Vine

Vitis vinifera (wine-bearing vine) produces all the noble grapes associated with the
production of classic wine.
The vine consists of: Roots, leaves, flowers & then grapes.
Composition of the grape:
Stalk: This gives tannic acid to the wine. It is used depending on the type of wine being
made.
Skin: The outer skin has a cloudy coat known as bloom. This waxy substance contains wild
yeast and wine yeast. It also contains other bacteria like acetobacter, which can turn wine
into vinegar if not controlled.
The inside of the skin imparts colour which is extracted during fermentation.
Pulp: It provides the juice, also known as must, which is essential for the fermentation.
The must contains: &)-80% water, 10-25% sugar, 5-6 % acids
Viticulture:
It involves:
 Vine selection
 Keeping the vineyard healthy
 Ploughing to aerate the soil
 Weeding
 Fertilising
 Pruning to regulate the quality
 Training the wine
 Spraying to combat diseases
 Harvesting
Vinification:
 The pressing of the grapes
 The treatment and fermentation of the must
 Maturing the wine
 Racking, fining and filtration
 Blending
 bottling
Wine
1
Wine is fermented grape juice. The grapes are crushed to release their sweet juice. Alcoholic
fermentation is needed to change the grape juice into wine. Wine is known as Vin in French,
Vino in Spanish and Italian Wein in German and Vinho in Portuguese.
History:
The first documented evidence of wine comes from the ancient tribes of Jiahu in the Yellow
River Valley of China around 7000 BC. It was made by using rice as a base ingredient mixed
with grape juice (likely fermented). Red wine was associated with blood by the ancient
Egyptians and was used by both the Greek cult of Dionysus and the Romans in their
Bacchanalia; Judaism also incorporates it in the Kiddush and Christianity in the Eucharist.
Wine making emerged in Europe with the expansion of the Roman Empire throughout the
Mediterranean, when many major wine producing regions that still exist today were
established.
Types of wine
1: Still wines
Simply put, a still wine is any wine that is not sparkling. This is the largest category of wine
by far – most wines you can think of are still wines, so we need to further categorise them
into styles in order to understand them better.

Colour – white, red or rosé?

White wines are typically made from white grapes. Most have a pale lemon colour, but
some look deeper in colour and more golden.
Examples of white grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling
Red wines must be made from black grapes. They gain their deeper red colour and mouth-
drying ‘tannins’ from the grape skins, which are kept in contact with the juice during
fermentation.
Examples of black grapes: Malbec, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon
Rosé wines also gain their colour from ‘skin contact’ with black grapes, but typically for a
much shorter time than for red wines, hence their paler pink colour. Rosé wines are usually
best served like white wines – chilled, in smaller glasses.
Blush Wine: It is a new style of rosé wine developed in California. Skins of black grapes are
allowed to macerate with the must for a very short period which produces a very light pink
colour wine. Red and white grapes are used together.

Body – light, medium or full?

‘Body’ refers to the overall feel of the wine – how mouth-filling it is.

Light-bodied wines usually feel delicate and refreshing when tasted. They make great
aperitifs but can sometimes be overpowered by powerfully-flavoured dishes. Ex. Italian Pinot
Grigio
Medium-bodied wines feels richer and more substantial, due to the grapes used or if the
wine was in oak barrels (gives extra texture to the wine). Examples: white Burgundy and
Merlot from Chile.
Full-bodied wines typically have intense flavours and higher than average levels of alcohol.
They tend to coat your mouth and feel viscous when tasted and can usually pair well rich
and flavourful dishes.
White: Château Chalon, Australian Chardonnays
Red: Zinfandels (Californian), Shiraz (Australian), Barbera (Italy)

Sweetness – dry, medium or sweet?

Sweetness refers to the amount of sugar in the wine.
Dry – The majority of wines are dry. In order to make a dry wine, the yeast need to convert
all of the sugar in the grape juice into alcohol. Ex. of dry white wines include Chablis from
France, and wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. Examples of dry red wines include Côtes du
Rhône from France, Chianti from Italy and wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium– Most wines that have a medium level of sweetness are either white or rosé. There
are two key ways of making a wine with a medium level of sweetness.
●the yeast is removed before all of the sugar is converted into alcohol.
●Unfermented grape juice is added to a dry wine. Examples of wines with a medium level of
sweetness include some Riesling wines from Germany and White Zinfandel (rosé) from
California.
Sweet – Sweet wines have so much sugar in them that they can feel thick and syrupy. There
are two key ways of making a sweet wine.
●The grapes are so high in sugar the yeast stops fermenting before they eat all of the sugar.
●In the case of fortified wines, the yeast is killed by the addition of high-strength distilled
alcohol before they have eaten all of the sugar. Examples of sweet wines include Sauternes
from France and some Riesling wines from Germany. Sweet fortified wines include Port and
some Sherries.

