For
many of us wine is something of a mystery and when we are buying wine
it comes down to a simple choice between red and white and what our
local supermarket has available in its "special offer" bin.
But wine really isn't such a mystery at all and, in this area at
least, a little knowledge can get you a very long way.
The
starting point is to understand the different types of wine
available and here we can divide wines into five main groups.
Red
Wine :-
Red
wine is fermented from what many people would refer to as red grapes
but which are in fact more correctly named black grapes. In the case
of red wine the grapes are used whole for fermentation, that is to
say complete with skin and pips, and it is the skin which gives the
wine its red color.
There
are a wide variety of black grapes available each with its own
distinctive flavor which is derived principally from the soil and
climate in the region where the grapes are grown. This, together with
the winemaker's art of mixing, allows us to enjoy a range of red
wines from the deep blackcurrant color of the full-bodied and
intensely flavored wines produced from the Cabernet
Sauvignon grape to the
lighter cherry and raspberry taste gained from the Pinot Noir grape.
Rose
Wine :-
Rosé
wines are again produced from black grapes but, in this case, the
juice is separated off part way through the fermentation process and
at the point at which the winemaker determines that the juice
contains sufficient color to give the finished wine the pink color
that he is looking for.
Once
again the flavor of the finished wine depends very much on the grape
used for fermentation and some of the finest rosé wines are produced
from the Grenache grape. Often thought of as a French grape, Grenache
noir is the world's most widely planted grape and probably originates
from Spain. As well as often being used to produce rosé wines, it is
also commonly used as a base for many blended wines including such
well known names as Chateauneuf du Pape and Cotes du Rhône.
Blush
wine :-
Blush
wine is sometimes referred to as California's version of rosé wine
and is produced in much the same way as rosé wine. In this case
however the grape most often used is the Zinfandal grape which
produces a slightly sweet pink wine which also shows a somewhat blue
color. The Zinfandal grape originates in Croatia but has been grown
widely in the US for more than 150 years now and is considered
indigenous to California.
White
wine :-
Believe
it or not white wine can be made from either white or black grapes,
as the juice from either grape is colorless and it is only the skin
of the black grape that gives red wine its color.
The
flavors available across the range of white wines vary tremendously
according to the grape used, the winemaker's art and the degree to
which different juices are blended to create the finished wine.
Dry
white wines often come from grapes such as Muscadet or Sauvignon
Blanc while richer
fruit-flavored wines are more likely to be based upon the Chardonnay
grape.
Sparkling
wines :-
Sparkling
wines, of which Champagne is clearly the best known example, are
based upon a dry white wine. Here the wine is bottled and a solution
of sugar and yeast is added before the bottle is sealed. The sugar
and yeast solution causes a secondary fermentation and sealing the
bottles at the start of this process traps the gas produced by this
fermentation within the wine to give it its sparkle when the bottle
is opened.
