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Know wine so that you don’t whine! I am a newbie in the world of fine wines and I am learning so much that I would like to share some of my new-found wine knowledge. This new wine information has been invaluable as my husband and I have explored the world of wines. There really is a difference between a fine premium quality wine, its taste, its fragrance, and basically, everything about it, compared to the average mass-produced wine found in the liquor department. Wine knowledge will vastly enhance your wine experience. Amazingly, wine has been in our society for at least 10,000-years.

I live in the United States and have found we are about a generation behind in our traditions and knowledge of wine. The prohibition years created an entire generation of wine knowledge to be non-existent. Therefore, we have a little catching up to do compared to the rest of the world. Even with us being about a generation behind, 35% of adults in the United States drink wine several times a week. So, let me introduce you to some wine information that you may not be familiar with.

Wine Knowledge: What is Wine?

You can find several definitions but they all basically agree that wine is the fermented juice of grapes. What was surprising to me was how many varieties of wine grapes there are and where and how the grapes are grown and cared for makes such a difference in the quality of the wine.

Wine Grape Knowledge: Varieties

So, do you know how many varieties of wine grapes there are? My guess would have been way off. The fact is there are over 10,000 varieties! Grapes are like strawberries, apples, or tomatoes. The fact is that an apple is an apple but there are many different varieties, each with its own taste and texture. The geographic areas it is grown can even make a significant difference in its taste and texture, even if it is the same variety. It is the same with grapes. They each have different flavors called profiles and performance factors. What you have to remember is that each variety of grape has a different flavor, just like an apple.

Grown in specific Geographic areas

Grapes grow best around 45 degrees latitude in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Many of these varieties require special growing conditions, therefore, that determine the kind of grapes and wine that is produced in specific regions. Also, many of these varieties have been developed by using various farming techniques such as grafting to produce new hybrids. It is not uncommon for tradition or law to dictate the types of grapes that are popular in particular countries. In these instances, the productions of these wines are considered representative of their countries or regions.

By searching the internet you can find lists of the most popular wine grapes with a description of each one. The most noted of these grape lists are the so-called Nobel Grapes and they are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. Defined as noble grapes because they have the capacity to be made into a variety of styles. They produce wonderfully elegant long-lived wines. It is embarrassing to admit, but before I started getting into this world of wines, I had no idea that those names were varieties of grapes! We will get into the labels in a bit. So onto growing grapes.

Growing Grapes

Just like growing any crop, the ground is critical. Where the grapes are grown determines the flavor and even the style of the wine. Old World wines are named according to where they are grown. That says a lot about the grapes that are grown in those regions. The soil, the elevation, the amount of sun and rain, everything plays into the quality and characteristics of the grape.

The colder climates produce red wines. They will generally have flavors of darker fruits, such as blackberries, black cherries, and plums. While the white wines are more of the fruit flavors such as pears, white peach, and apples. The wines that are from southern areas will usually have tropical flavors such as strawberries, red cherries, raspberries, yellow peaches, and citrus. There is such a difference in the wines of different regions that it is something to really take note of because it will really help you in choosing a wine for its flavor. Your preferences will come to play when choosing your favorite wines and their regions of origin. But, it is really not so simple.

Decisions to Make

Vineyards and winemakers have many decisions to make. It sure makes one appreciate fine wine more when there is a basic understanding of the behind the scenes decision-making process. Here is a list of just a few of the considerations that I found in my research on wine knowledge.

About the Grapes and Vineyards

• To choose which grapes grow best in various climates and soils.
• Traditions are strongly held onto in each country or region. Is something new worth the risk?
• There is the management of the soils, the vines, disease prevention and other seasonal and weather condition variables for their region.
• Knowing the growth cycle, the maturity of the crop, and harvesting methods.

With 10,000 plus varieties of grapes, it seems impossible for the vineyards and the winemakers to come to a final decision about what grape and how to process it!

Then moving on to the decisions about the wine itself:

• How long to ferment. What alcohol content do they want to achieve
• What container to ferment in, stainless steel or oak barrels for different flavors.
• If using oak barrels there are even more questions to answer.
• Then how long to age the wine.

I had no idea of the decision making that went into a bottle of wine. Keep in mind these are just of few of the questions that I found in my research. What about blending several varieties together, that opens up a whole new world of decisions!

Appellations

The location or region where grapes are grown is called appellations. In other words, appellations are a legal geographical name, such as the name of a region, village, or vineyard, that a winegrower is authorized to identify and market his wine. Sounds technical, it is. There are other types of foods that have appellations as well. An appellation often has other restrictions other than location and grape variety before the name may legally appear on the wine label. For example, the maximum grape yields and quality factors, and alcohol level may also apply. The county that produced the wine usually determines the appellations. These geographic areas are legally defined. Therefore, a sub-appellation is an area that has been divided into more specific geographic areas.

Sub-Appellation

A good example of sub-appellation would be if a label says “California”. That would indicate that the grapes can come from anywhere in that state. A more specific designation would be, for example, if the label says “Napa”. If the label then says “Rutherford” that’s an even more specific and a more defined area. An important wine knowledge to keep in mind is that the more specific the area where the grapes are grown, as a general rule, the finer and more expensive the wine will more likely be.

Most European wines are named after their geographical origin. One very famous example of that would be the Bordeaux wine. Of course, it is produced in the Bordeaux region of France. For as little as I knew about wine, even this wine was familiar to me. Non-Europen wines almost always have the name of the grape (AKA the varietal) on the label – for instance, Cabernet Sauvignon from California.

