Introduction to the World of Wine

[snoop1130]

 

Wine! What exactly is it? Where does it come from? And where is it going to be in the future? These are the questions I find myself answering the most often as a Wine Ambassador. 

 

Let’s start with: What exactly is wine? 

Wine is defined as an alcoholic beverage made from fermented wine grapes. However, wine can be made from any fruit, but wine grapes are most commonly used. Wine grapes are slightly different from your regular table grapes from farmers markets or shops. They are smaller in size, contain more bitter tasting seeds, have thicker skins, and are sweeter in taste. All these factors contribute to the flavourful wines you know and love. By crushing the wine grapes, we can extract the sweet juice inside, then by adding yeast, the fermentation process occurs! The yeast will eat the sugars converting it into alcohol after a few additional steps, your wine is ready to enjoy.

 

Now that we know how wines are made let’s discuss the different types of wines. There are many different types, because of the different grape varieties. You may notice many of these when walk down the wine aisle and see Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Shiraz. All these grape varieties, whether red or white, can be traced back to one species of grapevine, the Vitis Vinifera. Each wine producing country tends to plant a different variety of the Vitis Vinfera, which is how there are thousands of different grape varieties around the world. When you think of Spain, most people think of Tempranillo, for France, Pinot Noir, and Australia, Shiraz. But the most planted red grape variety in the world, is the Cabernet Sauvignon grape with approximately 340,000 hectares (840,000 acres) planted globally. Some of the most well known regions for planting Cabernet Sauvignon include: Bordeaux, France; The Coonawarra, Australia; and Napa Valley, USA. While it is not surprising to hear Cabernet Sauvignon is the most largely planted red grape variety, many wine enthusiasts, myself included, would be surprised to find out the most planted white wine variety isn’t Chardonnay or Riesling, or even Sauvignon Blanc but Airén with 218,000 hectares (538,700 acres). It is planted almost entirely in Spain, and is used to make brandies, sherries and still white wine that is consumed almost entirely domestically.

 

Where does it come from?

To start, let’s go back to the very beginning. The first traces of wine can be found around 6000BC in Georgia. People shifted away from the nomadic lifestyle and wanted a more stable living place. This allowed for more experimentation with food and drinks – and ultimately, the creation of wine. Fast forward a few centuries, and the ancient Greeks were using wine as a tool for worship, which later carried on to the ancient Romans. As time went on, the way for producing wine improved, and the places growing vines expanded. During the medieval era, wine became a common social beverage for all, partially to its links to religion and heavy production from Benedictine monks. The monks had vineyards all over France and Germany, including, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne and Frankfurt. One famous Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, was the first to discover how to make bubbles in wine through a second fermentation. With this discovery he accidentally created what we now know as Champagne.

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/food-and-drink/introduction-to-the-world-of-wine/

 

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[Oxx]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

One famous Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, was the first to discover how to make bubbles in wine through a second fermentation.

 

No he didn't, though he did help improve the wine's quality.

 

What sort of "expert" writes this stuff?

[topt]

For those interested in @Oxx comment above -

 

https://www.therealreview.com/2011/11/01/who-invented-sparkling-wine/

[DJ54]

23 minutes ago, topt said:

For those interested in @Oxx comment above -

Thanks appreciated the sharing and shared to a few wine Os

in the US.. .. Makes a good conversation with a nice red and great steak.. US has some good steaks.. OZ has better in my opinion... Ribeye is my favorite cut... Enjoy... 

[KKr]

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

During the medieval era, wine became a common social beverage for all,

 

5 hours ago, Oxx said:

What sort of "expert" writes this stuff?

the Trappist monks in 13+ locations, or the monks in Weltenburg (since 1050)  might be turning, or just shake their heads.

the Common social beverage was beer, amongst others so as to not get sick from the water in the early age towns.

[Tropposurfer]

4 hours ago, KKr said:

 

the Trappist monks in 13+ locations, or the monks in Weltenburg (since 1050)  might be turning, or just shake their heads.

the Common social beverage was beer, amongst others so as to not get sick from the water in the early age towns.

Beer instead of water ... !!! Oh Yeah ... now that's my kinda lifestyle !!????????????

[Oxx]

2 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

Beer instead of water ... !!! Oh Yeah ... now that's my kinda lifestyle !!

 

It was extremely weak beer.  Barely alcoholic.

[KKr]

12 hours ago, Oxx said:

t was extremely weak beer.  Barely alcoholic

bummer,

middle ages off the bucket list ???? 

[xylophone]

On 5/28/2021 at 3:59 PM, snoop1130 said:

However, wine can be made from any fruit, but wine grapes are most commonly used.

True, wine can be made from any fruit, but if it is made from anything other than grapes, it has to be specified on the label, as in the ones we find here which are labelled "red fruit wine" or similar.

 

Certainly in the EU and most other wine exporting countries, the use of the word "wine" has to refer to wine made from grapes. If not, then you could have, for example, "elderberry wine", "plum wine" and so on – – all perfectly legal, because they have specified what sort of wine it is.

 

Also agree with Oxx and his comments about Dom Perignon, most of which was a myth perpetuated by the Abbott of the Monastery, although he did contribute to the production of champagne and the betterment of it.

 

Myth also contributes the champagne cork to this same monk, however cork had been in use for centuries as a means of sealing bottles, and indeed an English nobleman also furthered that by producing a cork stopper which could have string wrapped round it and around the bottle top to stop the corks popping out, this before DP came on the scene .

Edited May 30, 2021 by xylophone