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©Terry Mullin, MS, MBA, EdD-ABD Spring 2013 – reprint by permission only

Introduction

This handout is something I compiled from the Internet to help fellow servers be more knowledgeable about . It is divided up into many small sections and is not intended to be read at one time. The hope is that there will The Climate ...... 18 be enough information here to not only make The Soil ...... 18 you more familiar with wines, but you will also have interesting facts that you can discuss with The Making Process...... 18 your tables to make the guests’ dining Food and Wine Pairing ...... 19 experience more enjoyable. Bon Chance! The Health Benefits of ...... 21 Terry Synthetic & Real Wine Corks ...... 21 Components Of A ...... 23 Table of Contents Video On How Are Made ...... 25

Aerating & Decanting ...... 25 History of ...... 2 Body – light, medium, full ...... 26 Italian Wine Regions ...... 3 ...... 26 Italian Wine’s 4 categories...... 4 Fun Facts ...... 27 History of ...... 5 Toasts ...... 32 10 Wine Regions of : ...... 6 Terminology ...... 32 ...... 7 Maps ...... 39 Understanding Different Types of Wines ...... 8

Types Of ...... 9 Types Of Red ...... 10 Types Of ...... 12

California Wine Regions ...... 13 Does Wine Serving Temperature Matter? ...... 16 The ...... 17

1 History of Italian Wine to use Mother Earth in wine making. After crushing the grapes, they poured the “” (crushed grapes and ) into clay Historians generally agree that wine was which were buried deep in the ground where probably discovered accidentally in the Fertile the temperature was considerably lower. When Crescent area (see map below), the region the cycle was completed, the between the Nile and Persian Gulf during the wine was then stored in cellars located even time of the world's first civilizations between deeper in the earth in the fermentation vessels 4000 and 3000 B.C. As small settlements grew to age. into city-states and trade began to develop on a http://sedimentality.com/wine-history/the- large scale throughout the Mediterranean, the history-of-wine-in-/ grape was transported by Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans until the knowledge of spread throughout the Mediterranean region The Italian attitude toward and eventually through much of . food and wine: “If someone a little too much wine, the Italians don’t say he has drunk too much. They say he hasn’t eaten enough food”. Nile River Persian Gulf

Christian of northern Italy and France It was the Greeks who first recognized Italy’s kept records of their winemaking practices and potential for wine. After settling in present-day grape cultivation. These records helped various and southern Italy, the Greeks were so regions match themselves with the best impressed with the fertile land that they grape for their soil. By 1800, it was France that decided to import and give the land the would be recognized as the best of the wine- name Oenotria, which means “land of wine”. producing regions of the world. http://www.lifeinitaly.com/wines/history.asp The Etruscans (pre Italy-now ) were the ancient eco-technicians what understood how With a wine history dating back more than 4,000 years and a climate ideally suited to (the science of grape-growing), Italy is one of the most diverse winemaking in the world.

The Etruscans, followed by the Romans, took a great interest in winemaking skills. The Roman god of wine, , had so many that celebrated him

2 and got so out of hand that the Roman Senate aging requirements and other winemaking eventually banned them. quality controls. http://www.worldwidewinetours. With the rise of Catholicism and the importance com/italy/italian-wine.html of wine as part of the , Italy continued to refine winemaking techniques throughout the , firmly cementing an international reputation for making a wide variety of excellent wines.

In the nineteenth century, along with much of Northern Europe, the virus took hold and destroyed many of Italy’s . Replanted vineyards were often designed with maximum quantity, not quality in mind. Thus, Italy became a global source of inexpensive table wines. It was not until the 1960s when a series of laws were passed to control wine quality and labeling that the modern era of winemaking began.

Today, Italian wines are more varied and more popular than ever. In spite of losses to phylloxera, hundreds of are planted, During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries many that are grown only in Italy. An Italian wine was often criticized for its poor astonishing range of red, white and sparkling quality. The government responded to this wines made in every style from traditional to criticism by establishing the DOCG ultra-modern are enjoyed by critics, collectors (Denominazione di origine controllata) and and consumers throughout the world. Italy’s stricter wine regulations. Both the quality and wine future is just as bright as its storied past. the reputation of the wine improved. http://www.worldwidewinetours.com/italy/itali http://sedimentality.com/wine-history/the- an-wine.html history-of-wine-in-italy/

Italian Wine Regions It was commonplace in Roman culture to add or other to their wines and to water them down so they could consume larger Over its long history, modern Italy evolved from amounts of wine. The Romans may have had a loose collection of city-states. Today’s twenty some strange ideas when it came to serving wine regions line up with the political borders their wine, but they deserve credit for that grew out of the city-states of the past. improving many winemaking processes. They Wine is made in all twenty regions and follows introduced the use of trellises to keep the the European system of laws based on very grapes off the ground and to create a specific geographical areas, grape varietals,

3 that made more use of sunlight, improved Today, Italy is most noted for its noble reds presses to extract more juice and such as: were masters of determining which grapes thrived in which climates leading to higher  Classico quality wines and bigger yields.  The Romans may have also been the first to  Brunello recognize potential in a wine, and preferred wines aged ten to twenty-five years. The but a wide array of popular white wines are Romans also realized that to effectively age also produced including: wines, they needed airtight containers, and thus invented the wooden and might have  Pinot Grigio also been the first to use glass and corks.  At the height of the , wines were exported to other parts of Europe, and other as as sparkling wines such as: regions adopted the winemaking practices that the Romans invented or improved upon. But  Asti with the fall of the Roman Empire, demand for  wine decreased. Although some Roman Catholic monks continued to produce wine during the The depth and breadth of Italian wine Dark Ages, its popularity did not increase until encompasses everything from bone dry to ultra- the Renaissance. sweet, red, white, rose, sparkling and fortified. http://sedimentality.com/wine-history/the- http://www.worldwidewinetours.com/italy history-of-wine-in-italy/ /italian-wine.html

Wine laws in Italy are very complex, forcing some of Italy’s most exciting new wines to be The family of Pinot grapes: Pinot lumped in with simple table wines because of Noir, , and - winemaking and labeling restrictions. In 1992, a refers to the characteristic pine- new classification called IGT was added to allow cone shape of the grape clusters. some stylistic flexibility without decreasing quality.

Italian Wine’s 4 categories:  Vino de Tavola (VGT)  Indicazione Georafica Tipica ( IDT)  Denominzaion di Origine Controllata (DOC)  Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) On the specifically, people see these categories abbreviated as VGT, IDT, DOC and

4 DOCG respectively. The first two categories invaded, wine was firmly established as a (VGT, IDT) refer to table wines, while the last trading commodity and a part of everyday life. two refer to wines of more superior quality (DOC, DOCG). With the rise of Catholicism, wine grew in importance and medieval religious orders had a Vino da Tavola (VGT) strong influence on wines are simply just winemaking. While the wines that bear an Terminology: church frowned on over indication that they  A wine with the Classico term indulgence, it also was have been bottled in on its label means that it was responsible for perfecting Italy. made in a region traditionally wines such as , The Indicazione known for such wine. widely attributed to the Geografica Tipica (IDT) famous French , Dom refers to wines that  Riserva on the other hand is Perignon. come from a particular used to denote wine that has region and which are been aged for 2 years and Along with all of northern slightly better than the more. Europe, much of France’s Vino da Tavola wines.  Superiore is used to indicate wine was nearly There are many grape that the content of the decimated in the varieties used to produce wine is higher than the nineteenth century due to either kind with some of the standard for the region (a.k.a. the vine virus, phylloxera. most popular Italian grape Denominzaion) where the wine When it was discovered varieties being the was produced. that American root stock and  Vigna or vigneto is used to was immune to the bug, for red wine indicate the name of the vineyards in , and the and and Champagne responsible for the Moscato for white wine. were grafted production of such wine. http://www.homemade-  Red wine in Italy is known as France is currently the wine-making- Rosso while white wine is world’s number one guide.com/italian- known as Bianco. producer of wine by wine.html volume. Nearly every type of wine imaginable is History of French Wine made in styles that vary from modern to very traditional.