Fermentation

Fermentation is a very complex process. The chemical reactions change the composition of the fruit sugars, therefore, we smell and taste flavors of strawberry, or peach, or other fruit and not grapes. I have often noticed that grapes have a whiteish film on the grapes but never knew what it was. It is yeast, and it grows naturally on the skins of the grapes. The yeast eats the sugar and turns it into alcohol! This is a very simple explanation of the very complex fermentation process.

Winemakers control and manipulate the process for necessary reasons that will result in their desired wine flavors. Grapes ripened to a desired level of sugar, then harvested. The higher quality of wines usually sorts the grapes by hand while others use whatever is in the bin. Crushed grapes and skins are then placed in tanks or large oak barrels and left to ferment. Although it is worth noting here that the white wines do not have the grape skins included in this process.

Laboratories are Necessary

Every winery has a lab that they use to monitor all the chemical components of their wine. Filtration, aging, adding flavors and much more also take place in the process of winemaking.

The winemaker carefully monitors the juice for a proper balance of alcohol, sugar, and acidity. The juice is then drained into smaller barrels for aging, then bottled. Of course, this is an oversimplified version, but one that gives enough information to have a basic understanding of the process. The goal is that the blend of all the components is to be balanced for the most harmonious drinking experience.

Two Basic Styles of Wine

Old World or New World are the traditional divisions of wine. The wine’s location is what determines if it is an Old World or a New World. The labels are even quite different.

Old World Wine

Old World wines are made in Hungary, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and a few other European countries. As mentioned above, the labels distinguish their geographic origin. Such as Bordeaux, Beaujolais, or Sancerre.

New World Wine

New World wines are made in the United States, Argentina, South Africa, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand. The labels of New World wines usually include the name of the grape and the place they were grown.

The label is a give away to distinguish the two types of wine but for a more practical difference, the aromas and flavors of the fruit are an immediate give away. For example, cherry, blackberry, plum for the red wines and citrus, peach, pear and tropical fruits for the white wines. Often New World wines are usually fruit-forward wines.

On the other hand, the Old World wines give you the aromas and flavors of the earth. Such as the forest floor, wet leaves, spice, tobacco, leather, or even tar. This does not sound very desirable, but believe it or not, it does work together for some amazing tastes. Traditionally, enjoying this type of wine with food is the way to maximize the tastes.

A Third Style, in my option

Actually, I have discovered a third style of wine! Now, I do not mean to offend but it is the mass-produced wines. These wines taste the same year after year, regardless of the condition of the grapes and the type of season that the grapes were produced.

My research has revealed that a well-crafted wine never tastes the same year after year. Every growing season is different, the amount of rain, temperatures, age of grapes, and so much more determines the taste of the grape used and then you have the wine crafter and his expertise that will determine the final taste.

Sulfates naturally occur in the natural fermentation process of the wine. Artificial chemicals that are naturally occurring in the wine, such as sulfates, can legally be added to the fermentation process. You may say “So!” The use of artificial sulfates is very commonly used if they are trying to achieve the same taste and flavor year after year. These artificial sulfates are what cause headaches and fatigue. When you finish this article try googling arsenic in wine! Yep, arsenic!!!!! Finer quality wines do not add sulfates, any other artificial ingredients, or oak sawdust to give it the oak barrel flavor! Yea, this was news to me. Maybe that is why there is such a question as to the health benefits of wine.

Labels

A whole class can be taught on reading all the different wine labels. I will give a few quick notes that will help when you read a wine label.

New World wine labels include the producer, the year of the vintage, the appellation (vineyard’s location), and the grape variety (Varietal). These are important details. In the US, there may be the word Reserve, or Special Selection, or something similar to the last line. Basically, that is meaningless. There are no governing laws concerning this statement.

Old World wine label is a bit more complicated for a newbie, like me (lol). This label has the name of the origin on it. So, if you are like me that doesn’t mean anything unless I look that location up and investigate the variety of their grapes. The varietal is not listed on the label. So, if you do not know the grape variety grown in that region you are pretty much lost. Now, you will notice that there will be a phrase, for example, “Appellation Chinon Controlee”. The government guarantees that the wine is actually from the place designated on the label. I mentioned previously about appellation meaning.

Summing Up Wine Knowledge

There really is so much more wine knowledge, but this is information that really helped my husband and me to dive in and start really enjoying this journey. Too much wine knowledge can be overwhelming and discouraging so I hope this was just the right article to help you on your journey. Please, just relax and enjoy the world of fine wines. Take in the information as you expand your horizons in the wonderful world of wines. Just know that this is a significant difference between a quality fine wine and a “punch” wine.

Additional Wine Knowledge

I hope I have sparked an interest in getting more involved in this growing niche. My husband and I joined a wine club. I have written an article on the wine of the month clubs and I would love for you to check it out. I chose five wine clubs to compare. That was an interesting investigation also.

My husband and I have exclusively begun to purchase our wine from one of the wine clubs that we investigated. The quality is excellent. No headaches with this wine. Customer service is outstanding, 100% guaranteed satisfaction!!! We are loving it. If you are in the market for a Fine Wine of the Month Club go here or check out the article I mentioned above.

The more you understand about Fine Wines, you will see an incredible way to increase your income. The more we are educated on Fine Wines, the better we understand that our lives can improve by enjoying the wine and building a better income through the opportunity this wine club can offer. This can be a fascinating time in your life so I invite you to go directly to the Club’s Site.

I would also like to invite you to check out my other wine pages, Fine Wines Delivered to Your Door, Wine Magic, Red Wine and Heart Health, Wine Quotes, Sayings & Memes, and I will be adding pairing wine and recipe pages soon! Let’s have fun and join me in the great adventure of this fine wine business.

Know Wine ~ No Whine

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