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by Martin Jauregui, Freelance Writer
Most experts place the origin of wines and winemaking during the Neolithic period, somewhere between 8500 and 4000 BC. There are several reasons for why this period is often considered as the time when wine was first made, including the fact that by this time, individuals had become less nomadic and the Neolithic people had begun to establish more permanent communities. The domestication of plants and animals together with permanent settlements gave these people a more stable lifestyle.
Fermentation, heating, soaking, and spicing are all techniques that resulted from this new way of life, thus giving credibility to the idea that Neolithic people probably applied some of these techniques to the making of wine. The appearance of pottery around 6000 BC also meant that winemakers had a place in which to store their newly developed creation.
Wines and the winemaking process continued to evolve from their origins in Neolithic times. The ancient Egyptians left evidence that wine was being produced by Dynasty 1. Evidence exists in the form of empty jars, stoppers, and hieroglyphics depicting grapevines and arbors. Though grapes did not grow naturally in the Nile Delta, it is possible that they were transplanted as a result of trade during the Early Bronze Age.
By 3500 to 3100 BC, wine was probably being imported into ancient Mesopotamia by winemakers in Iran. The climate in Mesopotamia makes it almost impossible to grow grapes, but scientists have been able to find evidence in the form of jars and cylinder seals that the ancient people of Mesopotamia were importing and consuming large quantities of wine. The demand for wine was so great that like in Egypt, grapevines were also imported into Mesopotamia from nearby areas.
The next contributions to wine came from the Greeks and the Romans, who in their own ways helped establish Europe´s wine industry. Around 1600 BC, wine became as important to Greek commerce and trade as it was to Greek medicine. While the Greeks helped introduce and spread wine throughout Europe, the Romans covered all the other details. Roman innovations in the area of wine included classification of grape varieties, collection of information on ripening characteristics, disease identification, recognition of soil types and compositions, as well as the development of effective pruning, irrigation, and fertilization techniques. Additionally, the Romans developed the idea of storing wine in wooden containers and according to most experts were probably the first to use glass bottles.
Rome´s dominance in the wine market began to falter around 2000 years ago as Spain, Germany, and England began to grow their own vineyards in competition with those from Italy. Eventually, the country of France would come to dominate the world in terms of wine production. The importance of wine to several religions helped many vineyards and winemaking methods survive during the middle ages.
Wine came to countries like Mexico and Argentina as a result of conquest and exploration during the 1500´s and 1600´s. Although European vineyards would not grow along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, few growing problems were experienced in Mexico and California, where the grapes and vineyards flourished. Grapes were first planted in Mexico in 1595, under the orders of Hernando Cortez, though the King of Spain quickly put an end to the success of these vineyards by issuing an edict that stopped any new vineyards from being planted. Father Junipero Serra, the man credited with establishing most of California´s missions, is also credited with planting the first vineyard in California in 1769. The first European grape vines were planted by Jean-Louis Vignes in Los Angeles around 1833. A Hungarian soldier by the name of Agoston Harazsthy brought back cuttings from some of Europe´s greatest vineyards, successfully introducing several hundred new grape varieties to California.
Two important academic contributions to winemaking came in the mid 1800´s. French chemist Louis Pasteur proposed and eventually proved that wine resulted from the work of microscopic organisms, in this case yeasts. Various types of yeasts were developed as a result of this discovery, as were techniques that improved everything from hygiene and production efficiency. In 1860, a doctor by the name of Jules Guyot published three important written works that detailed various aspects of winemaking, including regional and traditional winemaking, winemaking practices, and personal statements on the financial feasibility of growing grapes.
Today, the wine industry is a strong as ever. Despite its historical success, France is now facing strong competition from countries like Spain, Argentina, Italy and the United States. In fact, recent statistics put Spain on top of the list in terms of the amount of and dedicated to vineyards, and Italy on top of the list in terms of volume of wine produced. In the United States, California produces enough wine to make the fourth highest producer of wine in the world, if it was its own country.
by Martin Jauregui, Freelance Writer
Wine is produced all over the world. Although there are some rare exceptions, the nature of grapes is such that they tend to grow successfully only in certain latitudes. As a result, most of the world´s wine-producing regions are located in areas just between 30 and 50 degrees North and South of the Equator. Although this means that just about any country found at those latitudes can produce wine, few areas of the world can compete with the United States, France, Italy, Spain and Argentina in terms of the sheer volume and quality of wine produced.
