fine wine

SHA HF 329 covers key aspects of wine study including grape varieties, countries/regions/appellations, laws/classifications, and maps. Wine is an alcoholic beverage from fermented grape juice (Sugar+Yeast=Alcohol+Heat+CO2Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol + Heat + CO_2). Wine grapes have a high acid-to-sugar ratio, with tartaric acid allowing for aging.

Types of Wines

  • Still (white, red, rosé, blush, amber)

  • Sparkling

  • Fortified (e.g., Sherry, Madeira, Port - 15-20% ABV)

  • Dessert (sweet)

Grape Diseases

  • Phylloxera: Tiny aphid attacking Vinifera roots; American vines are resistant. Solution: Grafting European vines onto American rootstock.

  • Oidium (Powdery Mildew): Bursts grapes, treated with sulfur spray.

  • Peronospora (Downy Mildew): Occurs in moist, cooler climates (e.g., Bordeaux).

Grape Varieties and Terroir

  • Vitis Vinifera: Most common wine grape, originating in Asia Minor.

  • Site Sensitivity: Grapes are highly sensitive to their growing environment.

  • Terroir: French concept encompassing all environmental factors (aspect, sunlight, soil, climate) influencing a vine's taste.

    • Soils: European focus on chemical composition; New World on physical (fertility, water retention). Lighter soils generally promote less vine vigor. Champagne has chalky soil.

  • Climate: Most vineyards are between the 30th and 50th parallels in both hemispheres, avoiding extremes of heat, cold, or humidity.

Vineyard Cycle

  • Stages: Budbreak (April), Grand Period of Growth (May-June), Growth Slows/Fruit Bud Differentiation (July), Veraison (August), Wood/Fruit Maturity, Harvest.

  • Harvesting: Can be hand-harvested (less damage) or machine-harvested.

  • Organic Growing: No man-made products, good circulation; copper sulfate used for downy mildew.

Winemaking Process

  1. Harvest: Often at night with dry ice to prevent oxidation.

  2. Crush/Press: White wines are pressed before fermentation; red wines ferment with skins then press.

  3. First Fermentation/Maceration: Yeast converts sugar to alcohol, heat, and CO2.

  4. Pressing and Racking: Separating juice from solids.

  5. Malolactic Fermentation: Converts malic acid to softer lactic acid (common in reds, some whites).

  6. Maturation & Blending/Clarification: Aging, filtering, and mixing wines.

  7. **Bottling.

Specific Wine Types & Processes

  • Sparkling Wine (Méthode Champenoise): Complex, labor-intensive. Involves a second fermentation in the bottle with added yeast and sugar (liqueur de tirage), followed by riddling (remuage) to collect sediment, disgorgement to remove it, and dosage (adding a sugar/wine mixture) to adjust sweetness.

  • Dessert Wines: Made by freezing grapes (Ice Wine), late harvest (grapes dry on vine), or drying grapes after harvest (raisining, e.g., Passito, Vin Santo). Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) concentrates flavors.

  • Fortified Wines: Brandy is added to increase alcohol content. Examples include Sherry (uses flor yeast, aged in Solera system), Port (fermentation stopped early), and Madeira (cooked/heated).

Regional Overviews
France

  • Appellation System: AOC/AOP (most strict), IGP, Vin de France (least strict).

  • Champagne: Dry, sparkling wines from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier on chalk soil.

  • Burgundy: Known for Pinot Noir (red) and Chardonnay (white), with many appellation levels (regional, village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru).

  • Bordeaux: Largest quality wine region, known for blending (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot for reds; Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon for whites). Estates are large.

  • Rhone Valley: Northern (Syrah dominant, steep hillsides, e.g., Hermitage, Côte Rôtie) and Southern (Grenache dominant, blends common, e.g., Châteauneuf-du-Pape).

  • Loire Valley: Varied, known for Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne.

  • Alsace: Dry, full-bodied whites (Riesling, Gewürztraminer) due to rain shadow effect.

Italy

  • Classification: DOCG (highest), DOC, IGP, Vino da Tavola.

  • Piedmont: Cold winters, wet summers. Famous for Nebbiolo (Barolo, Barbaresco), Barbera, Dolcetto, and Moscato (Asti).

  • Veneto: Known for Valpolicella (Corvina grapes), Amarone (appassimento method for dried grapes), and Prosecco (tank method sparkling).

  • Tuscany: Famous for Sangiovese grape in Chianti (75-80% Sangiovese), Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino (100% Sangiovese), and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Also home to 'Super Tuscans' (IGT wines).

  • Lombardy: Produces Franciacorta (Italian Chardonnay/Pinot Noir sparkling).

  • Sicily: Leading red indigenous grape is Nero d'Avola. Also known for fortified Marsala wine.

Spain

  • Classification: DOCa (Rioja, Priorato), DO, DO Pago, IGP, Vino.

  • Aging Terms: Joven (young), Crianza (2 yrs aged, 6 months in barrel for red), Reserva (3 yrs aged, 1 yr in oak for red), Gran Reserva (5 yrs aged, 1.5 yrs in oak for red).

  • Rioja: DOCa region, famous for oak-aged red wines (Tempranillo, Garnacha), often using American oak.

  • Ribera del Duero: Known for Tempranillo-based red wines.

  • Catalonia: Produces Cava (traditional method sparkling from Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada).

  • Andalusia: Home to Sherry, a fortified wine (Palomino grape) made in Fino (with flor yeast) or Oloroso (oxidized) styles, aged in a Solera system.

Portugal

  • Classification: DOC, IGP, Vinho Regional/Vinho.

  • Vinho Verde: Known for low-alcohol, fizzy white wines (Alvarinho grape).

  • Douro DOC: Red wine region, also home to Port (fortified wine, fermentation stopped early, blend of native grapes like Touriga Nacional).

  • Madeira: Fortified wine from an island off Africa, known for its unique heating process ('canteiro' or 'estufagem'). Grapes: Sercial (dry) to Malmsey (sweet).