The Art and Science of Making Grape Wine

The making of grape wine has been practiced for thousands of years with evidence of grapes found in jars from China dating back to 7000 BC. But whether discussing the ancient art or more modern wine making techniques, a number of conditions and processes in making grape wine remain the same.

The practice of growing grapes for winemaking, or viticulture, is considered to be one of the most complicated forms of agricultural. A master vintner must be an expert in a diverse number of areas including the chemistry of soil, the process of fermentation, as well as understanding the effects of weather and climate on the making of grape wine. In grape wine making, it is the focus of the grower to keep the leaf growth minimal, which will allow more sun to reach the grapes. He must also be on the lookout for insects and disease.

When Fertile Soil Isn’t a Good Thing

While most other crops require a fertile soil, this is not the case with grapes that will actually produce a more desirable crop with thinner and somewhat rocky soil. The end results are fewer grapes but a fruit of higher quality and one perfect for making grape wine.

The varieties of grapes that are planted in an area depend upon what is called the terroir. This is a French term which literally means terrain, but is used in the wine industry to mean the way the wine expresses the qualities of a region, from climate and soil to its very traditions.

Many areas in the United States are involved in making grape wine, along with a number of other countries including Chile and France but the major wine producer in the U.S. is California which produces between 80 and 90 percent of the wines made in this country.

Name That Grape

Generally, the type of grape used to make a specific wine will give that wine its name, such as Chardonnay or Zinfandel which are both varieties of grapes as well as the wines made from them. Some wines are the product of the blending of grape varieties and this technique is used to produce unique flavors.
Once the grapes are grown and the wine is made, it then comes down to the business of selling the product and making grape wine is a very big industry. While France is the biggest exporter of wine with Italy running a close second, the U.S. makes an impressive showing with recent sales figures of over $20 billion.

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