In the United States, wine is produced from California to North Carolina, and just about everywhere in between. However no region of the United States produces more high quality wines in greater volumes than the area that stretches from central to northern California and includes famous wine-producing regions like the Napa Valley and the Sonoma Valley. In terms of statistics, California vineyards and wineries account for almost ninety percent of all the wine produced in the United States. In fact California as a state produces more wine than the entire country of Australia. In addition to the state of California, the states of New York, Texas, Washington, and Oregon are also known for their quality wines. Major wine-producing regions in New York include the Hudson Valley and Long Island. The state of Oregon is famous for its Pinots, which are produced throughout the state. Texas wines are comparable to California and French wines both in terms of their sharp structure and fruitiness. The state of Washington ranks second behind California in terms of production and quality of taste.
The Argentine wine country is divided into seven major regions, including Mendoza, San Juan, Catamarca, Salta, La Rioja, Neuquén, and Rio Negro. Most of Argentina´s wine regions are found to the west of the country along the area covered by the Andes Mountains. Argentina´s natural environment is unique in comparison to the rest of the winemaking world. The combination of soil quality and the altitude at which grapes in Argentina are grown make Argentine vineyards truly unique, as no other region in the world can boast of vineyards growing at the heights that some Argentine vineyards are found. Heavy doses of sunshine during the day, cool nighttime temperatures make the Argentine growing season relatively long, which results in wines with high concentrations and levels of antioxidants.
Few countries or regions are more historically significant to the world of winemaking than Italy is. Italy in fact can boast to being the home of some of the world´s oldest vineyards, dating back to the days of the Greeks. The geographical characteristics of Italy make it possible for wine to be grown from the northernmost to the southernmost regions of the country, a fact that is characterized Italy being divided into no less than twenty wine regions that stretch across the country, each unique in everything from soil composition to climate. In the country where some winemakers still prefer to stomp wine grapes with their feet, the government has officially recognized 350 grape varieties, including the famous Sangiovese, which comes from Tuscany and is used to create some of Italy´s most famous and tasty red wines.
No other country in the world can compete with Spain in terms of the amount of land that is dedicated to the growing of grapes and the production of wine. From Andalusia in the south of Spain, to the Basque Country in the north, the majority of the country can boast of producing at least some amount of wine. The third largest producer of wine in the world, Spain´s many wine regions have led to the production of a wide variety of wines, including the famous Spanish Sherry and the Spanish alternative to French Champagne known as Cava, which like most other Spanish wines is always known for its high-quality and affordable price. In addition to Jerez and Catalonia, Spain´s other top winemaking regions include Rioja which is known for producing wines with high alcohol content, as well as Ribera del Duero, Malaga and Somontano.
Despite the amount and quality of wines that are produced in the United States, Italy, Spain and Argentina, no other country in the world can compete with France. France is the most famous winemaking country in the world, both in terms of volume and quality of taste. Only Spain dedicates more land to winemaking, and only Italy produces more wine in a year than France does. For hundreds of years, France has been producing some of the world´s finest wines, especially those that originate from the region of France known as the Loire Valley, which produces the majority of France´s wines. French winemaking dates back to several hundred years BC. Some of the world´s best-known varieties of grapes come from France, including Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. France´s contributions to the world of winemaking are so extensive that some of its regions, such as Burgundy and Champagne, have become synonymous with wine. Today and for the past several hundred years, the French have established the standard by which all other wines of the world are often measured.
by Martin Jauregui, Freelance Writer
Tasting wine like a professional does not require an advanced certificate, diploma or degree. In fact, with a little confidence and the guide that follows, you too can taste wine like an expert.
Step 1 – Fill a clear wine glass one-third full of wine. Hold the glass by the stem to avoid covering or warming the wine with your hands. If possible, place the wine glass up against a white background and observe the color. Typically the older the wine is, the deeper the color. Wine should never be cloudy.
Step 2 – Taking note of the clear and bright color of the wine, begin to swirl the wine while still holding the glass by the stem. To achieve the perfect swirl, keep your arm from moving as you rotate the glass only with your wrist. Since a wine´s aroma is found only on the surface, swirling the wine over the walls of the glass increase its surface and with the added oxygen, releases the wine´s true aromas.