The cultivation of vines goes back to in When it comes to what is grown in each wine the countries that surround the Mediterranean region, the French have very strict controls on Sea. It’s likely that the Romans brought the the varietals that go into any wine under the practice of viticulture (the cultivation of grapes) French AOC system. Some regions are clearly to what is now modern day France. Like many defined by a single . Other regions grow other European countries under Roman rule, by a very wide variety of grapes and blends are the time Rome fell and barbarian tribes common.

5 France’s Most Famous Wine Regions And Cotes du Rhone - Best known for its Wines Are: Hermitage wine, the Rhone Valley is well known for its spicy, fiery reds. Alsace – White wines made from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Languedoc Rousillon - Famous for its 5 Bordeaux – Red wines made from Cabernet : Corbières, Coteaux du Sauvignon, , . Languedoc, Côtes du Roussillon, Saint Burgundy – Reds made from and Chinian and Costières de Nimes. whites made from Champagne – Sparkling wines made from Valley - Most well-known for its use of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and , and Loire – White wines made from Chenin Blanc or Cabernet Franc. Sauvignon Blanc Rhone Valley – Red wines made from , - Over half of French is , Mourvèdre and others produced from Provence. http://www.worldwidewinetours.com/fran Corsica - Corsica Island, off the French ce/france-wine.html South coast, produces rose or dry white.

10 Wine Regions of France: South West - situated between the Bordeaux region and the Pyrénées, grapes grown here include Cabernet, Merlot, Alsace - Renowned for producing excellent , Semillon and Sauvignon. dry and sweet white wines. http://www.grapevinesocial.com/Frenchwi Bordeaux - One of the most famous wine ne.cfm regions in the world. is created from a blend of , Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. It's smoky, spicy, , and great with meats. Burgundy - A region with a collection of sub-areas. The flinty, classic Chablis flavor is made solely with Chardonnay grapes, the freshness of comes from the fruity grape.

Champagne - The infamous region renowned for producing bubbly from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes.

6 German Wine tremendously and profoundly affects the types of wine that can be produced. In a typical German wine is primarily produced in the west vineyard on an average year, grapes are picked of , along the river Rhine with the during normal time may be somewhat oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. unripe, resulting in a very light wine. The Germany has around one tenth of the vineyard grower may decide to let certain bunches surface in , France or Italy. Germany is the continue to hang, despite the risk of worsening eighth largest wine-producing in the . Later, the grower goes through and world. White wine accounts for almost two picks again, and these riper grapes are made thirds of the total production. into a separate wine, which will be fuller and richer than the first. The grapes may hang even Germany's reputation is primarily based on longer and, assuming the weather doesn't harm wines made from the Riesling grape variety, them, make a third wine, etc. The categories of which at its best is used for aromatic, fruity and ripeness listed below appear on the labels, thus, elegant white wines that range from very crisp the consumer can anticipate how or full and dry to well-balanced, sweet and of the wine will be. enormous aromatic concentration. Spätlese (literal meaning: "late harvest") is a Due to the global German wine term for a northerly location of Liebfraumilch, the famous wine from fully ripe grapes, the lightest of the the German Rhine blend, took its name from vineyards, the late harvest wines. The country has the "original" producer, the grapes are picked at least produced wines quite Liebfrauenkirche (Church of the 7 days after normal unlike any others in Holy Mother) near Worms. harvest, so they are riper Europe, many of Hence the name Liebfraumilch- and have a higher . Because of the outstanding quality. "Milk of the Blessed Mother". The wines have weather, waiting to pick historically been the grapes later carries a predominantly white. risk of the crop being ruined by rain. However, in warm years and from good sites much of the GERMAN WINE CLASSIFICATIONS harvest will reach Spätlese level.

The German of 1971 created a new Auslese (literal meaning: "selected harvest") is a German wine classification, a marvel of wine term for a late harvest precision, which is a source of pride for German wine and is a riper category than Spätlese. The wine producers.. Almost all of Germany's grapes are picked from selected very ripe vineyards are delineated and registered as one bunches in the autumn (late November-early of approximately 2,600 individual sites and the December), and have to be handpicked. product can be used to make wine at any Generally Auslese wine can be made in only the quality level, depending not on yields but on the best harvest years that have been sufficiently ripeness. The ripeness of grapes varies warm. Auslesen wines can be enjoyed by

7 themselves (aperitif - an “afternoon wine“) but specific climatic conditions (which do not are usually best accompanied with food, necessarily occur every year) are required. The particularly those that exhibit the hearty body is viscous, very thick and concentrated, characteristics of . and arguably can be aged almost indefinitely due to the of its high Beerenauslese (literal meaning: "selected content. harvest of ") is a German language wine term for a . The grapes for Beerenauslese wines are those that have been Understanding Different Types of individually picked. These wines are typically Wines very sweet and rich, and most age very well. The finest Beerenauslese Wines are classified by the type of wines are generally Zeller Schwarze Katz, grape (or grapes) grown to produce considered to be made from that wine, where those grapes are the Riesling grape variety, as the well-known grown, and the process the this retains significant acidity German wine, is goes through to e ven with the extreme from the small town of produce that wine. ripeness, which results in a Zell. Apparently, at one wine where the sweetness is A grape type is also called a balanced and which has time there was a black varietal. In the , great longevity and which cat hanging around the wines are usually referred to by the often will improve for cellar. type or variety of grape (varietal) decades.[2] These wines are grown to produce them and not produced in very small like the European method of its quantities when the weather is suitable for the geographical location. For example, you’ll see to form and only in vineyards with the words “Pinot Noir” or “Chardonnay”, which appropriate conditions, so they tend to be very are grape types rather than Bordeaux or St. expensive. which are regions written on the label.

Trockenbeerenauslese (literal meaning: "dried Many wines are a combination or “blend” of berries selection") is a German language wine two or more grape varietals. Legally, in the term for a medium to full body wine. Unites States, the label only has to reveal the name of a single grape varietal if at least 75% of is the highest in sugar the content. This means that the grapes have been wine is individually picked and are shrivelled with noble made rot, often to the point of appearing like a . from They are therefore very sweet and have an that intensely rich flavor, frequently with a lot of one caramel and honey bouquet. These wines are grape rare and expensive due to the labor-intensive type. method of production, and the fact that very

8 The other 25% of the wine can be made from besides Europe, may also label their wines in one or more other grape varietals and those do the ways described above. not have to be listed.

However, many US wine makers voluntarily list The Most Common Types Of White all grape varietals used in a wine blend on their Wine Grapes label. Sometimes you will even see the percentages included. Chardonnay (shar-dun-NAY)

On US labels you may also see reference to a Considered the queen of white wine grapes, particular location where the grapes used to Chardonnay is grown widely in many of the produce that wine were grown. If that location regions mentioned above. It is a very versatile is a wide geographic region grape whose character (for example "" or Gewürztraminer was reflects its growing region "Santa Barbara") this indicates originally just Traminer. and production process. Of the grapes grown to produce But this distinctive all the white wine types, that wine are from vines Chardonnay produces the growing anywhere in this varietal became so well most complex wines in the region. known for its aromatic world. Most chardonnays and spicy qualities, it are full, golden and velvety If the location is very specific, became known as "Spicy with hints of , nuts, and quite possibly one you've Traminer". "Gewürz" in , , or not heard of, this wine is and have medium to high vineyard specific. This means German means "spicy". acidity. all grapes grown to produce this wine are from one small plot of land where Chenin Blanc (SHEN'N BLAHNK) the growing conditions were ideal to produce this type of wine in this particular year Chenin Blanc has been cultivated for thousands (). In theory, and generally in reality, of years in the of France. It is grown vineyard specific wines are of higher quality. widely in California where it is the grape used in many jug wines or inexpensive table wines. Wines may also be classified as "Estate Grown", Chenin Blanc has higher than average acidity. meaning all the The character of Chenin Blanc can be difficult to grapes grown define, but it generally is light and fruity. to produce that wine are Gewurztraminer (geh-VERTS-trah-mee-ner) from these ' Literally translated as "spicy", Gewurztraminer own vines. is grown primarily in Germany and in the Alsace Other wine region of France where the cooler climate producing allows it to ripen fully. It has a light, crisp acidity countries, and a bold flavor.

