All About Red Wine

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Wine is one of the most spectacular alcoholic beverages in the world, which has been in existence since the days of yore. Wine is tied to many religions and cultures around the world. The Christian Church finds wine to be an essential part of their religious practice.

History

While there is no specific date that can be accredited for the discovery of wine, archaeological evidence shows the presence of wine as far back as in 6000 BC. The states of Armenia, Georgia and Iran are linked with the production of the earliest wines in the world. Evidence of wine in these states was found through the wine vessels, jars, and remnants of crushed grapes. The oldest winery, which included a wine press, fermentation vats, and jars was discovered in Armenia and it dates back to 4100 BC.

Process of Making Red Wine

The steps involved in making red wine are:

• The process of making red wine is initiated with the harvest of grapes when they are ripe.
• The harvested grapes are then taken to a de-stemmer and crusher.  
• The must, which is made from the grape juice and solids, are allowed to sit over a set period of time as they pick up flavor and color. This part of the process is known as maceration. Time is of essence during maceration. Too long and the wine can turn bitter.
• The next step is fermentation where the yeast works it’s magic on the wine.
• The grape skins start floating to the top and they have to be pushed back down so that they are in contact with the must to release their juices and color. This is known as pumping over.
• The next step involves separating the free-run juice from the pomace, which is the leftover must after the free-run juice is drained. The pomace goes through the process of pressing to squeeze out the remaining juice. Different degrees of pressing can lead to different qualities of wine. Winemakers usually keep the free-run juice separate from the juice extracted through pressing the pomace. The best quality wines use just the juice portion of the must.
• Malolactic fermentation (MLF) marks the next step of the red wine making process. The process converts malic acid, which is present in grape juice to lactic acid with the influence of bacteria.
• After MLF, the red wine is racked so that it can be cleared of any solids present in the wine. Preservatives are added at this time to avoid oxidation.
• Red wines then go through the process of aging, which can vary from a few days to almost 18 months. Aging is done in oak barrels, stainless steel or concrete tanks. Oak barrels are considered to bring flavor to the wine depending on their age and size.
• The fining and stabilization of red wine helps in removing any agents in the wine that may make it cloudy.
• The last step is filtering the wine so that it is clear of any sediments after which the wine is bottled. Usually, a cork stopper is used, but plastic or aluminum caps are also common.

Red Wine Producing Areas

Wines are segregated by color into red, white, and blush. Red wines are further divided into different varieties depending on the type of grapes which were used to lend their fruity essence to this sweet and dry beverage. The top three wine producing countries in the world are:

France – For centuries, this country has basked in the reputation of being the world’s largest and best producer of wine. While other wine producing nations have started emerging, France has notably reduced its production of wine since 2007. The country’s unrivaled experience in the area of wine ensures that it still remains one of the best wine producing countries in the world. The primary wine growing regions in France are Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Champagne, Jura, Languedoc, Cotes du Rhone, Loire Valley, Medoc, and Provence.

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Italy – Italy is second to France when it comes to wine production. The country is seeing a similar trend where wine production has been reduced by approximately 7% since 2007. While there are over 300 Italian wine varieties, the top wine producing regions in Italy are Veneto, Tuscany, and Piedmont.

Spain – Spain produces some of the best quality wines in the world, although the production of wine is lower than that of its neighbors. Spanish wines like the Alvaro Palacios’ L’Ermita and Vega Silicia’s Unico are considered to be highly prestigious.

Summary

While wine remains indisputably one of the world favorites when it comes to alcoholic beverages, it continues to evolve with flavors that flood your senses with the desire for more. The beautiful hues of red that lend the red wine its different colors are a wine connoisseurs delight as they twirl the glass and take a sip.

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White Wine: There Is Power Within The Succulent Grape

http://thethrillsociety.com is your link to Thrilling Stuff! This article is just a taste!

White Wine – History And How Is It Made?

“There is a power within the succulent grape

That made thee, stronger than all human power.”               

– Francis Saltus Saltus

Wine has been the muse for many poets. The drink has enchanted many writers and poets to turn it into the subject of their works. Till today it is considered to be a sophisticated drink. White wine has many variations and can be either straw-yellow, yellow-green or yellow-gold in colour. The numerous varieties of white wine grapes give the wine its color, texture and flavor.