Step 3 – After swirling, its time to smell and find the wine´s "nose". A typical wine can have as many as 200 scents and aromas. The different smells of a wine are the result of everything from the grapes to the material in which the wine was allowed to ferment. When smelling a wine, do so at least three times, with a swirl before each smell. Some individuals choose to take short sniffs, while others breathe in deeply. Stick you nose directly into the wine glass and sniff, drawing the aromas deep into the nose.
Step 4 – Now comes the tasting. Take a small sip of the wine but do not swallow it right away. Remember that different areas of the mouth and tongue can pick up on different tastes and flavors. Roll the wine and use it to cover as much of your mouth and tongue as possible. The taste improves with each sip. Next comes the aftertaste, which should last for several minutes if the wine swallowed is of high quality.
by Martin Jauregui, Freelance Writer
Although wines can typically be made out of any fruit juice, most wines are made from good old-fashioned grapes and grape juice. Besides the grapes, factors such as the strain of yeast, soil conditions and climate also contribute to the taste and overall quality of the wine.
The process of making wine begins at the vineyard, where the grapes must be cared for and managed in a very specific manner in order to ensure their quality. Adequate levels of water and sunlight are important for the growing of grapes, as poor levels of sunlight will result in grapes that do not or cannot ripen properly. The longer the grapes hang on their vine, the sweeter they become as their sugar levels tend to rise as they ripen. Once the grapes have ripened, they are ready for the next step in the winemaking process: the harvest.
Harvesting of grapes can be done either by machine or by hand. After removing the grapes from the vine, it is important that they be turned into wine as soon as possible. For this, wine makers make use of a machine known as a crusher. The crusher does just what its name implies: it crushes the grapes in order to release their juice. At the same time as the grapes are being crushed, the grape stems and skins, along with other non-grape material, are all separated from the juice by the same machine.
After being crushed, the grape juice is then ready for fermentation. Fermentation is the process by which sugars are converted into alcohol. In order to achieve this change, the winemaker adds yeast to the grape juice. The yeast consumes the sugars in the juice and creates several by-products in the process, including heat, carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. After fermentation, the original grape juice resembles something closer to wine.
It is also during the fermentation process that wines get their individual red or white color, as the juice from the crushed grapes is allowed to either sit in contact with the grape skins to make a red wine, or by itself to make a white wine.
To make a white wine, winemakers first remove the grape skins from the grape juice. The juice is then placed in stainless steel tanks, where it is allowed to ferment. In the case of wines like Chardonnay, winemakers often make use of oak barrels, in order to give the wine a greater, more complex flavor. Winemakers have more choices when it comes to making a red wine. For the fermentation process, winemakers can use stainless steel tanks, oak barrels, or even the more traditional open-concrete fermenters. The depth of color in a red wine is determined by the amount of time that the juice is allowed to ferment alongside the grape skins.
Following the process of fermentation, the winemaker must then remove all of the unwanted material from the wine, this includes the dead yeast cells and any other material that might contribute to making the wine appear murky or cloudy, using both filtration and clarification processes.
The process following filtration and clarification is known as aging or maturation. Typically, wines are allowed to mature or age in oak barrels, which can vary in size depending on the amount of oak flavor that the winemaker wishes to give the wine. Usually, the smaller the barrel, the more oak flavor the wine will have. For lower-quality wines, winemakers sometimes use oak chips during the maturation process in order to the wine a hint of oak flavor. Although some white wines are allowed to mature in oak barrels, they are most often reserved for the maturation of red wines. The oak flavor of a red wine is also due in part to the amount of time that the wine is allowed to mature in the barrel. The longer the time spent in the oak barrel, the stronger the oak taste.
The final two steps in the winemaking process include blending and bottling. During the blending process, winemakers actually blend several batches of wine in order to create a batch with a particular style, flavor, or composition. After the blending process, the wine is ready to be bottled. Here, the wine is essentially poured into pre-selected bottles, corked, capped, labeled, packaged and shipped out to retailers. The bottling process can be very disruptive to the flavors of a wine and as a result, some wines are actually allowed to sit and mature for a period of time before being shipped out, although most wines are simply shipped-out after the final bottling process.
by Martin Jauregui, Freelance Writer
Becoming a professional wine taster is, to say the least, a process. There are very few people in the world today who have achieved enough in the wine industry to be able to refer to themselves as professional wine tasters. However with a little hard work, a few courses and lot of wine tasting, just about anyone who truly wants to, can become a professional wine taster.
