A Short Introduction to Wine
What is Wine?
Technically, wine is the fermented juice of grapes, but it can be so much more.
Wine is an alcoholic beverage created to be experienced and – more than that – for the experience of sensual pleasure. It is meant to be smelled, tasted, felt and enjoyed!
To appreciate and get the most out of a wine it is important to explore, understand and be able to communicate your experience of it. Appreciating wine is personal with regard to preference for particular sensations – aromas, flavors, and textures – and the vocabulary we use to describe these sensations. Wine appreciation also involves understanding its history – the who, where, when, why and how of its creation. This series is designed to guide you through gaining a better understanding of your personal wine preferences as well as how a wine is shaped and what the world of wine has to offer.
According to our definition, wine is both a creation and an experience so let’s start there…
Wine as Creation
In the Vineyard
The first process of creation is the growing of grapes…
While grapevines are sprouting in some unlikely places, the ideal growing conditions for wine grapes determine the geographical bands in both the northern and southern hemispheres where most wine is produced (approx between 20˚ and 50˚ latitude).
Ideal Conditions: mean avg. temperature of 59F, at least 1300 hours of sunshine and a minimum annual rainfall of 20-30in
This is the ideal, but the actual conditions and their effect on grapes are what define the terroir of an individual vineyard. The actual conditions include climate and geology such as nearby bodies of water, soil type composition and nature, hours of sunlight, slope aspect and exposure, etc. Terroir is what has the potential to give a wine that distinct sense of place, but it is also the measurable values that determine vineyard management which supports the ultimate goal of grape production.
Vitis is the genus name for grapevines and Vitis vinifera is the European species responsible for most of the world’s wine. The various grape varieties we identify are mostly cultivars of Vitis vinifera vines or crosses. Vitis lambrusca is the second most widely used for winemaking and is native to the United States. The vine’s adaptation to the land throughout the history of grapevine cultivation has resulted in thousands of grape varieties with various growing characteristics.
Growth Cycle of the Vine: Budding @ 50F, Flowering 40-80 days later @ 63F-68F and lasts about 10days, Fruit Set immediately after flowering, Ripening occurs between 68F-86F
The first characteristic difference between grape varieties is the physiology of the berry itself. Tannin and other phenolic compounds – which give wine its aroma, taste and texture – are found in the skins, pips (seeds), and stems of the grape while the juice is contained in the pulp. The ratio of pulp to skin and seeds will dictate a lot of the final character in a wine. Secondly, different grape varieties have different growing needs and patterns. Some ripen early, but may lose acid quickly while others take a long time to develop into maturity. Understanding the grapes in relation to the character of a particular environment is at the basis of understanding any one particular wine and why it may smell and/or taste as it does.
In the Cellar
Once harvested, wine grapes begin another journey.
The amount of work done in the cellar that contributes to the resulting wine is a controversial topic. Some ‘naked’ winemakers encourage a focus on the vineyard and a hands-off approach to winemaking – using native yeasts, less clarification, and/or less oak or additives – while others buy grapes of varying quality from growers and/or own the vineyard itself, but are just as intently focused on the science of winemaking.
The key difference between white and red wine is when pressing occurs. For white wines the goal is to get the clear juice separated from the skins immediately and before fermentation. For red wines the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed, but the juice will not be separated until after fermentation. In fact, for maximum extraction some wines are kept on the skins at cool temperature during a cold soak to prolong skin contact – maceration – prior to fermentation. Carbonic maceration is the process of fermenting whole berries that results in a fruity, juicy wine.
Fermentation occurs when yeasts interact with the sugars in the must – juice – to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide. Wild yeasts naturally occur on the skins of grapes and a winemaker may chose to rely on these native yeasts or inoculate with cultured strains. The type of yeast, temperature and amount of oxygen present will all affect the fermentation process. Primary fermentation takes 5-14 days. Secondary fermentation – also called Malolactic Fermentation – involves the interaction of bacteria which convert malic into lactic acid and may take place during, just after or not at all in some white wines. This gives wine a creamy/buttery aroma and texture.
Occasionally used for whites, but primarily for reds – the use of oak barrels has three functions. Oak softens tannins in a wine creating a richer, smoother mouth feel; it helps clarify the wine by pulling out suspended materials and imparts subtle oak characters of aroma and flavor. A less expensive way to achieve the last of these goals is to soak oak chips or staves in the wine.
