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Wine: an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of grapes.
All wines are divided into three basic categories: natural wines, fortified wines and sparkling wines.
- Natural wines, also known as table or still wines, have an alcohol content of 8 to 14 percent and are typically served with meals.
- Fortified wines are generally the sweetest of the wines and have an alcohol content between 15 to 24 percent. These wines are consumed before meals, as an apéritif, or with dessert. The term fortified is used for these wines because their alcoholic and sugar content are increased by the addition of another liquor during processing. Commonly, a grape-based brandy is added to the batch, halting fermentation and boosting the alcohol content. Port, sherry, Madeira and vermouth are all types of fortified wine.
- Sparkling wines are those that have been made to effervesce (bubble) through the addition of carbon dioxide. Champagne is the best known of sparkling wines, and these beverages are typically used for celebrations.
Wine can also be categorized by its color. There are red, white and rosé (pink) wines, which are further distinguished as being dry, medium or sweet.
Red wines are produced when the skins of dark grapes are left in the mixture of fermenting juice. The depth of color desired determines how long the skins remain before they are removed. The time period can range from two days to several weeks.
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Rosé wines are made by allowing the grape juice to have brief contact with the dark grape skins - just long enough to give the juice a pinkish tinge.
Wines are determined to be sweet, medium or dry based on comparison to other wines. A sweet wine is said to have a dulcet flavor - which simply means sweet to the taste, while a wine is characterized as dry when it has no taste of sweetness. Medium is somewhere between the two extremes. Although the absence of sweetness typifies a dry wine, they are never referred to as sour. In the wine lexicon, sour means a wine that has somehow gone bad.
Certain types of wine and food are traditionally considered to complement each other. Hors d'oeuvres are to be accompanied by dry white wine, as are fowl, fish and shellfish. Red Burgundies go well with rare meats and game. Red Bordeaux complements roast meats. Red wines and port taste best with cheeses. Champagne is said to be the best accompaniment of caviar.
Winemaking
The process of winemaking is called vinification. (A winemaker is called a vintner.) Vinification methods vary depending on the type of wine produced.
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Glycerol, acids, aldehydes and esters are all chemical byproducts of the fermentation process. These chemicals influence the taste, smell and other characteristics of the wine during its maturation or aging process. The time necessary for maturation depends on the quality and purpose of the wine. Some types of Bordeaux are aged for years in oak barrels, then are allowed to age even longer after bottling.
White wine grapes are also pressed immediately after harvest, but the skins are removed along with the stems. Fermentation begins naturally and is allowed to fully complete its process to make dry, white wines. If the fermentation process is halted, the resulting wine will be sweeter.
For rosé wines, the fermenting juice is allowed contact with the skins just long enough for the alcohol to extract the required degree of color. After the skins are removed, the fermentation process is the same as for white wines.
Sparkling wines can be made in two ways, the first and higher quality process is known as the champagne method, in which cultured yeasts and sugars are added to the base wine, causing a second round of fermentation. This process creates additional carbon dioxide that is retained in the wine. The second method simply adds carbonation to the already processed wine.
Storing and Serving
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The general rules for storing and serving wine are fairy simple. Older wines must be opened and given time to breathe before serving. If a wine is recommended to be served chilled, it must not be allowed to become too cold. Bottles should be stored horizontally to prevent the corks from drying out. The best storage room is a dim, moderately dry one with a fairly constant temperature of about 13 degrees Celsius/55 degrees Fahrenheit. The bottles should not be moved frequently or be allowed to vibrate.
Additional suggestions say red wines should be served at room temperature, while white and rosé wines should be chilled. A wine does not need be decanted (poured off gently) unless it has a sediment in the bottle, a situation typical of vintage port, red Bordeaux and red Burgundy.
Types of Grapes
The following are some of the types of grapes used in winemaking:
Barbera: an Italian grape with a medium body and a smell often described as "tarry."
Cabernet Franc: these grapes are often blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon grape (below) to add to the resulting wine's bouquet. Not the most popular of wines when used alone.
Cabernet Sauvignon: one of the most popular wine grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon skins contain a large amount of the tannins used in making aged, red wines. The taste and smell of the grape varies depending on its growing area. Some Cabernet Sauvignon grapes have the flavor of currants or black cherries. If these grapes are picked before they are fully ripe, they may have a "vegetal" or "herbaceous" taste. While a herbaceous taste is often pleasing, too much of this flavor leads to the vegetal wines which may have a taste reminiscent of bell pepper or asparagus.
Chardonnay: another popular variety, this grape is used to produce French white Burgundy and the most common white wines in the United States.
Chenin Blanc: this grape produces a light, fruity wine and is grown in the Loire valley of France.
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Gewürztraminer: this German variety produces an aromatic wine that is often consumed with spicy foods. When the grapes are gathered at a late harvest, they can be used to make sweet dessert wines.
Grenache: this grape is often used to produce rose wines. Grenache grapes are grown in France, Spain and California.
Merlot: another grape that is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. These grapes have less tannin, resulting in a "smoother" wine.
Nebbiolo: an Italian grape that is very suitable for wines requiring a long aging period.
Riesling: a grape that produces a floral wine, it is often termed "light" or "fresh." Like Gewürztraminer, it is also good as a late-harvested, sweet wine.
Sauvignon Blanc: this grape is also known as Fume Blanc in California. It produces a crisp, light wine.
Semillon: this grape is sometimes said to produce a wine with a "grassy" flavor or smell. It is used to make both sweet and dry wines.
Syrah: this grape makes a red, tannic wine, which is suitable for aging. Sometimes the flavor of this grape suggests peppers; sometimes it carries the hint of chocolate.
Zinfandel: a very fruity grape, grown mostly in California, Zinfandel grapes can produce either white or red wine. The sweet wine produced is often inexpensive and seems more casual than other varieties, making it popular among people who don't drink a lot of wine.