Even though there is no singular path or course that a person can follow which will lead him or her to the position of professional wine taster, there are things a person can do to get the process started. Anyone who wishes to one day become a professional wine taster should first consider the level of commitment that he or she has to the world of wine. For some, becoming a professional wine taster means becoming knowledgeable enough about wines to be able to evaluate, taste, critique, and comment about wines for personal reasons. For others, the idea of becoming a professional wine taster is much more than just a chance to impress a group of friends at a party.
The amateur wine enthusiast has several options to consider when it comes to beginning or building upon his or her knowledge of wines and wine tasting, including books and guides, community college courses, online courses, and even weekend wine tasting excursions that are run by local wineries. However for those individuals looking to become professional wine tasters, the process can take a little longer and be a little more complex.
The first step in the process of becoming a professional wine taster is to locate a school or site that offers a degree, diploma or a certificate in the area of wine tasting. Though some U.S. universities offer degrees in viticulture and enology, most certification relating to wine tasting is done by smaller, private schools that often specialize in bestowing upon their students degrees, certificates, or diplomas in wine tasting.
The length of time that it takes to earn certification in wine tasting depends on the individual school as well as on the level of commitment on the part of the student. Some schools offer short, one-month courses that most wine tasters take as a supplementary class. Courses of study that result in certificates or diplomas in wine tasting usually last anywhere from one to three years, depending again on the individual school and the course it has developed.
Individuals wishing to add additional credentials or credibility to their resumes can also opt to earn recognition, degrees, or certificates through the American Wine Foundation or the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, two of the world´s larger certification bodies in the area of wine tasting. Certification through the WSET or AWF usually involves some form of standardized test or exam.
For any individual who still wishes to continue his or her wine education or certification, there is always the option to earn a Master of Wine diploma or even become a Master Sommelier. The Master of Wine diploma and Master Sommelier diploma are offered by several institutions, most notable of which are The Institute of the Masters of Wine and the Court of Master Sommeliers, which are both based out of England.
Most experts place the origin of wines and winemaking during the Neolithic period, somewhere between 8500 and 4000 BC. There are several reasons for why this period is often considered as the time when wine was first made, including the fact that by this time, individuals had become less nomadic and the Neolithic people had begun to establish more permanent communities. The domestication of plants and animals together with permanent settlements gave these people a more stable lifestyle.
Fermentation, heating, soaking, and spicing are all techniques that resulted from this new way of life, thus giving credibility to the idea that Neolithic people probably applied some of these techniques to the making of wine. The appearance of pottery around 6000 BC also meant that winemakers had a place in which to store their newly developed creation.
Wines and the winemaking process continued to evolve from their origins in Neolithic times. The ancient Egyptians left evidence that wine was being produced by Dynasty 1. Evidence exists in the form of empty jars, stoppers, and hieroglyphics depicting grapevines and arbors. Though grapes did not grow naturally in the Nile Delta, it is possible that they were transplanted as a result of trade during the Early Bronze Age.
By 3500 to 3100 BC, wine was probably being imported into ancient Mesopotamia by winemakers in Iran. The climate in Mesopotamia makes it almost impossible to grow grapes, but scientists have been able to find evidence in the form of jars and cylinder seals that the ancient people of Mesopotamia were importing and consuming large quantities of wine. The demand for wine was so great that like in Egypt, grapevines were also imported into Mesopotamia from nearby areas.
The next contributions to wine came from the Greeks and the Romans, who in their own ways helped establish Europe´s wine industry. Around 1600 BC, wine became as important to Greek commerce and trade as it was to Greek medicine. While the Greeks helped introduce and spread wine throughout Europe, the Romans covered all the other details. Roman innovations in the area of wine included classification of grape varieties, collection of information on ripening characteristics, disease identification, recognition of soil types and compositions, as well as the development of effective pruning, irrigation, and fertilization techniques. Additionally, the Romans developed the idea of storing wine in wooden containers and according to most experts were probably the first to use glass bottles.
Rome´s dominance in the wine market began to falter around 2000 years ago as Spain, Germany, and England began to grow their own vineyards in competition with those from Italy. Eventually, the country of France would come to dominate the world in terms of wine production. The importance of wine to several religions helped many vineyards and winemaking methods survive during the middle ages.
