Whether it’s a special occasion, casual meal, or a simple celebration, wine often makes an appearance. It goes great with lunch, brunch, or dinner. It’s the perfect bottle to open to mark a new milestone. Whatever the occasion there are countless varieties out there that will fit the purpose. In terms of preference, it also doesn’t matter if you’re a sweet tooth or appreciate a bit of dryness, there’s going to be a wine for you. Wine is so beloved that even in Indonesia in 2019, wine was consumed at 0.27 liters per capita. Despite the popularity of this alcoholic beverage, many may not be aware of the intricacies behind their favorite bottle of wine. What exactly is wine? How is it made, and what are some of the benefits of wine consumption?
Wine, essentially
In its essence, wine is an alcoholic drink made of fermented grapes. Each bottle of wine contains an alcohol by volume (ABV) of anywhere between 6% to 21%.
Several factors affect the final product that ends up in the bottle, the most important one being the type of grapes used. Differences in yeast strains and fermentation process also greatly influence the wine.
What kind of grapes are used in wine?
Not all grapes can be used to create wine. In fact, the kind of grapes you find at the supermarket will not result in a nice bottle of wine when fermented.
Wine grapes are used for wine production because they have thicker skin than normal grapes. This gives the wine an intensity of flavour. Wine grapes are also smaller in size, which allows for a richer taste.
All grapes come in bunches, but a bunch of wine grapes contains fewer pieces than your regular bunch. The seed in these special grapes are also larger. This may not seem important, but wine grape seeds actually contribute to the flavour of the wine as well.
How is wine made?
Wine starts with harvesting grapes from the vineyard. Depending on the type of grapes, harvesting season usually happens twice a year.
Next, the grapes are prepped for fermentation. Some are removed from their stem, and others are left in their clusters to be fermented as is. Other grapes can also be fermented in bunches.
Afterwards comes fermentation. This is when yeast is added into the process. Its purpose is to convert the sugar in the grapes to create alcohol. Fermentation can last between 5 to 21 days, depending on the winemaker.
During fermentation, skin forms at the surface of the wine. Once fermentation is over, the running wine is separated from the tank, while the skin is pressed for more juice. This can result in up to 15% more liquid.
Winemakers will then ferment the wine a second time, adding microbe to convert the acids in the wine into lactic acid. This is what gives wine the creamy richness.
The next step is aging. The wine is put into different barrels, usually made of wood, but some winemakers also choose to use glass or concrete tanks. This affects the tastes in different ways.
Finally, protein is removed using fining agents to clarify the wine. Without this process, the wine will remain cloudy.
Wine vs. liquor
While wine and liquor are both types of alcoholic beverages, the main difference between the two is in how they are made.
Liquor involves distillation, an extra step after fermentation. This is what gives liquor a higher ABV than wine. While wine’s ABV caps at around 21%, liquor can have an ABV upwards of 40%.
Wine flavour profiles
Various types of grapes results in slightly different flavour profiles.It’s useful to familiarize oneself with the vocabulary surrounding wine and wine production.
When describing the taste of wine, there are several terms that are always used to encapsulate the complexities of flavors present in a glass of wine.
Primary and secondary
Firstly, it’s important to note the two main flavour profiles present in wine—primary and secondary. Primary flavors are derived directly from the grapes, while secondary flavors shine through depending on the production process.
Factors that affect secondary flavors include climate in the winery’s region and barrels used to age the wines.
Sweet and dry
Many would describe wine as acidic. This is true in terms of pH level. When discussing the taste of wine, the most general terms used are “sweet” and “dry.” These refer to the level of sugar present in the wine.
Sweet wine is as it’s described—sweet, meaning there is a higher sugar content. Dry wine is the opposite of this, meaning that the wine has less sugar in it. Dry wine tends to be a little sour.
Tannins
Some bottles of wine have a bitter aftertaste, while others are more bitter-forward. This taste is created by an element called tannin.
Tannin, or that bitter effect, comes from the grape seeds and skins. However, it can also further develop during aging.
As opposed to dryness, tannin refers to bitterness in wine.
Types of wine
Wine is named after the wine grapes used in production. Below are some of the most popular types:
Health benefits of wine
As with any alcoholic beverage, moderation in consumption is key. Having too much wine regularly can result in health issues, but the correct amount actually has its benefits.
Little research has been done on the positive effects of white wine on health. However, the most well-known benefit of red wine is its antioxidant levels, which can reportedly influence heart health.
Antioxidant in red wine can increase good cholesterol in the body, also known as high-density lipoprotein. This prevents buildup of cholesterol.
According to the American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, you can enjoy these benefits by drinking red wine moderately at no more than 5 ounces a day.
Despite these benefits, it isn’t recommended to start drinking wine just to prevent heart disease! A healthy lifestyle and balanced diet is still the key.