Other key stylistic terms

Vintage Wines: The French word ―vintage means harvest. When the vintage year is printed
on the bottle it means the wine is from that particular year harvest when the crop was
bumper. although any wine is a vintage wine as any year can be vintage year. However, some
year ‘s climate is so good that the government in France declares it as vintage year for
particular region. The various climatic factors for the year to be declared vintage years are:
Sunshine, Temperature, right amount of snow etc., sugar balance in grapes and its
concentration.
Aromatic – this term is usually used to refer to a wine which gives off intense aromas of
flowers or herbs. These can be white or red, though most aromatic wines are white. The
grape variety/ies used and the winemaking method is key to determining how ‘aromatic’ a
wine is.
Examples of aromatic grape varieties:
Riesling
Gewürztraminer
Viognier
Oaked – this refers to a wine that has been made in contact with oak, traditionally by
maturing it in an oak barrel. After some time, the wine takes on flavours from the toasted
wood – think vanilla, toasted bread and spice. Oak ageing can also add body to a wine.
Examples of oaked wines:
Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva Rioja (Spain)
Some styles of Chardonnay
Most wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon

2. Sparkling Wines
These are wines that are bubbly or fizzy. The fizz is caused by carbon di oxide gas that is
produced by fermentation and trapped in the wine. When the bottle is opened, the gas
escapes as bubbles in the wine. Ex. Champagne (France), Cava (Spain) and Prosecco (Italy).
3. Fortified Wines
A fortified wine is a wine that has had extra alcohol added to it, in the form of a neutral high-
strength grape spirit. They typically have between 15-22% alcohol by volume. Ex. Sherry
(Spain) and Port (Portugal).

3. Aromatised Wines
These wines are fortified and aromatized with herbs, bark, spices, roots etc. The alcoholic
content is 14-20% abv. Vermouth is the most popular aromatized wine.
 Enemies of Wine
Phylloxera – Phylloxera is an aphid-like insect, first identified in 1863. It feeds and lays eggs
on the roots of grapevines, damaging them. This weakens the vine and eventually kills the
plant. The only successful means of controlling phylloxera has been the grafting of
phylloxera-resistant American rootstock to more susceptible European vinifera vines.
Odium - known as powdery mildew, this forms patches phones forms batches of dusty
mould on the grapes and leaves, causing the grapes to split and shrivel. Treatment: Sulphur
powder.
Mildew -Mildew develops in damn areas. It is a very common wine disease which is
noticeable when yellow patches appear on the leaves. When the leaves wither, the grapes
become deprived of nourishment. Treatment: spraying with copper sulphate.
Gray Rot – In humid conditions, a grey mould destroys colour pigmentation in black grapes
and gives an unpleasant taste to wine. Treatment: anti-rot spraying. However the very same
fungus known as Botrytis cinerea, in certain areas produces wonderful sweet wines when
conditions are favorable.
Coulure - this happens when there is a soil deficiency or too much rain or uneven
temperature. The flowers on the vine are infertile, resulting in a disappointing yield of
grapes. Treatment: use good fertilizers
Chlorosis - Too much limestone in the soil causes yellowing, even death of the plant.
Treatment: iron sulphate
Pyralis, Endemis and Cochylis - These tiny butterfly moths pierce the grapes and destroy the
crops within hours. Treatment: spray with insecticides.
Frost- Especially in spring, frost stunts the formation of the buds which greatly reduces yield.
Treatment: fire heat, spraying with water.
Hail- hail is a particular danger, especially just before the vintage when the grape skins are
very thin and the grapes are very vulnerable. Hail can easily puncture the skins and ruin the
crop. Treatment: pray it doesn’t happen.

FACTORS INFLUENCING/AFFECTING CHARACTER OF GRAPE/WINE

TYPE OF SOIL
The ground water and mineral content of soil determines the composition of acids and
other trace minerals which influence the aroma of wine.

GRAPE VARIETY
Each grape variety has a distinct aroma and other features which play a vital role in
determining the kind of wine to be produced.