Wine came to countries like Mexico and Argentina as a result of conquest and exploration during the 1500´s and 1600´s. Although European vineyards would not grow along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, few growing problems were experienced in Mexico and California, where the grapes and vineyards flourished. Grapes were first planted in Mexico in 1595, under the orders of Hernando Cortez, though the King of Spain quickly put an end to the success of these vineyards by issuing an edict that stopped any new vineyards from being planted. Father Junipero Serra, the man credited with establishing most of California´s missions, is also credited with planting the first vineyard in California in 1769. The first European grape vines were planted by Jean-Louis Vignes in Los Angeles around 1833. A Hungarian soldier by the name of Agoston Harazsthy brought back cuttings from some of Europe´s greatest vineyards, successfully introducing several hundred new grape varieties to California.
Two important academic contributions to winemaking came in the mid 1800´s. French chemist Louis Pasteur proposed and eventually proved that wine resulted from the work of microscopic organisms, in this case yeasts. Various types of yeasts were developed as a result of this discovery, as were techniques that improved everything from hygiene and production efficiency. In 1860, a doctor by the name of Jules Guyot published three important written works that detailed various aspects of winemaking, including regional and traditional winemaking, winemaking practices, and personal statements on the financial feasibility of growing grapes.
Today, the wine industry is a strong as ever. Despite its historical success, France is now facing strong competition from countries like Spain, Argentina, Italy and the United States. In fact, recent statistics put Spain on top of the list in terms of the amount of and dedicated to vineyards, and Italy on top of the list in terms of volume of wine produced. In the United States, California produces enough wine to make the fourth highest producer of wine in the world, if it was its own country.
It´s a Regional Thing: The World´s Major Wine-Producing Regions
by Martin Jauregui, Freelance Writer
Wine is produced all over the world. Although there are some rare exceptions, the nature of grapes is such that they tend to grow successfully only in certain latitudes. As a result, most of the world´s wine-producing regions are located in areas just between 30 and 50 degrees North and South of the Equator. Although this means that just about any country found at those latitudes can produce wine, few areas of the world can compete with the United States, France, Italy, Spain and Argentina in terms of the sheer volume and quality of wine produced.
In the United States, wine is produced from California to North Carolina, and just about everywhere in between. However no region of the United States produces more high quality wines in greater volumes than the area that stretches from central to northern California and includes famous wine-producing regions like the Napa Valley and the Sonoma Valley. In terms of statistics, California vineyards and wineries account for almost ninety percent of all the wine produced in the United States. In fact California as a state produces more wine than the entire country of Australia. In addition to the state of California, the states of New York, Texas, Washington, and Oregon are also known for their quality wines. Major wine-producing regions in New York include the Hudson Valley and Long Island. The state of Oregon is famous for its Pinots, which are produced throughout the state. Texas wines are comparable to California and French wines both in terms of their sharp structure and fruitiness. The state of Washington ranks second behind California in terms of production and quality of taste.
The Argentine wine country is divided into seven major regions, including Mendoza, San Juan, Catamarca, Salta, La Rioja, Neuquén, and Rio Negro. Most of Argentina´s wine regions are found to the west of the country along the area covered by the Andes Mountains. Argentina´s natural environment is unique in comparison to the rest of the winemaking world. The combination of soil quality and the altitude at which grapes in Argentina are grown make Argentine vineyards truly unique, as no other region in the world can boast of vineyards growing at the heights that some Argentine vineyards are found. Heavy doses of sunshine during the day, cool nighttime temperatures make the Argentine growing season relatively long, which results in wines with high concentrations and levels of antioxidants.
Few countries or regions are more historically significant to the world of winemaking than Italy is. Italy in fact can boast to being the home of some of the world´s oldest vineyards, dating back to the days of the Greeks. The geographical characteristics of Italy make it possible for wine to be grown from the northernmost to the southernmost regions of the country, a fact that is characterized Italy being divided into no less than twenty wine regions that stretch across the country, each unique in everything from soil composition to climate. In the country where some winemakers still prefer to stomp wine grapes with their feet, the government has officially recognized 350 grape varieties, including the famous Sangiovese, which comes from Tuscany and is used to create some of Italy´s most famous and tasty red wines.
