Wine

Red and white wines in traditional wine glasses

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting grapes. Although most wines are made from grapes, other fruits can be used. Grains can be used to produce wine, for example, barley wine, but this tends to be very rare and technically, barley wine has more in common with beer.

Wines are categorized by color. Red wine, white wine and rose (pink) wine are the three main types and are given their characteristic color by the types of grapes used in their production. Red wine tends to be served at room temperature whereas the others are served chilled.

Production

Traditionally grapes were trampled by barefooted vineyard workers to produce a pulp, which was fermented to produce a rich, fruity alcoholic drink. Today this process in most commercial vineyards is mechanized although many "fine wine" producers such as the D'Arenberg vintners in Australia still proudly claim their wines are 100% foot pressed.

Once pressed, wines are left to mature in vats (large containers). Vats tend to add flavor to the wine and are traditionally made from oak. Fine wine tends to be given longer to mature to develop the flavor. Cheaper wines may have oak chippings added to give a similar flavor without the need to mature for as long.

Alcohol Content

Wines tend to range from 10% to 14% ABV. Stronger wines such as port and sherry are classed as fortified wines. These require further refinement and are sold as such.

Production

Wine is produced throughout the world. The top twenty leading wine-producing countries in order of total production are: France, Italy, Spain, USA, Argentina, Czech Republic, China, Australia, Germany, Portugal, South Africa, Chile, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Russia, Brazil, Austria, Bulgaria, and Croatia.

Many of the best-known vineyards are in France but recent competitions place California wine, particularly the vivid reds from the San Bernardino Valley, alongside French wine in quality. Traditional winemaking is centred in the Languedoc region of Southern France and La Mancha in Spain. Kentish Pinot Noir and Welsh Riesling are also world-renowned wines.

Wine and Christianity

Wine has an important role in the Christian religion, reflecting the central role it played in society at the times of Jesus's ministry on Earth. Plain water was generally not potable at that time and wine was often mixed with water, so that the alcohol in the wine killed some of the harmful microorganisms in the water. (It should be noted, however, that some Christians, primarily fundamentalist Protestants, hold that none of the references in the Bible to "wine" should be understood as referring to an alcoholic beverage, but rather to unfermented grape juice. Such view is held by only a small minority of Biblical scholars.)

Christ's first miracle, performed at the wedding feast at Cana, was to turn six amphora filled with water into wine. (John 2:7-10.) At the Last Supper, Christ commands the Apostles to eat bread and drink wine, which he calls His Body and Blood, and commands the Apostles to do this "in remembrance of me." (Matthew 26::26-29; Mark 14:23-24; Luke 22:20-23.) This is preserved in the liturgy of the Christian Church as Holy Communion. The different denominations of Christianity have various teachings and doctrines about the place and significance of the wine in the communion service, which are roughly separable into memorialism and a belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic hosts.

Many of the orders of Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic religious (monks and nuns) established their own wineries in Europe and, in the case of Catholic orders, in the Americas.

Wine and Judaism

Wine is an important part of the Jewish Passover seder meal.

Types of wines

Wines in the Americas, Australia, South Africa and, in certain places, Germany, are typically named after the varieties of grape that go into the production. Some of the most popular types are:

Chardonnay - a popular white wine produced worldwide; Chardonnay can be paired with different kinds of food.

Merlot - a pleasant, soft red wine with a mild flavor; it is one of the few red wines that can be drunk by itself, without food.

Cabernet Sauvignon - A very heavy, astringent wine that should ideally be served with fatty red meats; the classic pairing is with lamb.

Gewurztraminer - sometimes called GWT or GTR for short. A German varietal now produced worldwide; it has a quirky flavor and goes well with Chinese food.

Pinot Noir - a red wine commonly grown in Northern California; also used in most varieties of Burgundy.

Reisling - a white wine grape commonly used in plonk, such as Piesporter or Liebfraumilch (commonly sold in the United States under the trade name Blue Nun).

Other wines are named after the region in which they are produced.

Rioja - traditional Spanish red wine.

Bordeaux - traditional French red and white wines.

Burgundy - French red wine

Quality of Wines

Fine Wines - These are generally regarded as higher quality wines. But the name "Fine Wine" is derived from the Fining process of a wine rather than quality. Fining is the cleaning process which filters out impurities in the wine after fermentation. Cheaper wines were not fined and so were not regarded as "Fined Wines" later "Fine Wines"

Beverage Wines - Everyday drinking wines

Champagne

Champagne can either mean sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of northeastern France or it may be used to describe such wines, no matter where produced. European Union rules restrict the use of the "Champagne" names to wines fitting the former description. For a wine to be considered "champagne", it must ferment in the bottle: this is what gives champagne its "fizz", CO₂ dissolved in the wine. However, it is common to see wines in the United States sold as champagne, even if they were produced domestically. The French have protested this, to no avail. Some excellent sparkling wines are produced in Australia but are not permitted to be sold under the name "champagne". The production of sparkling wines outside France has had the effect of making excellent "champagne" type wines available at far less cost than the French varieties and further diversifying the market.

Sparkling wines that are made by artificially dissolving CO₂ are labeled "Brut."

References

http://www.winespectator.com/