Other winemaking terms to know include…chaptalization – the addition of sugar with the goal of adding body – sur lie – which literally means ‘on the lees’ so a wine may be left in contact with its dead yeast cells and possibly stirred to add a richer, creamier texture with nutty/cheesy aromas – racking – the separation of the juice from its lees, skins or other unwanted particles – fining – the addition of a fining agent for the purpose of clarification.
Wine as Experience
In the Glass
There are two main objectives of engaging in a concentrated wine tasting versus gulping down a glass. First is the desire to discern quality. In the most basic sense, there are key characteristics that identify a well-made wine. These characteristics support the fullest and most pleasurable experience of a wine. When tasting for quality you are assessing for cleanliness, clarity, balance, and finish. Balance is achieved when all aspects of the palate seem well-integrated and harmonious and length on the finish allows you to enjoy each sip as long as pleasantly possible. The second reason for paying closer attention to a wine and how it registers with your senses is to gain the most personal pleasure out of a wine. Not only is sensory pleasure intensified by merely engaging more intently with the senses, but it will allow you to build your scent vocabulary and communicate better about what you sense and what you like. To get what you want you have to be able to ask for it.
We’ll start with the most important sensory tool in wine ‘tasting’ – the nose. It seems a bit contradictory, but much of what we think of as ‘taste’ and call ‘flavors’ are a result of our sense of smell. Keeping this in mind, here is a brief outline of how to conduct a thorough wine tasting…
Look: Hold the glass at an angle, under a light and over a white surface – identify the hue/color and the intensity/brightness/depth of color
Swirl: This intermediate step is done for two reasons…(1) Swirl lightly and not how much the wine sticks to the glass (its viscosity) – the more viscous a liquid, the more weight it should have in the mouth – this is the result of a higher sugar content in the form of either alcohol or sweetness. (2) Swirl the wine more vigorously just before sniffing it – by increasing the surface area of the wine more volatile compounds that create aroma are allowed to evaporate into the air in the glass above the wine – take advantage and stick your nose in it!
Smell: First take not of any off-odors – some may point to a fault in the wine and some may just take some time to appreciate. Use a multiple-choice approach to identify first impression aromas…Fruit? (a) apple/pear (b) peach/apricot (c) tropical (d) berries…red?blue?black?...etc. Don’t be put off if you have trouble even beginning to narrow things down. As you learn how to identify aromas common to particular wines you will begin to build your scent vocabulary and become very creative (and personal) in your descriptors.
Taste: Once you get the wine into your mouth, your taste buds (located throughout the oral cavity…so spread it around) are responsible for perceiving the sensations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.
Sweet: Sugar content in wine ranges from .035-7oz/qt with ‘dry’ wines usually containing less than 0.38oz/qt – the ‘dryness’ of a wine refers to its lack of sweetness
Sour: In wine this refers to the acidity present and is the key to a balanced wine – at harvest a grower is looking for the longest hang time so that grapes can develop as much complexity as possible, but must not let acidity drop too low and result in a lackluster wine. Acidity levels range from 0.105-0.315 oz of tartaric acid/qt and a balanced wine should have noticeable, but not overwhelming acidity so as to be neither ‘tart’ nor ‘flat’
Salt: Relatively rare in wines, but most commonly associated with wines from near the Mediterranean.
Bitter: Not to be confused with tannin, bitterness is a less-often appreciated quality for most, but very popular in Italian wines.
Feel: Aside from taste, wine also leaves a tactile impression in the mouth. Assess the levels of tannin, alcohol, and body as well as the length of the finish. Tannins are molecules that like to stick to other molecules and they like to stick to your gums. They come in different textures and can range from silky to rough like sandpaper. A slight burn on the nose as well as heat on the breath gives an impression of alcohol while body is determined by the actual weight of the wine in the mouth. For this assessment a comparison to the weights of skim milk – heavy cream is useful. Finally, how long does the sensation last in your mouth? More than a few seconds implies a bit of length with as much as thirty seconds implying something rather special.
