beverage made from the

fermentation and crushing of

grapes. The grape juice is
placed in open wooden vats,
steel tanks, or oak barrels.
The natural sugars and yeast
in the grape juice interact to
create ethanol or alcohol.
 Wine is typically
labeled and
categorized by the
type of grape
varietal, the wine
maker or wine
house who makes it,
the country and
 Wine is a
complex beverage
with flavor profiles
that can range from
strong and dry to
light and sweet.
Some of the best
wines in the world,
when stored
properly, can last
for decades and
actually improve
with aging in the
bottle. Wine has a
Fast Facts:
First Wines:
* Caucasia and Mesopotamia,
6000 BC
*14th and 16th Centuries:
Water shortage makes wine
dietary staple of Europe
*19th and 20th Centuries:
Vineyards of California,
Australia, South America and
Canada enjoy recognition.
Alcohol in wine can vary from 8
to 15 percent.
The scientific or Latin name is
Vitis vinifera
Most Popular Grape Varietals
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Zinfandel
Syrah
Cabernet Franc
Malbec
Grenache
Nebbiolo
Sangiovese
Tempranillo
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Chenin Blanc
Riesling
Gewurztraminer
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir

Sauvignon Blanc Zinfandel Malbec

Grenache

Cabernet Franc
Tempranillo
Nebbiolo Sangiovese
Syrah

Chenin
Riesling Gewurztraminer
Blanc
 Top 10 wine
producing countries
France
Italy
Spain
United States
Argentina
Australia
China
South Africa
Chile
Germany
 Classification

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 non-European
recognized locales include Napa
Valley in California, Willamette
Valley in Oregon, Valley and Hunter
Valley in Australia, Central Valley in
Chile and Marlborough in New
Zealand.
names is governed by
trademark or copyright
law rather than by
specific wine laws. For
example, Meritage
(sounds like
"heritage") is generally
a Bordeaux-style blend
of Cabernet Sauvignon
and Merlot, and may
also include Cabernet
Franc, Petit Verdot,
and Malbec.
Commercial use of the
term "Meritage" is
allowed only via
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
Contrôlé(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.
Outside of Europe
New World wine —wines
from outside of the traditional
 Wine tasting
Is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. Wines are made up of chemical compounds
which are similar or identical to those in fruits, vegetables, and spices. The sweetness of wine is
determined by the amount of residual sugar in the wine after fermentation, relative to the acidity present
in the wine. Dry wine, for example, has only a small amount of residual sugar. Inexperienced wine
drinkers often tend to mistake the taste of ripe fruit for sweetness when, in fact, the wine in question is
very dry.
Individual flavors may also be detected, due to the complex mix of organic molecules such as esters and
terpenes that grape juice and wine can contain. Tasters often can distinguish between flavors
characteristic of a specific grape (e.g., Chianti and sour cherry) and flavors that result from other factors in
wine making, either intentional or not. The most typical intentional flavor elements in wine are those that
are imparted by aging in oak casks; chocolate, vanilla, or coffee almost always come from the oak and not
the grape itself.
Banana flavors (isoamyl acetate) are
the product of yeast metabolism, as are spoilage
aromas such as sweaty, barnyard, band-aid (4-
ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol), and rotten egg
(hydrogen sulfide). Some varietals can also have a
mineral flavor, because some salts are soluble in
water (like limestone), and are absorbed by the
wine.
Wine aroma comes from volatile
compounds in the wine that are released into the
air.Vaporization of these compounds can be sped
up by twirling the wine glass or serving the wine
at room temperature. For red wines that are
already highly aromatic, like Chinon and
Beaujolais, many people prefer them chilled.
 A "vintage wine" is one made from grapes that
were all or mostly grown in a particular year, and labeled as
such. Most countries allow a vintage wine to include a portion
that is not from the labeled vintage. Variations in a wine's
character from year to year can include subtle differences in
color, palate, nose, body and development. High-quality red
table wines can improve in flavor with age if properly
stored.Consequently, it is not uncommon for wine enthusiasts
and traders to save bottles of an especially good vintage wine
for future consumption.

In the United States, for a wine to be vintage

dated and labeled with a country of origin or American
Viticultural Area (AVA) (such as "Sonoma Valley"), it must
contain at least 95% of its volume from grapes harvested in
that year. If a wine is not labeled with a country of origin or
AVA the percentage requirement is lowered to 85%.

Vintage wines are generally bottled in a single

batch so that each bottle will have a similar taste. Climate can
have a big impact on the character of a wine to the extent
that different vintages from the same vineyard can vary
dramatically in flavor and quality.

Non-vintage wines can be blended from more

than one vintage for consistency, a process which allows wine
makers to keep a reliable market image and maintain sales
even in bad years. One recent study suggests that for normal
drinkers, vintage year may not be as significant to perceived
wine quality as currently thought, although wine
connoisseurs continue to place great importance on it.
 Packaging
Most wines are sold in glass bottles and are
sealed using corks. An increasing number of wine
producers have been using alternative closures such as
screwcaps or synthetic plastic"corks".

In addition to being less expensive, alternative

closures prevent cork taint, although they have been
blamed for other problems such as excessive reduction.

Storage
Wine cellars, or wine rooms if they are above-
ground, are places designed specifically for the storage
and aging of wine. In an active wine cellar, temperature
and humidity are maintained by a climate control
system. Passive wine cellars are not climate-controlled,
and so must be carefully located. Wine is a natural,
perishable food product; when exposed to heat, light,
vibration or fluctuations in temperature and humidity,
all types of wine, including red, white, sparkling, and
fortified, can spoil. When properly stored, wines can
maintain their quality and in some cases improve in
aroma, flavor, and complexity as they age. Consensus
among wine experts is that the optimal temperature for
aging wine is 55 °F(12.8 °C).