9 Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio (PEE-no GREE or Semillon can also be very rich, making a GREE-zho) favorable .

Known as Pinot Grigio in Italy and the Alsace (vee-oh-NYAY]) region of France, and Pinot Gris in the United States, this grape's character will vary Viognier is grown primarily in the Rhone region depending upon its growing region. European of France and in California. It has low to Pinot Grigio tends to be more acidic with less moderate acidity with hints of peach and body than its American counterpart. All Pinot apricot, and without the flowery aromas of Grigio/Gris possess a some other white wines. citrus aroma.

Riesling (REES-ling) The Most Common Types Of Red Wine Riesling, the most Grapes notable white wine grape from Germany, (-BEHR-uh) is also grown in France's Alcase region Grown most successfully and in 's in Italy's region, District. It Barbera is quite acidic with is grown in California full body and light tannins. and , although with less frequency. It is commonly used as a blending wine. Riesling has medium to high acidity and light to medium body with a distinct flowery, fruity Brunello (broo-NEHL-oh) aroma. Brunello is an offshoot of the Sangiovese grape. Sauvignon Blanc (SO-vin-yon BLAHNK) It is notable because it is the only grape permitted for Brunello di , a rare, Sauvignon Blanc, also known as Fumé Blanc, is expensive, fruity and bold Tuscan red wine. grown in the Bordeaux and Loire regions of France, and in California, and Cabernet Franc (cab-er-NAY FRANK) . It is characterized by a light, crisp acidity. It will often contain several fruit Cabernet Franc is more often blended with components and is frequently blended with other grapes than bottled by itself. Cabernet Semillion from the Bordeaux region of France. Franc is light to medium bodied and sometimes made into a wine called Chinon. It is most Semillon (SEM-ih-yon) impressively grown in France’s Loire (luWAR) Valley, although it is usually overshadowed by Semillon is one of the more unique types of the more popular Cabernet Sauvignon. white wine. It rarely stand alone and is Cabernet Franc is also grown in California and frequently blended with Sauvignon Blanc. New York, and is gaining popularity in other regions.

10 Cabernet Sauvignon (cab-er-NAY SO-vin-yon) and/or Sarah. Grenache is medium to full bodied with good structure and Cabernet Sauvignon can be found in many of flavor. the wine regions mentioned above. In the Bordeaux region of France, it is considered the (MAHL-beck) king of grapes. It is, in fact, the primary grape that makes fine Bordeaux wines. Cabernet Malbec has always been the grape of Sauvignon can age well for decades. It is dark where it thrives in their hot, dry summers. It is purple or ruby in color, medium to full bodied, now also an important grape in Bordeaux and and has a beautiful array of intense aromas and the Loire Valley of France. Its acidity can vary flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon would be and it is frequently blended with other considered a dry red wine. Bordeaux varieties.

Dolcetto (dole-CHET-to) Merlot (mur-LO)

Dolcetto is another grape grown almost Merlot has become very popular and much exclusively in the Piedmont region of Italy. It more distinct in the past years. It is one of the produces fruity wines with more drinkable types of red aromas and flavors of licorice Chateau Latour, Pauillac wine with its low acidity and and almonds. It does not age Named after the small mellow softness. Merlot is as long as the Barbera or stone tower that serves as grown widely in many of the grape. regions mentioned above the estate symbol. Latour and can be blended, Gamay (ga-MAY) means "the tower". particularly with Cabernet, or stand alone. Merlot has Gamay is what the wines from rich flavors of blackberry, the Beaujolais region of France are made of. and . Even though two “Gamay” wines are produced in California, they are not true Gamay and their Mourvedre (moo-VED-ra) quality does not come close to their French cousins. With its lower alcohol content, Gamay Mourvedre is a blending grape originally from is meant to be drunk soon after it is bottled. It is the Rhone region of France. It is now also fresh, light and fruity. common and popular in California and other United States. It is typically used to blend with Grenache (greh-NAHSH) (greh-NACH-a in Spain) Syrah, or Syrah and Grenache in what may be termed a "GSM". In Spain this grape is called Grenache is grown in Spain and California, but Monastrell. most notably in the southern Rhone valley of France. It is a very drinkable wine and in the Nebbiolo (NEH-bee-oh-low) past was used in several red and rose jug wines in California. However, Grenache has gained Nebbiolo is another of the types of red wine popularity as a fine standalone grape in many grape from Piedmont, Italy and is responsible areas. It is commonly blended with Mourvedre for many of Italy’s finest red wines. Nebbiolo

11 tends to be light and quite dry with high acidity, is thought that Petit Syrah, which thrives in so it does well with considerable aging. sunny California, is not related to Syrah.

Pinot Noir (PEE-no NWA) (temp-rah-NEE-yo)

Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to grow, but yields Grown originally in the region of Spain, an exceptional wine with great complexity Tempranillo is a full bodied red and is often when conditions are correct. It is grown in the blended with Grenache. Burgundy region of France, in Oregon and in the cooler regions of California. Many California and (ZIHN-fan-dell) French grown Pinot Noir grapes are used for rose style . It has light to moderate Zinfandel wine is most always grown in body with delicate and deliciously varied California, where unlike other red wine grapes, aromas and flavors. it thrives in the heat and sunshine. It has low to moderate acidity and medium to full body with Sangiovese (san- jammy, spicy flavors. geeo-VEHS-eh)

Sangiovese is the Types Of red wine Sparkling Wine grape of the Tuscany and Chianti regions, Sparkling wines are and is still produced produced in primarily in Italy. A different countries good Sangiovese can all over the world. be beautiful and They are made from complex, with varied a variety of grapes aromas and flavors. It and with different is frequently blended production with Cabernet. processes. The characteristic all Syrah or (sih-RAH sparkling wines have in or shih-RAHZ) common is the presence of bubbles, or that fizzy appearance and we associate with Known as Shiraz in and South Africa effervescent wine. and as Syrah in California and France, this wine has low to moderate acidity making it very The bubbles come from that drinkable. Shiraz/Syrah exhibits wonderful forms in the during fermentation. There flavors of spice and fruit. Many think the French is more than one fermentation process that will version is more acidic, therefore better to create a sparkling wine. accompany food than the Australian version. Shiraz/Syrah is often blended with Grenache. It Throughout the world, different wine makers will use their preferred production method

12 and/or those required by the laws of their is made with several different grapes individual region. including the traditional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, only legally allowed in the past 30 FRANCE years.

