Some people like to drink beer, chill it and serve it with Hunan food. One word, cool! Some people like to sip wine and enjoy the sweetness of the aftertaste. Unlike beer, wine is an alcoholic beverage (grain for beer) made from fermented grape juice, but the grapes used to make wine are different from the grapes we usually eat (called fresh grapes in books). Today, the Encyclopedia of Wine will bring you some basic knowledge about wine, which is very useful and worth collecting.
1、The ingredients of a bottle of wine
2. What are wine grapes?
Wine grapes are different from fresh grapes. They have thick skins, less flesh, smaller grains than edible grapes, and are usually higher in sugar and acidity. Many wine grapes belong to the grape family, the most famous of which is Cabernet Sauvignon.
Grapes ripen only once a year, so wine is made only once a year. The word “VINT” stands for “wine” and the word “age” stands for the year of the wine. So if you see a vintage on a wine bottle, it is the vintage of that wine. Generally speaking, the harvesting time in the northern hemisphere (Europe, USA) is from August to September, while in the southern hemisphere (Argentina, Australia) it is from February to April.
It is important to note that some wines are not vintage marked and are often blended with wines from many years. Such wines are called non-vintage (NV). For example, some champagnes are old-style champagnes.
4. What is a single varietal wine?
In short, a wine is made primarily from one grape and is usually labeled with the grape variety on the wine label. It should be noted, however, that each country has different rules regarding the percentage of grapes used to make a single varietal wine.
Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand – 85%
United States, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Greece – 75%
Argentina – 80%
5、What is a blended wine?
It is a wine made from a variety of grape varieties, most of which are blended after fermentation or ageing. Blending is a traditional winemaking technique that is still used today, resulting in the production of many fine wines.
6. The five key points that determine the taste of a wine
(1) Acidity: Wines are usually acidic. Low acidity is like lemon (pH 2.5) and high acidity is like Greek yogurt (pH 4.5).
(2) Sweetness: Based on sweetness, wines can be broadly classified as dry or sweet. Dry wines generally contain no sugar and have no sweetness, while some sweet wines have a sweetness comparable to maple syrup.
(3) Alcohol level: Alcohol causes spiciness and a burning throat. The alcohol content of wine is usually between 10-15%. Of course, there are exceptions. For example, Moscato d’asti has an alcohol accuracy of only 5.5%, while port has an alcohol accuracy of 20%.
(4) Tannins: This substance is usually found in red wines and gives a tight and astringent taste, like the sensation of a wet black tea bag on the tongue.
(5) Aromatic composition: Each grape variety has a different aromatic composition and different levels, so some wines smell like pulp and others smell like flowers. In addition, aging is also beneficial to the formation of wine aromas. Most red wines are aged in oak barrels, which not only gives the wine barrel flavors, such as vanilla, but also indirectly exposes the wine to oxygen. Oxidation and aging produce a range of distinctive flavors, such as nutty, dried fruit, and smoke.