Hear: Finally, I’d like to make some less-conventional notes about experiencing wine and exploring the senses. Wine, more than any other beverage, is notable for the range of aromatics and flavors it is able to produce from one raw ingredient – especially when you consider it is ninety-five percent water and alcohol. In many regards the work of grape growing and winemaking have been called arts in which the conditions of a vine and the land are manipulated to express a vision – one that is intended to capture the senses in much the same way intended by a piece of music or a painting. One way to ‘hear’ a wine is to pay attention to what it expresses about where it came from and those who made it. Just like many other art forms today – more and more wines are produced as marketable commodities, but those created out of an artistic vision have a way of speaking from the glass and telling the story of their journey. A second way of ‘hearing’ a wine results from its existence as a social lubricant. Wine is meant to be drunk – to be enjoyed, to be contemplated and to be shared. Listen not just to the wine itself, but to the sounds of revelry, celebration and vibrant discussion that often accompanies a good bottle!
Miscellaneous Wine Facts
Depending on climate and grape variety, 130-200 days separate first buds to harvest.
Any bottle of wine contains over 1000 distinct chemicals. This is even more drastic considering that 95% of the total volume is occupied by water and alcohol. So it is within 5% of the volume that the differences between wines are seen.
Muscat (known as Moscato in Italy) is considered the oldest known grape variety. With hundreds of different varieties of Muscat it is really more like a family of grapes from which the rest of the Vitis vinifera varieties are thought to have descended.
An average glass of red wine contains approximately 110 calories.
Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are the parent grapes to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Serving Temperatures: 45-65F
sparkling and sweet wines served coldest – dry, light bodied whites/rosés – fuller whites/light reds – full-bodied reds
Bottle Sizes (liters) – number of bottles
Standard (.75) - 1
Magnum (1.5) - 2
Jeroboam (3) - 4
Rehoboam (4.5) - 6
Methuselah (6) - 8
Salmanazar (9) - 12
Balthazar (12) - 16
Nebuchadnezzar (15) - 20
Grape to Glass Conversions
1 grape cluster = 1 glass
75 grapes = 1 cluster
4 clusters = 1 bottle
40 clusters = 1 vine
1 vine = 10 bottles
1200 clusters = 1 barrel
1 barrel = 60 gallons
60 gallons = 25 cases
30 vines = 1 barrel
400 vines = 1 acre
1 acre = 5 tons
5 tons = 332 cases
Technically, wine is the fermented juice of grapes, but it can be so much more.
Wine is an alcoholic beverage created to be experienced and – more than that – for the experience of sensual pleasure. It is meant to be smelled, tasted, felt and enjoyed!
To appreciate and get the most out of a wine it is important to explore, understand and be able to communicate your experience of it. Appreciating wine is personal with regard to preference for particular sensations – aromas, flavors, and textures – and the vocabulary we use to describe these sensations. Wine appreciation also involves understanding its history – the who, where, when, why and how of its creation. This series is designed to guide you through gaining a better understanding of your personal wine preferences as well as how a wine is shaped and what the world of wine has to offer.
According to our definition, wine is both a creation and an experience so let’s start there…
Wine as Creation
In the Vineyard
The first process of creation is the growing of grapes…
While grapevines are sprouting in some unlikely places, the ideal growing conditions for wine grapes determine the geographical bands in both the northern and southern hemispheres where most wine is produced (approx between 20˚ and 50˚ latitude).
Ideal Conditions: mean avg. temperature of 59F, at least 1300 hours of sunshine and a minimum annual rainfall of 20-30in
This is the ideal, but the actual conditions and their effect on grapes are what define the terroir of an individual vineyard. The actual conditions include climate and geology such as nearby bodies of water, soil type composition and nature, hours of sunlight, slope aspect and exposure, etc. Terroir is what has the potential to give a wine that distinct sense of place, but it is also the measurable values that determine vineyard management which supports the ultimate goal of grape production.
Vitis is the genus name for grapevines and Vitis vinifera is the European species responsible for most of the world’s wine. The various grape varieties we identify are mostly cultivars of Vitis vinifera vines or crosses. Vitis lambrusca is the second most widely used for winemaking and is native to the United States. The vine’s adaptation to the land throughout the history of grapevine cultivation has resulted in thousands of grape varieties with various growing characteristics.