The most well-known type of sparkling wine is UNITED STATES Champagne. Champagne (with a capital “c”) is United States produces several types of produced only in the region of Champagne in sparkling wine. Many France. By law, it can French champagne only be made with producers have set up Chardonnay, Pinot Noir shop in the US. Most and Pinot Meunier vineyards now use the grapes. traditional champagne Much to France's grapes of Chardonnay, annoyance, United Pinot Noir and Pinot States producers can Meunier, plus Pinot legally call their sparkling Blanc. wines "champagne" even United States producers though they are not Andre, Cooks, and Totts produced in France. On a make less expensive label in the United sparkling wines using a more cost effective States, champagne must begin with a small "c" production process. and the sparkling wine's geographic origin and production methods must be listed. Regions Some other regions of France also produce sparkling wines, most notable the Loire Valley The legal designations used for California wine where the sparkling wines are referred to as regions are American Viticultural Areas or Cremant. AVAs. (Viticulture refers to the science of ITALY growing grapes) The US Government began these designations in 1978 to keep pace with Italy's sparkling wine is called Asti a.k.a. Asti similar wine designations used in Spumante. Asti in the Italian wine region of Europe for many years. Piedmont is made with the Moscato grape. As of 2008, California wine regions encompass SPAIN nearly 200 regions or AVAs. An AVA is The region of Catalonia produces distinguished by geographic features, so in their well respected Cava sparkling wine. At one theory all wine produced by the grapes in that time it was referred to as Spanish Champagne, AVA should possess similar qualities. However, but that is no longer legal. like many government regulations, there is an ongoing debate about the effectiveness of this system.

13 Studies are underway to possibly change the US Robles • San Antonio Valley • San Benito • San AVA system to make it more similar to the Bernabe • Bay • San Lucas • San European model. Europe has the benefit of Ysidro District • Santa Clara Valley • Santa Cruz relying on decades of experience deciphering Mountains • Santa Lucia Highlands • Santa (French for “soil”). Maria Valley • Sta. Rita Hills • Santa Ynez Valley • York Mountain For a California wine maker to specify an AVA on its label, at least 85% of the grapes used to Central Valley Wine Growing Region make that wine must be grown in the specified AVA. California AVAs do not specify the type of There is no large regional AVA designation that grapes to be grown there, or the process to be includes the entire Central Valley wine growing used to grow those grapes. region. So within the Central Valley Wine Region are the following AVAs. Lodi AVA is the By comparison, a French designation largest. (Appelation D’Origine Controlee - AOC or AC) identifies the grape varieties to be grown in a • Alta Mesa • Borden Ranch • Capay Valley • geographic area, the maximum production per Clarksburg • Clements Hills • Cosumnes River • acre, the minimum level of alcohol required for Diablo Grande • Dunnigan Hills • Jahant • Lodi • wines produced in the area, etc. Madera • Merritt Island • Mokelumne River • River Junction • Salado Creek • Sloughhouse • A Complete List Of California Wine Tracy Hills Regions Or AVAs:

(not interested? Then skip to page 16, column 1)

Central Coast AVA

The Central Coast AVA is the largest in the state stretching roughly 250 miles from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. It is home to approximately 360 and covers more than 5M acres. Paso Robles AVA is the largest at over 600,000 acres.

All the AVAs listed below are actually contained within the Central Coast AVA, with the exception of and Santa Cruz Mountain and Ben Lomond Mountain AVA.

• Arroyo Grande Valley • Arroyo Seco • Ben There are 10,000 Lomond Mountain • Carmel Valley • Chalone • Cienega Valley • Edna Valley • Hames Valley • varieties of wine grapes

Lime Kiln Valley • Livermore Valley • Monterey worldwide. • Mt. Harlan • Pacheco Pass • Paicines • Paso

14 Klamath Mountain Region District • Suisun Valley • Wild Horse Valley • Yorkville Highlands • Yountville These AVAs are located in the southern Klamath Mountains Region of far northwestern Sierra Foothills AVA California: All of these AVAs are contained entirely within • Seiad Valley • Trinity Lakes • Willow Creek the geographic boundaries of the Sierra Foothills AVA. El Dorado AVA, with over 400,000 acres, is significantly larger than any of the others.

• California Shenandoah Valley • El Dorado • Fair Play • Fiddletown • North Yuba • Sierra Foothills

North Coast AVA

All of these AVAs are included within the geographic boundaries of the six-county AVA. The Sonoma Coast AVA is the largest covering over 500,000 acres.

• Alexander Valley • Anderson Valley • Atlas Peak • Bennett Valley • Benmore Valley • Chalk Hill • Valley • Clear Lake • Cole Ranch • Covelo • Diamond Mountain District • Dos Rios • Dry Creek Valley • Green Valley of Russian River Valley • Guenoc Valley • High Valley • Howell Mountain • Knights Valley • Los Carneros • McDowell Valley • Mendocino • Mendocino Ridge • Mt. Veeder • Napa Valley • North Coast • Northern Sonoma • Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley • Oakville • Potter Valley • Red Hills Lake County • Redwood Valley • Rockpile • Russian River Valley • Rutherford • Solano County Green Valley • Sonoma Coast • • • Spring Mountain District • St. Helena • Stags Leap

15 South Coast AVA hands around the glass while you swirl.

The South Coast AVA includes all grape growing A common misconception is that red wine regions in , including Los should be served at “room temperature”. This Angeles, , Riverside, San Bernardino, and makes no sense since depending upon San Diego Counties. There are not a lot of geography and season, your room may be grapes grown in this region, and the largest and relatively too warm or too cold. most well-known grape growing region within South Coast is Temecula Valley. You do not want to serve your red wine at a temperature higher than 60-65°F, depending This large appellation also includes a number of upon the type of red wine. You will want to smaller sub-appellations. serve Beajoulais, a light, fruity red at the lowest temperature (approximately 55°F), your • Cucamonga Valley • Leona Valley (proposed) medium bodied reds such as Chiante, Pinot • -Newton Canyon • Ramona Valley • Noir, and Zinfandel at a slightly higher Saddle Rock-Malibu • San Pasqual Valley • temperature (approximately 60°F), and your full South Coast bodied reds such as Bordeaux, Cabernet, Merlot, and Shiraz a hint warmer (approximately 63-65°F). Does Wine Serving Temperature Matter? However, if your red wine has been stored at room temperature, you’ll want to either put it Red Wine Serving Temperature in the refrigerator or into an ice bucket for 30- 60 minutes before serving. Be It’s better to serve your red It’s better to serve your sure to include water with the wine too cold than too ice – it will chill more quickly. warm. Nothing ruins a fine red wine too cold than red wine more quickly than too warm. drinking it at too high a temperature. A red wine served too warm loses its freshness and many White Wine Serving Temperature of its characteristic aromas and flavors. For white wines, the Above 65°F, a red wine imparts too much of its opposite may be true. alcohol content as flavor, never a desirable It’s better to serve a taste. white wine too warm than too cold. White It’s more convenient to allow wines served too cold a wine to warm up in its glass (under 45°F) lose than to put it back in the many of their flavors and aromas. refrigerator or ice bucket. One easy way to warm up a However, you still want to serve your white glass of wine is to your wines colder than your red wines. Serving white

16 wines at a lower temperature brings out their types in fortified and dessert wine, the natural fruity, fresh, and sweet characteristics. temperature to serve these really varies.

You will want to serve In general, if your wine is your white wines at 45- The French have an lighter, fruitier, and younger, 55°F, depending upon expression for really bad it should be served slighter the wine and your wine. It's called three-man cooler. If it’s older, heavier, personal preference. A wine. It takes three men to and more complex, it should Riesling will be better a be served slightly warmer. bit colder than a Pinot it, two to hold another Gris or a Chardonnay. one down and force him to An exception, of course, is ice swallow. wine, who by its very name Since most refrigerators indicates it should be served are kept at between 35-40°F, it’s best not to very chilled, even more so than sparkling wine. serve your white wines right out of the refrigerator. http://www.basic-wine-knowledge.com/ wine-storage-temperature.html Removing your white wine from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before serving should bring them to about the right temperature. And, you can always warm the wine up by cupping your hands around the glass as you swirl.

