process survives, as consumers have developed tastes for wines preserved this way.

4. Vermouth (also spelled vermuth) also called Aromatized wine, is a fortified wine flavored with aromatic herbs and spices ("aromatized" in the trade) using closely-guarded recipes (trade secrets). Some vermouth is sweetened; unsweetened, or dry, vermouth tends to be bitter.

Classified

Regulations govern the classification and sale of wine in many regions of the world. European wines tend to be classified by region (e.g. Bordeaux and Chianti), while non-European wines are most often classified by grape (e.g. Pinot Noir and Merlot). More and more, however, market recognition of particular regions is leading to their increased prominence on non-European wine labels. Examples of recognized locales include: Napa Valley in California, Barossa Valley in Australia, Willamette Valley in Oregon, Marlborough in New Zealand, and Douro in Portugal.

A. Europe classification

France has an appellation system based on the concept of terroir, with classifications which range from Vin de Table ("table wine") at the bottom, through Vin de Pays and Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) up to Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). Portugal has something similar and, in fact, pioneered this technique back in 1756 with a royal charter which created the "Demarcated Douro Region" and regulated wine production and trade. Germany did likewise in 2002, although their system has not yet achieved the authority of those of the other countries'. Spain and Italy have classifications which are based on a dual system of region of origin and quality of product.
- Appellation

An appellation is a geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced.

- Vin de Table ("table wine")

In the United States, table wine is used as a legal definition to differentiate standard wine from stronger (higher alcohol content) fortified wine or sparkling wine.

In the European Union it is meant to designate the lowest quality level of wine produced, one that qualifies for neither an appellation nor even a broad regional designation. In France and Luxembourg it is called vin de table. Similar in nature are Spain's vino de mesa, Romania`s vin de masă, Portugal's vinho de mesa, Italy's vino da tavola, Greece's epitrapezios oinos, and Germany's Tafelwein
- Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure ("Delimited Wine of Superior Quality"), usually abbreviated as VDQS,
is the second highest category of French wine, below Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in rank, but above Vin de pays (country wine).^[1] VDQS is sometimes written as AOVDQS, with AO standing for Appellation d'Origine.^[2] VDQS wines are subject to restrictions on yield and vine variety, among others.
There are relatively few VDQS, as they typically move onto AOC status after a number of years, so VDQS represents a small part of the total French wine production.^[1] In 2005, VDQS wines made up 0.9% of the total wine production, which meant 409,472 hectoliter.^[3] 42.3% of the VDQS wines produced in that year were white, with 57.7% being either red or rosé. By 2011, the VDQS category will be eliminated altogether.^[4]

- Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC),

which translates as "controlled term of origin" is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO).

Note: The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine is the French organization charged with regulating controlled place names. Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Every Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) is produced according to rules codified by the INAO. Because its primary purpose is to regulate the use of noteworthy names, one of its primary tasks is to delimit the geographic area entitled to produce a product. For wine this means vineyards, but the INAO also regulates the place of processing and or aging.
The INAO, like many organizations charged with regulating and helping producers, often is put in a contradictory position. An individual farmer may want his or her farm to be included in the limited area, but that might have the effect of diluting the average quality of the area. Rarely is this without controversy, and it is a delicate balancing act.

B. Outside of Europe

New World wine—wines from outside of the traditional wine growing regions of Europe—tend to be classified by grape rather than by terroir or region of origin, although there have been non-official attempts to classify them by quality.
Note: Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product. A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and declare "vintage" Port in their best years. From this tradition, a common, though incorrect, usage applies the term to any wine that is perceived to be particularly old or of a particularly high quality.
Other Wine
Ginger Wine is a fortified wine made from a fermented blend of ground ginger and raisins that was first produced in England.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

Posted in: Basic Bartending Knowledge