California Wine Grape Vines - Enjoy Red Wine and White Wine
An Overview of Wine
A popular beverage over dinner, for special occasions, and in
romantic settings, wine is one of the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic
beverages. Wine is made from fermented grapes, and can range widely in taste,
variety, and color based on the type of grape used to create the wine.
Aging is in an important aspect to the creation of wine, and older wines are
often more highly heralded. Many wine drinkers are intrigued by the wine making
process, making vineyard and winery tours popular tourist and vacation
activities.
Common Wine Varieties &
Classifications
Wine is typically classified based on its place of origin and/or type of grape.
Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot are examples of wines named for their grape, while
Napa Valley wines and Bordeaux wines are common examples of wines named for
their place of production. In some cases, both the production region and the
grape variety are used in the name of the wine, which offers wine connoisseurs
an idea of the wine before tasting it.
Wine varieties differ greatly in their taste, presentation, and use. Red and
white wine, for instance, are common wines used for complementing food choices.
The difference between these two variations is centered on whether or not the
grapes used in their creation maintained their skins during fermentation. Red
wine is made with grape skins, while white wine is made in the absence of grape
skins. Other wine variations include sparkling wines such as champagne, dessert
wines, cooking wines, table wines that are often less expensive than others, and
many other variations.
Basics of Wine Tasting
There are five main steps to assessing the quality of wine – only two of which
actually involving tasting the wine itself. The steps include judging the color,
swirling the wine in the glass, smelling the aroma of the wine, sipping and
tasting the wine, and savoring the flavor to assess how long the taste remains
in the mouth. This method of wine tasting is often given the pneumonic key The
Five S’s: See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Savor.
Because of the effect that wine can have as an alcoholic beverage, most wine
tasters do not actually drink the wine. At events and wineries, wine tasters may
receive a spittoon into which to spit the wine, or may be asked to simple spit
the wine onto the ground.
Blind tasting involves offering a taste of the wine without allowing the taster
any indication as to the wine’s origins or makeup. This usually means presenting
the wine without allowing the taster to see the bottle, know the name or the
date of origin, and, in some cases, even see the color – which requires the wine
to be presented in a black or dark glass.
Many connoisseurs of wine and wine tasting travel around the world to some of
the most notable wineries and vineyards in the world in order to participate in
wine tasting and winery tours. In many instances, wineries may offer tasting of
their vintage wines and other more notable wines for a higher price.
Storing a Wine Collection
True wine collectors and connoisseurs – and all wineries and vineyards –
maintain a wine cellar to preserve the taste and quality of the wine. These
cellars allow for the maintenance of a constant temperature and complete
darkness. This not only prevents spoilage, but also provides an environment in
which the wine can continue to age and improve in its aroma, flavor, and color.
Temperature fluctuations and exposure to heat and light can cause wine to spoil
and lose its best attributes.
Wine Production & Imports
Italy leads the world in terms of the amount of wine produced around the world,
and the images of generations-old wineries and vineyards are almost synonymous
with the Italian countryside. Italy is closely following by Spain and France in
terms of the volume of annual wine production. The United States ranks sixth in
the world, and from all U.S. wines, more than 90 percent come from the vineyards
and wineries of the California valleys.
Wine in Popular Culture
Oftentimes, references to wine in popular culture can create a spike in interest
in wine and wine tasting. The 2004 film Sideways was one such phenomenon that
made trips to wineries and vineyards a new fad in the United States. Other
notable wine-laden films include French Kiss, A Walk in the Clouds, and many
others. In many European countries, however, interest in understanding and
appreciating wine has been ongoing for centuries, and little needs a boost from
pop culture references.
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