If your white wine has been kept at room temperature, place it in the refrigerator or ice bucket for 30-60 minutes before serving. The Grape Sparkling Wine Serving Temperature The type of grape from which the wine A good sparkling wine (champagne) is best is made will greatly served just a hint colder than a white wine. You reflect in the finished can usually drink your sparkling wine right out product. The vine- of the refrigerator at about 40°F, but you may ripened grapes find its flavors are enhanced if you let it stand contain natural for 15-20 minutes before serving. which are converted and Dessert Wine Serving into alcohol. Temperature The grape skins contain most of the flavor These wine serving temperatures are a little and all of the color. The larger the grape, the harder to categorize. There is such a wide less skin proportionately, but the more juice variety of , flavors, aromas and body there is. This is fine for a light wine, but smaller grapes with proportionately more skin, will

17 produce a much richer color and a more the must (pulp) of red or black grapes and concentrated flavor. fermentation occurs together with the grape skins, which give the wine its color. The Climate White wine is made by fermenting juice which is made by crushed grapes Where the grapes are grown will also have an to extract a juice; the skins are removed impact on the resulting wines taste. These are and play no further role. Occasionally white the two main factors: wine is made from red grapes; this is done Warm and sunny weather will produce a by extracting their juice with minimal ripe, sweet flavorful grape. contact with the grapes' skins. Rosé wines Cloudy and cool weather will give you a less are either made from red grapes where the ripened young, tart grape. juice is allowed to stay in contact with the dark skins long enough to pick up a pinkish The Soil color (blanc de noir). White and rosé wines A well-drained soil is best in growing a strong extract little of the tannins contained in the grape vine. This forces the roots to dig deeper skins. for moisture. The acidity in the soil will also shape the taste of the grape. To start primary fermentation may be added to the must or may occur naturally as Vineyards are usually planted in a sloping area to provide drainage and insulation from the ambient yeast on the grapes or in the air. weather. During this fermentation, which often takes between one and two weeks, the yeast In cooler climates, the vines are planted converts most of the sugars in the grape closer together and trained low to conserve the heat of the day. juice into (alcohol) and carbon In warmer climates the opposite is true. The dioxide. The carbon dioxide is lost to the vines are planted further apart and trained atmosphere. high to give shade and disperse the heat. They are also spaced further apart to allow After the primary fermentation of red for better drainage. grapes the free run wine is pumped off into http://www.homemade-wine-making- tanks and the skins are pressed to extract guide.com/wine-making-grapes.html the remaining juice and wine. The press wine is blended with the free run wine at the winemaker's discretion. The wine is The Wine Making Process kept warm and the remaining sugars are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. After the harvest, the grapes are taken into a and prepared for primary ferment. The next process in the making of red wine At this stage red wine making diverges from is secondary fermentation. This is a white wine making. Red wine is made from bacterial fermentation which converts malic

18 acid to . This process decreases these general guidelines to get a feel for how the acid in the wine and softens the taste of certain wines can add enjoyment to a meal. the wine. Red wine is sometimes It is generally accepted that white wines are transferred to oak barrels to mature for a better with fish and red wines with red meats. period of weeks or months; this practice With meats such as chicken, , and pork, it imparts oak aromas to the wine. The wine is acceptable to drink either white or red. must be settled or clarified and adjustments Some find that a crisp dry white wine helps cut made prior to and bottling. through the fattiness of meats like pork or duck, while others prefer a mouthful of rich red wine The time from harvest to drinking can vary to enhance the flavor of a bland meat such as from a few months for pork. wines to over twenty years for top wines. By staying within these general parameters, you However, only about 10% of all red and 5% will find that there are few really bad food and of white wine will taste better after five wine matches, plenty of satisfactory ones, and years than it will after just one year. Quality many good ones. is dictated by the attributes of the starting material and not necessarily the steps taken during vinification.

Variations on the above procedure exist. With sparkling wines such as Champagne, an additional fermentation takes place inside the bottle, trapping carbon dioxide and creating the characteristic bubbles. Sweet wines are made by ensuring that some residual sugar remains after fermentation is completed. This can be done by harvesting late (late harvest wine), freezing the grapes to concentrate the Another way of approaching food and wine sugar (), or adding a substance to pairing is to take the view that one or the other kill the remaining yeast before fermentation has to be the star or dominant element, so that is completed; for example, high proof one would not match robust reds with rich is added when making . foods. A fine wine, with delicate flavors is best matched with simple, plain food in order to Food and Wine Pairing really appreciate it. For a newcomer to the appreciation of wine it is Drinking a fine red with a , for example, is probably best to adhere, at first anyway, to considered a heinous crime by many wine aficionados.

19 Again, though, there is the alternative body of Instead, look for a wine with the flavors, opinion that maintains that excellent food and aromas and weight that most closely match the excellent wines have an affinity, and that a fine characteristics of your meal. It’s all about wine deserves fine fare to be balance. served along with it. From another part of In most cases it makes more Some general Italy, a dubious story tells sense to match your meals’ recommendations and of a wine-bibbing bishop sauces to a wine, rather observations on food and wine sending his emissary to than the . For pairing are as follows: scout out his route to example, a blackened Good partners for fish are Rome with an order to (spicy) fish will go better fresh, un-oaked find the best inn for wine with a Syrah (red) than a Chardonnay like Chablis, or in each village and mark Chardonnay (white). But if Riesling. Red wines that it Est, "This is it". The you are eating a white fish could also work with fish with a delicate sauce, that are those low in such pathfinder purportedly Chardonnay should be just as a light Burgundy or got so excited at one fine. Cabernet Franc. place he marked the Some classic pairings of door "Est! EST!! EST!!!" One of the most important wine and food result from aspects of wine food pairing the combinations is matching the body of your associated with certain geographical areas. wine with the level of intensity in the flavors of Light Italian red wines, Chianti for example, your food. go very well with pasta dishes, and indeed with many meals of meat or You don’t want to pair a light wine fish. with a meal containing heavy The rich cuisine of the Burgundy foods and sauces. Conversely, region works well partnered you don’t want to pair a full with the wines of that region. bodied wine with a meal They have a natural affinity, containing light, delicate foods. especially when the regional wine is used in the Food wine pairings can also be process. made by region. For example, Few would disagree that a good choose an Italian wine, perhaps Claret or Rhone is a joy with a Chianti, to go with your pasta perfectly cooked steak. Rhone dishes. wines go very well with game and also meat . Wine food pairing, much like , is a skill that takes time and experience Today’s wines, both red and white, are so to acquire. So, relax and enjoy the process. varied in flavor and texture, that it’s impossible to pinpoint with 100% accuracy the best wine http://www.basic-wine- food match. knowledge.com/food-wine-pairings.html

20 http://www.homemade-wine-making- The Health Benefits of Red Wine guide.com/health-benefits-of-red-wine.html It is now generally accepted by health experts and even governments that drinking one to two The Differences Between Synthetic glasses of red wine a day is beneficial to heath. The main reason for this is the high level of & Real Wine Corks antioxidants contained in red wine, which help to prevent the oxidation process in which reactive particles known as “free radicals” cause damage to healthy cells. The health benefits of red wine have been noted particularly in helping to cut the incidence of heart disease, cancer, and inflammation in the body. A study comparing French and German red wines concluded that French red wines offered a greater health benefit due to their higher level The debate over synthetic and real corks is of antioxidants. This may account for the quite heated in the wine world. While many call "French paradox" where studies have shown for tradition and the use of real , others that in areas of France where the diet is high in argue the benefits of synthetic corks outweigh , those that drink red wine with meals have a any concerns over tradition. What is best? You lower incidence of heart attack than those on a decide. similar diet in other parts of the world. It appears that the Natural Cork adverse effect of high “Once, during dietary fat is more , I was forced A natural cork bottle comes than offset by the from the cork tree, which is health benefit of red to live for days on nothing native to Spain and . wine consumption. but food and water.” W.C. Fields Cork trees take anywhere The key ingredients from 16 to 25 years to associated with the mature, but once the tree has health benefits of red wine are antioxidants matured, it can be stripped of its bark every such as (known to have a beneficial nine years; therefore, cork harvesting does not effect by slowing the process of ageing thereby kill the tree and is considered eco-friendly. increasing longevity) and flavonoids (reduce the Corks can also be recycled. As the oldest risk from four of the major health problems: method of bottle , cork is also revered in , heart failure, cancer, and ). This the wine world. means that consumption of red wine may benefit certain conditions associated with Perhaps the biggest benefit of natural cork is its menopause, breast cancer, osteoporosis, and ability to “breathe.” Cork allows slight amounts . of oxygen into the bottle, helping the wine age at a slow and steady rate. However, no two