CLIMATE
The extremes of sun shine, hail storm, wind, frost, rain etc., can damage the grape. The
climate can be a blessing or curse for the grapes. The climate temperature should not be
below 100C. The ideal average temperature is 140C.
LATITUDE
Most wine producing countries lies between 30 0 and 500 Latitude. Countries those are
having 300 latitudes produce low quality wines and countries having 50 0 latitudes produce
better quality wines.
ASPECT/SLOPE OF VALLEY: Vineyards on the slopes of valley are normally preferred as the
frost will roll down. The slopes facing south normally produces good quality wine due to
longer exposure to sun shine compared to north facing slopes.
VITICULTURE
In every stage of viticulture – ploughing, pruning, weeding, spraying, harvesting, etc.,
happen at a particular month of the year considering the weather. Any delay in the schedule
will influence the character of the wine. For e.g. late harvesting means more sugar content.

VINIFICATION
It refers manufacturing process of wine. The wine produced in new world uses latest
technology while traditional wine making countries follow the old methods of making wine.
The time allowed for fermentation, temperature maintained during the fermentation, type
of yeast used, and maturation containers etc, determine the character of the wine.

AGEING
The longer the wine matured, the mellower and smoother will be the wine, taking the
flavour of vanillin from the wood.

STORING
Wines must be stored at appropriate temperature and in the rooms free from direct sun
light and vibration.

TRANSPORTATION
Bottles should be transported and handled carefully during the transit.

FAULTS IN WINES
A precaution is required during the storage of wine, but unfortunately some of the wines
acquire faulty characteristics due to many reasons. Manufacturer is responsible to identify
the faults and take corrective actions accordingly. Some of the common faults are:
EXCESS SULPHUR
At the time of fermentation process, sulphur dioxide (SO2) is added to check the actions of
wild yeast. It also acts as preservative. Addition of too much of SO2, leaves an unpleasant
smell which resembles the smell of a burnt matchstick on the wine. It normally disappears
when exposed to air either by decanting the wine or swirling in the glass.
OXIDATION
During the ageing process, air invades the wine through very fine pores of the wood and the
alcohol interacts with the oxygen. When exposed to oxygen for a long period of time, white
wine, especially, assumes a brownish colour. Wines, both white and red, acquire the aroma
of sherry. They may also go lifeless with dull and flat smell.
CORKED OR CORK
Wine bottles are closed with cork to retain the characteristics and to preserve the quality
and quantity of the content. While storing, wine bottles are stored horizontally to prevent
the cork from drying out. When stored horizontally, the cork comes in contact with the
wines, swells and does not allow the air to go in. the cork that is contaminated with strong
mouldy smell by a substance called trichloranisole (TCA) during the sterilization process
spoils the wine during the contact. The wine takes on the smell of the faulty cork. This can
be removed during decanting process.
VINEGAR
Wine turns vinegar when it is exposed to oxygen for long duration and also by the activities
of acetobacter bacteria if unchecked. When acts on alcohol and converts wine to vinegar.
HYDROGEN SULPHIDE
This has the smell similar to a rotten egg. The wine smells like rotten egg when they yeast
react with SO2 during fermentation. This occurs mainly in red wine; this fade away when the
wine is decanted.
FORMATION OF CRYSTALS
Sometimes, there may be the formation of potassium bitartrate crystals on the cork in the
wine which may spoil the appearance of the wine. These crystals are called a wine diamond,
can be retained in the bottle by pouring the wine gently into the glass, it is commonly found
in German wines.
FOREIGN MATERIALS AND SEDIMENTS
Sometimes, wine may be contaminated by foreign materials, such as splintered glass due to
faulty bottling equipment. They can be removed by racking or decanting.

FACTORS AFFECTING QUALITY OF WINES

1. Type of grapes
 Each type imparts its typical flavour
 Per acre yield
 Different varieties demand different soils

2. Soil
 Should not be rich and fertile
 Best is with good drainage – gravel, sand, chalk, lime, etc.
 Should have heavy mineral deposits for an aromatic bouquet

3. Climate
 Cool nights and sunny, warm days → right sugar‐acid balance
 Too hot weather → less acid → doesn’t age well
 Too little sunshine → less sugar → less alcohol
 Some rain necessary before harvest
 Rains during harvest → sugar diluted, rot encouraged
 Frost/gale/hailstorm can ruin a whole harvest

4. Slope
 Best on sun‐facing slopes → maximum sun and warmth, both directly and reflected

5. Latitude
 Best between 30º and 50º lines
 Nearer to 50º, better the wine

6. Viticulture
 Care and cultivation of vines – now a highly technical industry
 Quality and timing of ploughing, pruning, weeding, spraying, harvesting, etc. – each
affects the quality of wine

7. Vinification
 Skills of the vintner
 Local traditions and practice

8. Market
 Demands also regulate the quality