Wine Is An Century Old Art, A Modern Science And A Global Business
Posted on February 12, 2008 - Filed Under Food and Drink
Wine making has been practiced in one form or another for many thousands of years with pottery jars found in Persia (modern day Iran) dating as far back as 5,500 BC showing evidence of grapes use for winemaking. Additionally, jars from Jiahu in China dated to between 6000 and 7000 BC have also been discovered containing wine made from wild grapes.
However whether we are talking about ancient or modern wine production, a number of the same conditions apply and not dissimilar techniques are used as the chemistry of the humble grape is an eternal quality.
With a few notable exceptions the grapes used for making wine grow only in bands delineated by the latitudes 30-50 degrees North and 30-45 degrees South of the equator. As opposed to the majority of other crops, grapes do not need an especially fertile soil and it is interesting to note that a thinner soil frequently produces a small crop but also frequently produces higher quality grapes.
Oddly enough, soils that are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients (conditions that are normally highly beneficial for most plants) can produce grapes that are not suited to winemaking. Such grapes are often very good for eating, but lack the desired quantities of minerals, acids and sugars for winemaking.
Without doubt, the best wines come from soils that would be thought of as poor quality for other agricultural purposes. For example, the stellar wines from Bordeaux are made from grapes grown in gravelly soil, on a base of clay or chalk. The crop here is small, but the quality of the grapes produced is high. In this instance the pebbly soil permits good drainage, which is vital as vines have to have adequate but not too much water, but these conditions force the roots to grow deep into the earth where they absorb a range of complex minerals.
Vineyards are also commonly found along river valleys, with slopes that provide plenty of sunshine. Vines in these circumstances are often of the European species vitis vinifera, from which many well known wines are made, such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.
Viticulture, the name used for the practice of growing grapes for wine, is one of the most complicated agricultural undertakings today. A master vintner (today, sometimes called an oenologist), has to be an expert in a wide range of topics including soil chemistry, fermentation, climatology and various other ancient arts and modern sciences.
As well as categorization by variety, wines are also classified by vinification methods (sparkling, still, rosé, fortified, blush), by region (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace etc.), by vintage and by several other methods.
As soon as the grower, chemist and manufacturer have finished their work, the businessman then takes the stage and today wine is very big business. Wine sales in the United States alone run to something like 600 million gallons, representing over $20 billion in consumer spending. Perhaps not surprisingly France is top of the pack when it comes to exports with 22% of world export volume, with Italy coming in a close second.
At the end of the day however, no matter how big a business wine making has become, it is still very much a balance of science, art and business and winemaking is certainly not a venture to be entered into by anyone of a timid nature.
Visit GreatWineTastings.com for the perfect wine for that wine gift basket and to find a stunning accompanying wine country gift basket
Tags: Red Wine, White Wine, Wine, wine gift basket, wine producing, winemaking
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