21 corks are alike, so it is possible that some wines bottles produced each year are meant to be can be overexposed to air and can be ruined. In consumed young and not aged, which reduces addition, natural cork makes wine susceptible the need for aging corks a lot more than one to the that lives in Pros & Cons of Natural Cork would expect. As cork trees which causes the technologically continues wine to be “corked.” Lastly– to improve, many wine Pro: does not kill the tree and perhaps the most experts believe that Pro: can be recycled superficial of arguments someday the synthetic Pro: an old and generally effective against corks–natural corks cork will be able to mimic method of enclosing wine are prone to crumbling, the breathing and aging Pro: allows wine to breathe; best for which leaves bits of cork in process. aging the wine and in the glass. Con: trees take a long time to age and A major benefit of can only be harvested every 9-12 years synthetic cork is its Synthetic Corks Con: susceptible to reduction of cork taint. TCA, the cork taint- Synthetic corks are made Pros & Cons of Synthetic Cork from low density causing fungus that lives and have in natural cork trees, is Pro: can also be recycled gained popularity over the obviously not found in Pro: no cork taint last decade. Like natural synthetic cork. A bottle Pro: most wines on the market do not cork, synthetic corks can also enclosed with a synthetic need to be aged/allowed to breathe be recycled! cork will never have this Pro: do not break or crumble unpleasant byproduct. In Con: does not allow wine to breathe; not Unlike natural cork, addition, synthetic corks good for aging synthetic cork does not have are removed from the Con: not traditional; “feels” synthetic and the ability to allow wine to bottle without breaking “cheap” breathe; therefore, it is not or crumbling. the best choice for bottles meant to be aged. However, many consumers Wine Making are shocked to learn that over 90% of wine The ripeness of the grape determines its levels Conversely, the higher the sugar content of a of acidity and alcohol. grape, the lower its acidity will be. The inverse is also true, so areas that don’t get a lot of sun What happens when a grape gets direct sunlight don’t create really ripe grapes, leading to more and gets access to a lot of heat? It gets ripe. acidic wines. When it gets ripe, its sugar content increases. If you remember in your high school chemistry Remember, the goal of any wine is to be as class, sugars are then converted to alcohol balanced as possible between sweet and acid. through fermentation. The higher the sugar For those regions that either don’t get enough content, the higher the alcohol level of the or get too much sun, their challenge is further subsequent wine. exacerbated by having to control the ripeness of the grapes.

22 Tannins in wine come from the skin, so you’ll The serves a very important purpose and find tannins mainly in red wines. If you think it is here you will find most of the variation in about it, the juice from any grape is clear – it’s wine glasses. the amount of contact with the skins that give wine its color. Red wine is created by Wine Glass Shapes and Sizes macerating the with the grape skins for a few days. It is this contact that leaves the Every wine glass will have a slightly different red wine with tannins. shape, depending upon the type of wine that particular glass is to be used for. Great red wines that can be aged for decades typically are very tannic. It is the tannins that All good wine glasses are shaped in a way that break down over the course of the bottle’s life will direct the wine to the part of your mouth to mellow the wine and allow the wine to age where its flavor will be most appreciated. over the years. The of all wine glasses will be tapered upward with a slightly narrower opening at the top than at the bottom. This shape helps to capture and distribute the wine's aroma toward your mouth and nose.

“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.”

Benjamin Franklin Components Of A Wine Glass

Most all wine glasses will have a base, a stem, In all types of wine glasses, both red and white, and a bowl. Today, there is one exception - the the bowl must be large enough to swirl your new stemless wineglass that has become wine, opening it up to more air and allowing its popular. aromas to be released. Swirling your wine is not just for the connoisseur or the haughty, it really The base, obviously, allows your glass to stand does serve a very important purpose. upright. A red wine glass bowl will be The stem allows you to hold your wine glass fuller and rounder with a larger without the heat from your hands warming opening to allow you to dip your wine, and without creating smudges on your nose into the glass to the bowl which will distract from the visual detect aroma. And, as enjoyment of your wine. mentioned above, the complex aromas and

23 flavors of red wine demand a glass with a larger flavor in the beverage. surface area so the wine comes in contact with more air. A dessert wine glass should be smaller to direct the wine to the back of the mouth so the For red wine, you may want both a Bordeaux sweetness doesn't overwhelm. Dessert wines and a Burgundy glass. A Bordeaux glass is taller, generally have higher alcohol content, making yet the bowl is not quite as large. It is designed the small glass perfect for a smaller serving. for full bodied, heavier red wines such as Cabernets and . The tallness of the glass Wine Glass Material allows the wine to proceed directly to the back of the mouth to maximize its flavor. To truly appreciate the color and texture of your wine you'll want to purchase wine glasses A Burgundy glass is for lighter, full bodied wines that are clear and smooth. Taking note of the such as Pinot Noir. It is not as tall, but the bowl color of your wine, the “legs” of your wine, and is larger than the Bordeaux glass, directing the how the light affects your wine are the first wine to the tip of the tongue to taste its more steps in evaluating and enjoying it. delicate flavors. The best and most practical wine glass will be A white wine glass bowl will be made with crystal or thin glass. more U shaped and upright allowing the aromas to be released while also maintaining Age appears to be best in a cooler temperature. four things; old wood best

For white wine, you may also want two types of to burn, old wine to drink, wine glasses, one for younger, crisp whites and old friends to trust, and old one for more mature, fuller whites. authors to read. The wine glass for younger whites has a slightly Francis Bacon larger opening directing the wine to the tip and sides of the tongue to taste its sweetness. Crystal or a similar glass, especially blown glass, are preferable because they are thin. Thicker The glass for more mature whites will be glass is thought to affect the taste of your wine straighter and taller to dispense the wine to the and to create a larger lip, making it difficult to back and sides of the tongue to taste its bolder properly sip your wine. flavors.

http://www.basic-wine-knowledge.com/types- A sparkling wine glass (or flute) of-wine-glasses.html will be upright and more narrow to retain the carbonation and capture the

24 Video on How Barrels Are Made growth for the year and will obviously be larger (Outstanding 6 minute video) in warmer climates (forming what is called a “loosely grained” wood) and smaller in colder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LBGPKgQ2 ones (forming a “tightly grained” wood). Barrels ac&=related made from tightly grained wood will impart Are oak barrels always used to make wine? their flavors into the wine more slowly, making a wine with better integrated oak flavors and No. Some wines that are more delicate, like the aromas. Beaujoulais or Gamay red wines or the white Riesling, would be overpowered if left to age in http://sedimentality.com/wine-educatio/how- oak. These wines are aged in a-wine-barrel-is-made/ tanks, which does not impart flavors into the wine, allowing their true essence to shine through. The same process goes for crisp wines Consuming wine in moderation daily will like Sauvignon Blanc, who would lose the help people to die young as late as crispness that they are known for if left in oak. possible. Dr. Philip Norrie In an attempt to move away from the highly oaked, incredibly buttery Chardonnays, some winemakers are choosing to age Chardonnay in Aerating & Decanting stainless steel as well. We choose to pour red wine into another There are only certain regions and climates for two reasons: either the wine where oak grows optimally: some of the most needs to “open up” or breathe (meaning that it sought-after barrels are made from wood needs to be exposed to air) or it needs to be grown in the forests of Iowa, Kentucky, separated from the sediment at the bottom of Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Oregon in the the bottle. The former is called aerating and the United States. latter is decanting.