History

The presence of wine in this world is almost as old as civilization itself. The earliest evidence of wine making techniques date back to 6000 BC in the middle-eastern country of Armenia. Egyptians are also known to have produced wine since ancient times. Scenes of wine-making adorned many tomb walls which show the importance of wine in Egypt. The cities of ancient Greece considered wine to be a drink of the elite.

The popularity of wine was augmented during the Roman era when wine-making techniques spread across most of Europe. It gradually found its way through the silk route to China. Because of its religious impact on the Christians, wine-making was primarily the work of monasteries.

During the Renaissance, The qualities of wine were being appreciated by wine drinkers and by the 18^th century, France had become the unsurpassed producer of wine. Reginal wines which had a distinctive taste and character soon gained popularity and till this day France remains the world’s leading producers of wine.

How is it made?

Crush Grapes and Collect the Juice

White wine can be made with white or red grapes. White wines are fermented without the skin whereas red wine gets its color from the skin of the red grapes. The grapes are pressed off the skin and then the grape juice is ready to be fermented.

Fermentation

The fresh fruit flavors of white wine can be accredited to the fact that they are fermented at cooler temperatures than red wine. During this time the yeast present in the grapes automatically initiate the fermentation process. 2 parts sugar ferments into 1 part wine so the sugar content of the juice is directly proportional to the alcohol level.

MLF and Oaking

Malolactic fermentation transforms the malic acid into lactic acid which changes the texture of the wine to creamy. This is an optional procedure to add a creamy flavor to the wine. Another procedure is oaking the white wine to give it a vanilla flavour. Both these procedures involve time and money which makes the wines that have gone through these procedures more expensive.

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Filtering and Bottling

White wines are always filtered before being bottled. This is done to remove any suspended particles from the wine before it is packaged.

Read more at: http://thethrillsociety.com/white-wine-there-is-power-within-the-succulent-grape/

White Wine: There Is Power Within The Succulent Grape

http://thethrillsociety.com is your link to Thrilling Stuff! This article is just a taste!

White Wine – History And How Is It Made?

“There is a power within the succulent grape

That made thee, stronger than all human power.”               

– Francis Saltus Saltus

Wine has been the muse for many poets. The drink has enchanted many writers and poets to turn it into the subject of their works. Till today it is considered to be a sophisticated drink. White wine has many variations and can be either straw-yellow, yellow-green or yellow-gold in colour. The numerous varieties of white wine grapes give the wine its color, texture and flavor.

History

The presence of wine in this world is almost as old as civilization itself. The earliest evidence of wine making techniques date back to 6000 BC in the middle-eastern country of Armenia. Egyptians are also known to have produced wine since ancient times. Scenes of wine-making adorned many tomb walls which show the importance of wine in Egypt. The cities of ancient Greece considered wine to be a drink of the elite.

The popularity of wine was augmented during the Roman era when wine-making techniques spread across most of Europe. It gradually found its way through the silk route to China. Because of its religious impact on the Christians, wine-making was primarily the work of monasteries.

During the Renaissance, The qualities of wine were being appreciated by wine drinkers and by the 18^th century, France had become the unsurpassed producer of wine. Reginal wines which had a distinctive taste and character soon gained popularity and till this day France remains the world’s leading producers of wine.

How is it made?

Crush Grapes and Collect the Juice

White wine can be made with white or red grapes. White wines are fermented without the skin whereas red wine gets its color from the skin of the red grapes. The grapes are pressed off the skin and then the grape juice is ready to be fermented.

Fermentation

The fresh fruit flavors of white wine can be accredited to the fact that they are fermented at cooler temperatures than red wine. During this time the yeast present in the grapes automatically initiate the fermentation process. 2 parts sugar ferments into 1 part wine so the sugar content of the juice is directly proportional to the alcohol level.

MLF and Oaking

Malolactic fermentation transforms the malic acid into lactic acid which changes the texture of the wine to creamy. This is an optional procedure to add a creamy flavor to the wine. Another procedure is oaking the white wine to give it a vanilla flavour. Both these procedures involve time and money which makes the wines that have gone through these procedures more expensive.

Filtering and Bottling

White wines are always filtered before being bottled. This is done to remove any suspended particles from the wine before it is packaged.

Read the rest of the article at: http://thethrillsociety.com/white-wine-there-is-power-within-the-succulent-grape/