Growth Cycle of the Vine: Budding @ 50F, Flowering 40-80 days later @ 63F-68F and lasts about 10days, Fruit Set immediately after flowering, Ripening occurs between 68F-86F
The first characteristic difference between grape varieties is the physiology of the berry itself. Tannin and other phenolic compounds – which give wine its aroma, taste and texture – are found in the skins, pips (seeds), and stems of the grape while the juice is contained in the pulp. The ratio of pulp to skin and seeds will dictate a lot of the final character in a wine. Secondly, different grape varieties have different growing needs and patterns. Some ripen early, but may lose acid quickly while others take a long time to develop into maturity. Understanding the grapes in relation to the character of a particular environment is at the basis of understanding any one particular wine and why it may smell and/or taste as it does.
In the Cellar
Once harvested, wine grapes begin another journey.
The amount of work done in the cellar that contributes to the resulting wine is a controversial topic. Some ‘naked’ winemakers encourage a focus on the vineyard and a hands-off approach to winemaking – using native yeasts, less clarification, and/or less oak or additives – while others buy grapes of varying quality from growers and/or own the vineyard itself, but are just as intently focused on the science of winemaking.
The key difference between white and red wine is when pressing occurs. For white wines the goal is to get the clear juice separated from the skins immediately and before fermentation. For red wines the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed, but the juice will not be separated until after fermentation. In fact, for maximum extraction some wines are kept on the skins at cool temperature during a cold soak to prolong skin contact – maceration – prior to fermentation. Carbonic maceration is the process of fermenting whole berries that results in a fruity, juicy wine.
Fermentation occurs when yeasts interact with the sugars in the must – juice – to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide. Wild yeasts naturally occur on the skins of grapes and a winemaker may chose to rely on these native yeasts or inoculate with cultured strains. The type of yeast, temperature and amount of oxygen present will all affect the fermentation process. Primary fermentation takes 5-14 days. Secondary fermentation – also called Malolactic Fermentation – involves the interaction of bacteria which convert malic into lactic acid and may take place during, just after or not at all in some white wines. This gives wine a creamy/buttery aroma and texture.
Occasionally used for whites, but primarily for reds – the use of oak barrels has three functions. Oak softens tannins in a wine creating a richer, smoother mouth feel; it helps clarify the wine by pulling out suspended materials and imparts subtle oak characters of aroma and flavor. A less expensive way to achieve the last of these goals is to soak oak chips or staves in the wine.
Other winemaking terms to know include…chaptalization – the addition of sugar with the goal of adding body – sur lie – which literally means ‘on the lees’ so a wine may be left in contact with its dead yeast cells and possibly stirred to add a richer, creamier texture with nutty/cheesy aromas – racking – the separation of the juice from its lees, skins or other unwanted particles – fining – the addition of a fining agent for the purpose of clarification.
Wine as Experience
In the Glass
There are two main objectives of engaging in a concentrated wine tasting versus gulping down a glass. First is the desire to discern quality. In the most basic sense, there are key characteristics that identify a well-made wine. These characteristics support the fullest and most pleasurable experience of a wine. When tasting for quality you are assessing for cleanliness, clarity, balance, and finish. Balance is achieved when all aspects of the palate seem well-integrated and harmonious and length on the finish allows you to enjoy each sip as long as pleasantly possible. The second reason for paying closer attention to a wine and how it registers with your senses is to gain the most personal pleasure out of a wine. Not only is sensory pleasure intensified by merely engaging more intently with the senses, but it will allow you to build your scent vocabulary and communicate better about what you sense and what you like. To get what you want you have to be able to ask for it.
We’ll start with the most important sensory tool in wine ‘tasting’ – the nose. It seems a bit contradictory, but much of what we think of as ‘taste’ and call ‘flavors’ are a result of our sense of smell. Keeping this in mind, here is a brief outline of how to conduct a thorough wine tasting…
Look: Hold the glass at an angle, under a light and over a white surface – identify the hue/color and the intensity/brightness/depth of color
Swirl: This intermediate step is done for two reasons…(1) Swirl lightly and not how much the wine sticks to the glass (its viscosity) – the more viscous a liquid, the more weight it should have in the mouth – this is the result of a higher sugar content in the form of either alcohol or sweetness. (2) Swirl the wine more vigorously just before sniffing it – by increasing the surface area of the wine more volatile compounds that create aroma are allowed to evaporate into the air in the glass above the wine – take advantage and stick your nose in it!