Why these areas? Their cold climate creates a slow-growing tree, making a barrel that is optimal for aging wine. Like all living plants, oak is affected by weather: it grows slower when the weather is cold and warmer when the weather is hot. As we all know, each year a tree adds a new ring to its trunk: this ring is the tree’s

25 Body – Light, Medium, Full http://www.thewinevirgin.com/search/light%2 0body%20wine/ Wine’s body refers to the perceived weight of the wine in the mouth. A wine's weight will Tannins depend on its alcohol content and extract (the dissolved solids in the wine). All wines have tannins, but not all of them contain the same concentrations. Tannins are A good way to consider this relatively is to think the that gives wine its color, and more about the successive viscosity between skim importantly, they grant it its heaviness, warmth milk, whole milk, and and apply it to the and body. Red wines contain tannins in high idea of wine body. Everyone is able to realize concentrations. It's this compound what gives the difference of how these types of milk feel wines more complexity and fuller body. With against the tongue and cheeks when you drink ageing, tannin becomes even more saturated, them. The higher the and it even helps alcohol content, the preserve the more likely it will wine's quality and have a fuller body. In taste. general, the higher the tannin, the fuller White wines, on the body. the other hand, contain little Light bodied wines tannin. This are those low in condition makes alcohol from cool them light, crisp climate countries or and unsuitable for regions. They generally tend to sit in the 7-11% long periods of ageing - which is why white alcohol content area. Medium bodied wines are wines are normally aged for 12 months or less. moderate in alcohol (around 12%). Areas particularly well known for medium bodied Knowing that white wines contain tannins in wines are Bordeaux and Burgundy. Full bodied low concentrations, and that red whites present wines tend to be at the top end of the scale in high levels of this component, we can assume alcohol terms (13-14%+) and tend to be high in that a wine's color darkens the more tannins extract, and high in the preserving compound are present. Next time you have a glass of wine, tannin. For a point of reference, here are take a look at its color. Is it light yellow, or examples of wine body: darker ? A translucent brick red, or a rich red-purple? The more color your wine has, the 1. Light body wine - Riesling more tannin it will contain - and the fuller it's 2. Medium body wine - Chardonnay body. 3. Full body wine - Cabernet Sauvignon White wines and red wines also differ in their http://www.thetastingquarter.com/displayNew production during the process of fermentation. s.php?i_eId=52 Since tannins are developed at warm

26 temperatures, red wines are fermented at  A “cork-tease” is someone who constantly higher temperatures than whites. Also, since talks about the wine he or she will open but the warmth speeds up fermentation, red wines never does. are treated for a shorter time.  In the whole of the Biblical Old Testament, only the Book of Jonah has no reference to White wines are fermented under highly the vine or wine. controlled temperatures in order to halt the  Early Roman women were forbidden to development of tannins. To make up for the drink wine, and a husband who found his slower yeast activity, the fermentation process wife drinking was at liberty to kill her. is longer than that of reds. These qualities  An Italian study argues that women who ( and full body) are made possible by drink two glasses of wine a day have better the use of oak barrels in the fermentation sex than those who don’t drink at all. process.  The world’s oldest bottle of wine dates back to A.D. 325 and was found near the town of http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-Tannin,-and- Speyer, Germany, inside one of two Roman How-Does-it-Affect-My-Wine?&id=2438072 sarcophaguses.  California, New York, and Florida lead the United States in wine Fun Facts “It doesn’t matter if the consumption. glass is half empty or  The Code of  The first commercial Hammurabi (1800 B.C.) vineyard and winery in half full. There is clearly includes a law that punishes the United States, known room for more wine.” – fraudulent wine sellers: They as the “First Vineyard.”, were to be drowned in a was established through Anonymous river. Kentucky Legislature on  Romans discovered November 21, 1799. The that mixing lead with wine viticulturist for the vineyard was John James not only helped preserve wine, but also Dufour of Vevey, . gave it a sweet taste and succulent texture.  Prohibition in the United States first began Chronic lead poisoning has often been cited in 1846 when Maine became the first state as one of the causes of the decline of Rome. to prohibit sales or consumption; it  It is traditional to first serve lighter wines culminated in the passing of the Eighteenth and then move to heavier wines throughout Amendment to the United States a meal. Additionally, white wine should be Constitution in 1920 which forbade the served before red, younger wine before , sale and transport of older, and dry wine before sweet. alcohol.  The prohibitionists, or the “drys,” in the  In ancient , a dinner host would take early twentieth century fought to remove the first sip of wine to assure guests the any mention of wine from school and wine was not poisoned, hence the phrase college texts, including Greek and Roman “drinking to one’s health.” literature. They also sought to remove

27 medicinal wines from the United States  Portugal has 1/3 of the world’s cork forests Pharmacopoeia and to prove that Biblical and supplies about 90% of the cork used in praises of wine were for unfermented grape the United States. juice.  There are 10,000 varieties of wine grapes  There is a right and wrong way to hold a worldwide. wine glass. Wine glasses should always be  The first wine grapes in California were held by the stem and not the bowl because planted in Downtown Los Angeles in 1833 the heat of the hand will raise the at the current site of the Union Train temperature of the wine. Station.  Champagne, one of the  There is increasing world’s greatest sparkling scientific evidence that wines, is popularly but “My favorite wine moderate, regular wine erroneously thought to pairing experience is drinking can reduce the risk have been invented by the of heart disease, Benedictine monk Dom wine and friends.” Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, Pierre Perignon (1638- and gum disease. 1715). Although he did not invent or  Wine re-corked and placed in a refrigerator discover champagne, he founded many will keep for two to four days. principles and processes in its production  When tasting wine, hold the wine in the that are still in use today. And he mouth for a moment or two and then either purportedly declared upon drinking the swallow it or, preferably, spit it out, usually bubbly beverage, “I am drinking stars. into a spittoon. A really good wine will have  A feminine wine is a wine that is more a long aftertaste, while an inferior wine will delicate than most. A masculine wine refers have a short aftertaste. to a “big” or “full” wine.  A wine that watery is said to taste “dilute.” It may have been made from http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/08/21_wi grapes picked during a rainstorm. ne.html start with #36  The worst place to store wine is usually in the kitchen because it is typically too warm  One 750 ml bottle of wine contains 4 to store wine safely. Refrigerators are not ½ glasses of wine. satisfactory for storing wine either. Even at  A vintage date on the label indicates that their warmest setting, they’re too cold. 95% or more of the wine is produced from  When wine and food are paired together, grapes grown in that year. they have “synergy” or a third flavor  “Estate Bottled” means that 100% of the beyond what either the food or drink offers wine came from grapes grown on land alone. Richer, heavier foods usually go well owned or controlled by the winery located with richer, heavier wines; lighter foods in the viticulture area. demand light wines. Additionally, red wine  If you store a bottle of wine at 70° F Wine typically is served with red meat, white has so many organic chemical compounds it wine with white meat and fish, and sweet is considered more complex than wine with . .