No other country in the world can compete with Spain in terms of the amount of land that is dedicated to the growing of grapes and the production of wine. From Andalusia in the south of Spain, to the Basque Country in the north, the majority of the country can boast of producing at least some amount of wine. The third largest producer of wine in the world, Spain´s many wine regions have led to the production of a wide variety of wines, including the famous Spanish Sherry and the Spanish alternative to French Champagne known as Cava, which like most other Spanish wines is always known for its high-quality and affordable price. In addition to Jerez and Catalonia, Spain´s other top winemaking regions include Rioja which is known for producing wines with high alcohol content, as well as Ribera del Duero, Malaga and Somontano.
Despite the amount and quality of wines that are produced in the United States, Italy, Spain and Argentina, no other country in the world can compete with France. France is the most famous winemaking country in the world, both in terms of volume and quality of taste. Only Spain dedicates more land to winemaking, and only Italy produces more wine in a year than France does. For hundreds of years, France has been producing some of the world´s finest wines, especially those that originate from the region of France known as the Loire Valley, which produces the majority of France´s wines. French winemaking dates back to several hundred years BC. Some of the world´s best-known varieties of grapes come from France, including Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. France´s contributions to the world of winemaking are so extensive that some of its regions, such as Burgundy and Champagne, have become synonymous with wine. Today and for the past several hundred years, the French have established the standard by which all other wines of the world are often measured.
Tasting Like An Expert: A Quick Guide to the World of Wine Tasting
by Martin Jauregui, Freelance Writer
Tasting wine like a professional does not require an advanced certificate, diploma or degree. In fact, with a little confidence and the guide that follows, you too can taste wine like an expert.
Step 1 – Fill a clear wine glass one-third full of wine. Hold the glass by the stem to avoid covering or warming the wine with your hands. If possible, place the wine glass up against a white background and observe the color. Typically the older the wine is, the deeper the color. Wine should never be cloudy.
Step 2 – Taking note of the clear and bright color of the wine, begin to swirl the wine while still holding the glass by the stem. To achieve the perfect swirl, keep your arm from moving as you rotate the glass only with your wrist. Since a wine´s aroma is found only on the surface, swirling the wine over the walls of the glass increase its surface and with the added oxygen, releases the wine´s true aromas.
Step 3 – After swirling, its time to smell and find the wine´s "nose". A typical wine can have as many as 200 scents and aromas. The different smells of a wine are the result of everything from the grapes to the material in which the wine was allowed to ferment. When smelling a wine, do so at least three times, with a swirl before each smell. Some individuals choose to take short sniffs, while others breathe in deeply. Stick you nose directly into the wine glass and sniff, drawing the aromas deep into the nose.
Step 4 – Now comes the tasting. Take a small sip of the wine but do not swallow it right away. Remember that different areas of the mouth and tongue can pick up on different tastes and flavors. Roll the wine and use it to cover as much of your mouth and tongue as possible. The taste improves with each sip. Next comes the aftertaste, which should last for several minutes if the wine swallowed is of high quality.
The Steps to Success: How Wine is Made
by Martin Jauregui, Freelance Writer
Although wines can typically be made out of any fruit juice, most wines are made from good old-fashioned grapes and grape juice. Besides the grapes, factors such as the strain of yeast, soil conditions and climate also contribute to the taste and overall quality of the wine.
The process of making wine begins at the vineyard, where the grapes must be cared for and managed in a very specific manner in order to ensure their quality. Adequate levels of water and sunlight are important for the growing of grapes, as poor levels of sunlight will result in grapes that do not or cannot ripen properly. The longer the grapes hang on their vine, the sweeter they become as their sugar levels tend to rise as they ripen. Once the grapes have ripened, they are ready for the next step in the winemaking process: the harvest.
Harvesting of grapes can be done either by machine or by hand. After removing the grapes from the vine, it is important that they be turned into wine as soon as possible. For this, wine makers make use of a machine known as a crusher. The crusher does just what its name implies: it crushes the grapes in order to release their juice. At the same time as the grapes are being crushed, the grape stems and skins, along with other non-grape material, are all separated from the juice by the same machine.
After being crushed, the grape juice is then ready for fermentation. Fermentation is the process by which sugars are converted into alcohol. In order to achieve this change, the winemaker adds yeast to the grape juice. The yeast consumes the sugars in the juice and creates several by-products in the process, including heat, carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. After fermentation, the original grape juice resembles something closer to wine.
