Wine Is An Age Old Art, A Modern Day Science And A World-wide Business Article

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Wine Is An Age Old Art, A Modern Day Science and A World-wide Business

Wine is a fascinating subject not simply because of the pleasure that drinking wine gives so many people but because winemaking is an centuries old mixture of both art and science.

Author: Donald Saunders

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Wine producing has been carried out in one form or another for many thousands of years now with jars found in Persia (present day Iran) dating as far back as 5,500 BC showing evidence of grapes use in winemaking. Additionally, jars from Jiahu in China dated to between 6000 and 7000 BC have also been found containing wine from wild grapes.

However whether we are considering ancient or modern wine production, many of the same conditions apply and similar techniques are used as the chemistry of the humble grape is a timeless quality.

With a few exceptions the grapes used in wine production grow only in bands delineated by the latitudes 30-50 degrees North and 30-45 degrees South of the equator. As opposed to most other crops, grapes do not need an especially fertile soil and it is interesting to note that a thinner soil normally produces a small crop but also normally produces grapes of a higher quality.

Surprisingly, soils that are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients (conditions that are normally highly beneficial for the majority of plants) can produce grapes that are not suitable for winemaking. These grapes are however often excellent for eating, but lack the required quantities of minerals, sugars and acids for winemaking.

Without doubt, the finest wines are produced on 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 sparse, but the quality of the grapes is high. In this instance the pebbly soil permits good drainage, which is essential as vines need adequate but not excessive water, but these conditions also force the roots to grow deep into the earth where they absorb a variety of complex minerals.

Vineyards are also commonly found along river valleys, with slopes providing plenty of sunshine. Vines in these circumstances are commonly of the European species vitis vinifera, from which various well known wines are made, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot.

Viticulture, the term used for the practice of growing grapes for wine, is one of the most complicated agricultural undertakings today. A master vintner (nowadays, sometimes called an oenologist), has got to be an expert in a wide range of subjects including fermentation, soil chemistry, climatology and several other ancient arts and modern sciences.

In addition to categorization by variety, wines are also classified by vinification methods (sparkling, still, ros, fortified, blush), by region (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace etc.), by vintage as well as by a dozen other methods.

Once the grower, chemist and manufacturer have done their job, the businessman then takes the stage and wine today is certainly very big business. Wine sales in the United States alone run to over 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 export volume, with Italy following close behind.

When all is said and done however, no matter how big a business wine making is today, it is still very much a balance of science, art and business and winemaking is most certainly not a business venture to be undertaken by anybody of a timid disposition.

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Visit GreatWineTastings.com for the perfect wine for that wine gift basket and to find a stunning accompanying wine country gift basket.

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Wine Is An Age Old Art, A Modern Day Science and A World-wide Business