Smell: First take not of any off-odors – some may point to a fault in the wine and some may just take some time to appreciate. Use a multiple-choice approach to identify first impression aromas…Fruit? (a) apple/pear (b) peach/apricot (c) tropical (d) berries…red?blue?black?...etc. Don’t be put off if you have trouble even beginning to narrow things down. As you learn how to identify aromas common to particular wines you will begin to build your scent vocabulary and become very creative (and personal) in your descriptors.
Taste: Once you get the wine into your mouth, your taste buds (located throughout the oral cavity…so spread it around) are responsible for perceiving the sensations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.
Sweet: Sugar content in wine ranges from .035-7oz/qt with ‘dry’ wines usually containing less than 0.38oz/qt – the ‘dryness’ of a wine refers to its lack of sweetness
Sour: In wine this refers to the acidity present and is the key to a balanced wine – at harvest a grower is looking for the longest hang time so that grapes can develop as much complexity as possible, but must not let acidity drop too low and result in a lackluster wine. Acidity levels range from 0.105-0.315 oz of tartaric acid/qt and a balanced wine should have noticeable, but not overwhelming acidity so as to be neither ‘tart’ nor ‘flat’
Salt: Relatively rare in wines, but most commonly associated with wines from near the Mediterranean.
Bitter: Not to be confused with tannin, bitterness is a less-often appreciated quality for most, but very popular in Italian wines.
Feel: Aside from taste, wine also leaves a tactile impression in the mouth. Assess the levels of tannin, alcohol, and body as well as the length of the finish. Tannins are molecules that like to stick to other molecules and they like to stick to your gums. They come in different textures and can range from silky to rough like sandpaper. A slight burn on the nose as well as heat on the breath gives an impression of alcohol while body is determined by the actual weight of the wine in the mouth. For this assessment a comparison to the weights of skim milk – heavy cream is useful. Finally, how long does the sensation last in your mouth? More than a few seconds implies a bit of length with as much as thirty seconds implying something rather special.
Hear: Finally, I’d like to make some less-conventional notes about experiencing wine and exploring the senses. Wine, more than any other beverage, is notable for the range of aromatics and flavors it is able to produce from one raw ingredient – especially when you consider it is ninety-five percent water and alcohol. In many regards the work of grape growing and winemaking have been called arts in which the conditions of a vine and the land are manipulated to express a vision – one that is intended to capture the senses in much the same way intended by a piece of music or a painting. One way to ‘hear’ a wine is to pay attention to what it expresses about where it came from and those who made it. Just like many other art forms today – more and more wines are produced as marketable commodities, but those created out of an artistic vision have a way of speaking from the glass and telling the story of their journey. A second way of ‘hearing’ a wine results from its existence as a social lubricant. Wine is meant to be drunk – to be enjoyed, to be contemplated and to be shared. Listen not just to the wine itself, but to the sounds of revelry, celebration and vibrant discussion that often accompanies a good bottle!
Miscellaneous Wine Facts
Depending on climate and grape variety, 130-200 days separate first buds to harvest.
Any bottle of wine contains over 1000 distinct chemicals. This is even more drastic considering that 95% of the total volume is occupied by water and alcohol. So it is within 5% of the volume that the differences between wines are seen.
Muscat (known as Moscato in Italy) is considered the oldest known grape variety. With hundreds of different varieties of Muscat it is really more like a family of grapes from which the rest of the Vitis vinifera varieties are thought to have descended.
An average glass of red wine contains approximately 110 calories.
Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are the parent grapes to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Serving Temperatures: 45-65F
sparkling and sweet wines served coldest – dry, light bodied whites/rosés – fuller whites/light reds – full-bodied reds
Bottle Sizes (liters) – number of bottles
Standard (.75) - 1
Magnum (1.5) - 2
Jeroboam (3) - 4
Rehoboam (4.5) - 6
Methuselah (6) - 8
Salmanazar (9) - 12
Balthazar (12) - 16
Nebuchadnezzar (15) - 20
Grape to Glass Conversions
1 grape cluster = 1 glass
75 grapes = 1 cluster
4 clusters = 1 bottle
40 clusters = 1 vine
1 vine = 10 bottles
1200 clusters = 1 barrel
1 barrel = 60 gallons
60 gallons = 25 cases
30 vines = 1 barrel
400 vines = 1 acre
1 acre = 5 tons
5 tons = 332 cases