It is also during the fermentation process that wines get their individual red or white color, as the juice from the crushed grapes is allowed to either sit in contact with the grape skins to make a red wine, or by itself to make a white wine.
To make a white wine, winemakers first remove the grape skins from the grape juice. The juice is then placed in stainless steel tanks, where it is allowed to ferment. In the case of wines like Chardonnay, winemakers often make use of oak barrels, in order to give the wine a greater, more complex flavor. Winemakers have more choices when it comes to making a red wine. For the fermentation process, winemakers can use stainless steel tanks, oak barrels, or even the more traditional open-concrete fermenters. The depth of color in a red wine is determined by the amount of time that the juice is allowed to ferment alongside the grape skins.
Following the process of fermentation, the winemaker must then remove all of the unwanted material from the wine, this includes the dead yeast cells and any other material that might contribute to making the wine appear murky or cloudy, using both filtration and clarification processes.
The process following filtration and clarification is known as aging or maturation. Typically, wines are allowed to mature or age in oak barrels, which can vary in size depending on the amount of oak flavor that the winemaker wishes to give the wine. Usually, the smaller the barrel, the more oak flavor the wine will have. For lower-quality wines, winemakers sometimes use oak chips during the maturation process in order to the wine a hint of oak flavor. Although some white wines are allowed to mature in oak barrels, they are most often reserved for the maturation of red wines. The oak flavor of a red wine is also due in part to the amount of time that the wine is allowed to mature in the barrel. The longer the time spent in the oak barrel, the stronger the oak taste.
The final two steps in the winemaking process include blending and bottling. During the blending process, winemakers actually blend several batches of wine in order to create a batch with a particular style, flavor, or composition. After the blending process, the wine is ready to be bottled. Here, the wine is essentially poured into pre-selected bottles, corked, capped, labeled, packaged and shipped out to retailers. The bottling process can be very disruptive to the flavors of a wine and as a result, some wines are actually allowed to sit and mature for a period of time before being shipped out, although most wines are simply shipped-out after the final bottling process.
The Best of the Best: Becoming a Professional Wine Taster
by Martin Jauregui, Freelance Writer
Becoming a professional wine taster is, to say the least, a process. There are very few people in the world today who have achieved enough in the wine industry to be able to refer to themselves as professional wine tasters. However with a little hard work, a few courses and lot of wine tasting, just about anyone who truly wants to, can become a professional wine taster.
Even though there is no singular path or course that a person can follow which will lead him or her to the position of professional wine taster, there are things a person can do to get the process started. Anyone who wishes to one day become a professional wine taster should first consider the level of commitment that he or she has to the world of wine. For some, becoming a professional wine taster means becoming knowledgeable enough about wines to be able to evaluate, taste, critique, and comment about wines for personal reasons. For others, the idea of becoming a professional wine taster is much more than just a chance to impress a group of friends at a party.
The amateur wine enthusiast has several options to consider when it comes to beginning or building upon his or her knowledge of wines and wine tasting, including books and guides, community college courses, online courses, and even weekend wine tasting excursions that are run by local wineries. However for those individuals looking to become professional wine tasters, the process can take a little longer and be a little more complex.
The first step in the process of becoming a professional wine taster is to locate a school or site that offers a degree, diploma or a certificate in the area of wine tasting. Though some U.S. universities offer degrees in viticulture and enology, most certification relating to wine tasting is done by smaller, private schools that often specialize in bestowing upon their students degrees, certificates, or diplomas in wine tasting.
The length of time that it takes to earn certification in wine tasting depends on the individual school as well as on the level of commitment on the part of the student. Some schools offer short, one-month courses that most wine tasters take as a supplementary class. Courses of study that result in certificates or diplomas in wine tasting usually last anywhere from one to three years, depending again on the individual school and the course it has developed.
Individuals wishing to add additional credentials or credibility to their resumes can also opt to earn recognition, degrees, or certificates through the American Wine Foundation or the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, two of the world´s larger certification bodies in the area of wine tasting. Certification through the WSET or AWF usually involves some form of standardized test or exam.
For any individual who still wishes to continue his or her wine education or certification, there is always the option to earn a Master of Wine diploma or even become a Master Sommelier. The Master of Wine diploma and Master Sommelier diploma are offered by several institutions, most notable of which are The Institute of the Masters of Wine and the Court of Master Sommeliers, which are both based out of England.