How is wine made?

Here are the basic steps to wine making.  Grapes are crushed to release sugar in their juice.  The juice naturally ferments when the yeast makes contact with sugar in the grape juice.  The result is carbon dioxide and alcohol.

Red wine is made with dark skinned grapes and fermented with the grape skins.  White wines are made with white grapes, if they are made with dark skinned grapes - the grape skins will be removed prior to fermentation.  Rose wines have contact with the skins of dark skinned grapes just long enough to give a pink color.

The fermented wine is then separated from the grape solids and transferred into a vat or casks where it is clarified, stabilized and may be taken through optional processes.  After all of this, the wine is bottled.

What does is mean if a wine is described as tannic?

Tannins are a group of chemical compounds found in grape skins, seeds and stems and sometimes in the wood barrels wine is fermented in.  A tannic wine has an astringency and bitterness that is caused by a high level of tannins.  Tannins are important to the aging of wine. Wines most likely to be described as tannic are red wines. Sometimes red wines will make you pucker – that is because of the tannins.

Why are wines stored on their sides?

Wine's worst enemy is oxygen. When wine is being made, special measures are taken to ensure that oxygen doesn't enter the product. Winemakers use a device that allows carbon dioxide to escape the fermenting liquid while keeping oxygen from entering and oxidizing the wine. Once a wine is bottled, a cork is placed in the neck of the bottle to keep oxygen out, although by this point the release of carbon dioxide gas is not a problem. If a cork is allowed to dry up, it will shrink and pockets will form around the edge where it meets the glass bottle, allowing oxygen to enter. Most wines that are being aged are rather valuable, especially to the collector aging them. The best way to avoid this drying action is to store the bottle "on its side", so that the wine comes into contact with the cork. This prevents the cork from drying and shrinking or slipping.

Is it necessary to smell wine?

Most people smell wine because they find it pleasurable or are interested in the connection between how a wine smells and how it tastes. The way a wine smells can give many clues to how it will taste, where it was made and from what grapes it was made.  Also, your sense of smell is imperative to your sense of taste. 

Should you swirl wine in the glass before you taste it?

You don’t have to.  However, the reason for swirling wine is to release its aroma.  Swirl if you enjoy taking in the wine’s aroma, otherwise you can just start drinking it.

If someone speaks about the vintage of wine – what do they mean?

The vintage year on a wine label is the harvest year of the grapes from which the wine was made.  The characteristics of a particular vintage year are determined by the weather conditions and resulting grape crop for that year.  Some states require wine with a vintage date must be made with a certain percentage of grapes harvested in the designated year.

Are sulfites harmful?

Sulfite is a term used to describe sulfur dioxide and other sulfur derivatives.  Sulfites are found in all wines as they are a natural product of fermentation.  Sulfur dioxide is used in wine making to prevent oxidation, kill bacteria and wild yeasts and encourage quick and clean fermentation.  The U.S. government requires wine labels to include “Contains Sulfites” to alert those who may be allergic to sulfites.

Why do some wines give people headaches?

Histamines found in the skins of grapes, seem to give some people headaches if they are sensitive to histamines.  Red wine will affect a histamine sensitive wine drinker more than white wine because red wine has spent more time in contact with grape skins.

Is drinking wine, especially red wine, good for me?

There has been more and more consensus in the last few years within the scientific community and governmental public health circles that moderate wine consumption is in fact associated with a number of positive health outcomes.

Is wine fattening?

The calories in a four ounce glass of wine ranges from about 80 to 100 calories.  Lighter wines tend to have fewer calories than heavier wines.  Some wines are higher in carbohydrates than others due to their residual sugars.  For example, a dry Sauvignon Blanc may have two grams of carbohydrates where as a very sweet dessert wine could have up to 12 grams.  Wine is fat free and contains no cholesterol.

What does it mean when a wine is sweet or dry?

A sweet wine is one that has a level of residual sugar that gives it a sweet taste.  There is no indication of sweetness in a dry wine due to its low level of residual sugar.  An off-dry wine is one that is slightly sweet.

What is a dessert wine?

A dessert wine is usually a sweet wine drunk at or for dessert.  Due to its sweetness it is drunk in smaller quantities than table wine. In the U.S., the classification of dessert wine is that of wines which are fortified (the addition of brandy or other spirits to raise the level of alcohol in the wine) whether they are sweet or dry.