WINE

LOVE OF WINE

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from grapes that are fermented without addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, water or other nutrients.

The Vitis species grape originally from the Mediterranean region, central Europe and South Western Asia is the commonly used in wine making.

There are between 5k-10k varieties species of grapes though only a few are used to make wine for commercial purposes.

Wine has an average alcohol volume of between 5.5% — 15.5%

1. How wine is made

• It is made by fermentation of grapes
• Yeast is added to consume the sugars in the grapes and converts it into ethanol and carbon dioxide.
• It is worth remembering that, there are several varieties of grapes hence the difference in the variations of the wine produced.
• The Variations in wines come from the bio-chemical interactions between the development of the grape and the reactions involved fermentation, the Terroir {land terrain} and the production process.
• Different countries and wine makers enact laws and specifications that are intended to define styles and qualities of their respective wines — to ensure the restriction on geographical origin and permitted varieties of grapes as well as other aspects of wine production.

HOW WINE IS MADE VIDEO

1.1 Wine variations

Red Wine

• It is made from red grapes
• The production process involves extraction of red grape juice, colour and flavour components from the grape skin.
• It is made from the dark coloured grape varieties.
• The actual colour of red wine can range from {Violet} for young wines to {red} for mature wines to {brown} for older red wines.
• The juice from the grapes is usually greenish-white in colour.
• The red colour comes from an anthocynin pigments found in the skin of the grape.

RED GRAPES SHOWING skin, pith and seeds

White Wine

• Colour characteristics could range from straw-yellow, yellow-green or yellow-gold
• The fermentation of the non coloured grape pulp juice produces white wine. Though the grapes that typically produce white wine are green or yellow.
• Some of the popular grapes include: — Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Riesling.
• Some are made up of different variety blends.
• Dry white wines are the most common or popular.
• Sweet wines are produced when fermentation is stopped before all the sugars are converted into alcohol.

Sparkling /Champagne

• Are mostly white but there are red ones too.
• They are made by tapping the Carbon Dioxide [bi-product of wine making] or not allowing it to escape during fermentation.
• This process takes place in the bottle and not in the barrel.
• For champagne, the sparkling wine must be made from grapes grown and it must be made in [Champagne]-France.

Rose’

• Basically Rose’ is made in similar ways with red wine.
• The difference is that the incorporated colour from the grape skins is allowed/ pressed gently to be enough….but to not qualify it to be called red wine.
• There are 3 ways to make Rose’ wine.
• Skin contact method — As described above
• Saignee — Removing juice from the must early enough in fermentation of juice separately to acquire small amounts of the red pigments found in red grape skins
• Blending — Uncommon and discouraged method.
• They can also be made still semi-sparkling with a wide range of sweetness levels.
• They are made from a wide variety of grapes.

Fruit wines

• Wines from these fruits are usually named after the fruit used like –strawberry wine, Apple wine, mango.
• Due to the fact that they lack enough/sufficient sugars for fermentation, yeast is needed to supplement the process.

Mead/Honey

• Also known as honey wine.
• Created by fermenting honey with water.
• Sometimes various fruits and spices might be added to it but the main ingredients for fermentation remain honey and water.

Starch wines

• The process of making starch wines is the same as other wines but the main ingredient is substituted with starches in grains like rice, wheat, barley, maize………
• They almost resemble beer. It can be debated that way since they are made from fermented sake.

Fortified Wines

• They are strengthened with the addition of spirits. Usually Brandy.
• Examples include: — Pot, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, Commandaria wine and the aromatized wine {Vermouth} — FLAVOURED with various Botanicals [ROOTS, BARKS, FLOWERS, SEEDS, SPICES AND HERBS]

1.2. Wine Classification.

Wine is classified and sometimes named according to factors such as

• Geographical Region — system

Elements

• Where it is made and where the grapes originated or grew.
• It is a style that is widely used in Europe.
• You will find out that it’s also classified by quality.
• New World Wines/Grape SystemElements
• They are made outside of Europe.
• Usually classified by grape type
• Some add region but if it is for marketing reasons, then it works.

1.3. Grape Varieties.

• Wine is usually made up of one or more grape varieties.
• When one grape is used predominantly [about 75% — 85%] the result is a varietal as opposed to a blend.
• It would be injustice to categorize and think that blended wines are inferior or of low quality. You can also define or enjoy them by the difference in style of the wine making processes.
• They are easily experimental
• They are easy to mix. You can enjoy them in cocktails like Mimosa and Sangria.
• It also ok to note that wine can be made from hybrid grapes. It means that they are scientifically created by genetic crossing of 2 species or more. {v. Labrusca — [concord grape is a genetic and natural grapes in the wine includes: — v.aestivalis, v. ruprestis from North America.

1.4. Wine Tasting

WINE DECANTER

• Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine.
• Wines contain many chemical compounds similar/identical to those in fruits, spices and vegetables.
• The sweetness of a wine is determined by the amount of residual sugar in it after fermentation but relative to the amount of acidity in the wine itself.
• Dry wine for example has very small amounts of sugar.
• It has lead to some wine labels suggesting that [open and let the bottle breath] for a couple of hours before serving. While others immediately.
• Decanting which is the act of pouring wine into a special container [decanter] for breathing.
• Still while decanting you will open up processes like

Aeration

• Exposing wine to the air to relax, make it softer, smoother and integrate in texture and aromas.
• Aeration is good for older wines.

Filtration

• Removing of the bitter wine sediments that may have been formed during fermentation.
• Filtration is good younger wines.
• When tasting wine, individual flavours may be detected. This can relate to a mixture of [Esters and Tarpenes] organic molecules that grapes can contain.
• When you pay attention, you can distinguish the difference flavours you taste. For example of a specific grape and the flavours that result from the other factors of wine making process.
• Most common taste elements of wine include chocolate, vanilla and coffee. These elements are impacted by the [aging oak barrel] rather than the [grape itself].
• Vertical and Horizontal tasting involves a range of elements within the same grape and vineyard where it was grown or one element from multiple or different vineyards. For example [banana flavours] are mostly from the product of yeast metabolism. They are medicinal.
• Generally, the soil element and its mineral composition affects the taste, structure and body of the grape ….hence the wine.
• White wines are advisable to be served cold/chilled. Preferably between 6–13. Young red wines and Rose wines also prefer the same temperature.
• Old Reds or Red wines should be served at room temperatures. [16–18] it can be as warm up to 21 then its good for consumption.