28  European wines are named after their  The combination of soil type, climate, geographic locations (e.g., Chassagne- degree of slope, and exposure to the sun Montrachet Morgeot and Bordeaux) while constitutes the terroir of a vineyard and non-European wines (e.g., Pinot Noir and what makes each vineyard and each wine Merlot) are named after different grape unique. varieties  A standard glass of dry red or white wine  A few vine cuttings from the New World contains around 110 calories. brought to Europe spread a tiny insect called Phylloxera vastatrix, which feeds on  Darker shades of wine (the deepest, the roots of vines. The only way to save blackest reds and the most golden whites) European grape vines was to graft native usually come from warm climates and are American vines to European rich and ripe. Lighter colors, especially in white wines, come from cooler climates and are lighter and less lush  With age, red wines tend to lose color and will eventually end up a sort of brick red. On the other hand, white wines gain color, becoming golden and eventually brown- yellow.

 All wines taste like fruit. Only rarely does a wine taste like grapes—for example, or Concord wines

 Red Burgundy is made from the Pinot Noir  170 years is the average age of a French oak grape and is so difficult to make that tree harvested for use in wine barrels. winemakers all over the world see it as  When Tutankhamen’s tomb was opened in some kind of Holy Grail. 1922, the wine jars buried with him were  The Germans invented Eiswein, or wine that labeled with the year, the name of the is made from frozen grapes. winemaker, and comments such as “very  Enologists are wine chemists who analyze good wine.” The labels were so specific that samples of wine and advise winemakers they could actually meet modern  The region in southwest laws of several countries. France has produced wine since Roman times.  One ton of grapes makes about 60 cases of wine, or 720 bottles. One bottle of wine contains about 2.8 pounds of grapes.

29  Grapes are the only fruit that are capable of may be tasted until 31. When a man producing the proper nutrition for the yeast reaches 40, he may drink as much as he on its skin and sugar in its juice to ferment wants to cure the “crabbedness of old age.” naturally.  Hippocrates, widely considered the father  Because grapes in the Southern Hemisphere of medicine, includes wine in almost every are picked during what is Spring in the one of his recorded remedies. He used it for Northern Hemisphere, a 1999 cooling fevers, as a diuretic, as a could be six general antiseptic, and to help months older than a 1999 convalescence. European wine.  Ancient Romans  Archaeologists found grape thought seasoning was more pips (), usually considered important than the primary evidence of winemaking, flavor of wine and often dating from 8000 B.C. in added fermented fish sauce, Turkey, , , and , asafetida (onion root), Jordan. The oldest pips of lead, and . cultivated vines were found in  A crop of newly (then Soviet) from planted grape vines takes four 7000-5000 B.C. to five years to grow before it  One of the most quoted can be harvested. legends about the discovery of  Red wine represents wine is the story of Jamsheed a 55% of wine sales. semi-mythical Persian king (who  Bubbles in wine have may have been Noah). A woman of his been observed since and harem tried to take her life with fermented were attributed to the phases of the moon grapes, which were thought to be or to evil spirits. poisonous. Wine was discovered when she  Global warming may redefine wine growing found herself rejuvenated and lively. in the future. Even tiny temperature  The first known illustration of wine drinking changes can dramatically change the quality is found on a 5,000-year-old Sumerian panel of wine. known as the Standard of Ur.  Oenophobia is an intense fear or hatred of wine.

http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/08/21_wi ne.html

 The Millennial generation (aged 17-34) and Generation X (age 35-46) are currently driving the growth of the wine market  According to the Wine Handbook, the  Plato argued that the minimum drinking age “state” with the highest per capita should be 18, and then wine in moderation consumption of total wine is Washington

30 DC; the state with the lowest per capita  In English drinks are served in pints consumption is West Virginia. and quarts. In old England,  The most popular varietals in the US are: #1 would advise unruly customers to mind Chardonnay, #2 Cabernet, and #3 Merlot. their own pints and quarts. It's the origin of  Each bottle of wine contains about 2.8 "mind your P's and Q's." pounds of grapes; that means each five-  Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914), from "The ounce glass of wine contains a little over a Devil's Dictionary", 1911: CONNOISSEUR, n. half a pound of grapes per vine. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.  One vine annually produces between four  An old wine-bibber was smashed in a and six bottles of wine, or between 20 and railway collision and some wine was poured 30 glasses. on his lips to revive him. "Pauillac, 1873," he  Use leftover wine to make wine . murmured and died. Mix equal parts of white vinegar and wine  On the average, Americans consume just and leave in a corked or stoppered bottle over two and a half of wine per for a month. Pour off any sediment. person a year. Compare this to the French, who consume approximately 15 gallons. http://www.womenwhowine.com/wine-  According to local legend, the great French facts.aspx white Burgundy, -Charlemagne,

owes it's existance, not to the emperor Chalemagne, but to his wife. The red wines  The bill for a celebration for the 55 of Corton stained his white beard so messily drafters of the US Constitution was for 54 that she persuaded him to plant vines that bottles of , 60 bottles of claret, 8 would produce white wines. Charlemagne bottles of whiskey, 22 bottles of port, 8 ordered white grapes to be planted. Thus bottles of hard , 12 and seven Corton-Charlemagne! bowls of alcohol large enough that  Top Napa Valley vineyard land sells for over "ducks could swim in them." $100,000/acre!  In ancient Babylon, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the http://www.firesidedeli.com/index.php?option (fermented honey beverage) he could drink =com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=55 for a month after the wedding. Because their calendar was lunar or moon-based, this period of free mead was called the "honey month," or what we now call the "honeymoon."  Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the liquid to determine the ideal temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, for adding yeast. From this we get the phrase "rule of thumb."

31 Toasts To be the recipient of a toast can be humbling, but it is a blessing in its purest form, when the As far back as 600 B.C, glasses were raised when whole room stands and raises a glass in your sharing wine, not necessarily to toast a friend, honor. There is no more courteous gesture than but to ensure that the wine was not laced with offering a toast, but it is important to do it poison, the preferred method of murder in properly. Toasts should be simple, honest, those days. The word toast actually comes from short, and sweet. If you wish to deliver a toast, the ancient Roman practice of dropping a piece be sure to plan ahead and try to match the of burnt into a jug of wine before sharing good feelings with wit, humor and eloquence. the drink. This would help balance the flavor of It's not always easy offering a toast, so here are a particularly bad wine by reducing the acidity. some of the best around. By the 1700s, those sharing a glass would often toast the rich and the famous, spawning the  "May friendships, like wine, improve, as term, 'Toast of the Town,' and, by the 1800s, time advances. And may we always have toasting was considered the right and proper old wine, old friends, and young cares." - thing to do when sharing wine. Today, those Author unknown. who propose a toast show respect, whether for  "A man not old, but mellow, like good the living, the dead or God's great gifts. wine." - Stephen Phillips  "May you get all your wishes but one, so you always have something to strive for!." - Author unknown  "Here's to cold nights, warm friends, and a good drink to give them." - Author unknown  "To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with." -- Mark Twain  "Grow old with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which, the first is made." -- Robert Browning  "May your glass be ever full May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead." - Old Irish Toast  "May the best day of your past, be the worst day of your future." - Unknown Author

http://www.lifeinitaly.com/wines/toasts.asp

"Wine is the answer, but I can't remember the question"

32 Terminology alcohol) which affect taste. A wine is well- balanced when none of those characteristics A dominates and the proportion of smooth and harsh in the wine tastes comfortable. Aroma - the smell of a wine. The term is generally applied to younger wines, while the Beaujolais – a young wine that has very little term Bouquet is reserved for more aged wines. tannin so is drank between 6 months and 7 There exist fruity wines, earthy wines (taste of years of age. After 7 years, the wine becomes mushroom, under wood, dried leaves), spicy vinegar since the tannins no longer keep it wines (, , pepper, Indian ), stable. and wines with Blanc de Blancs - A aromas of white wine, (mint, hay, often sparkling, rosemary, made exclusively Provence herbs). from white grapes, and Appellations - a often legally defined Chardonnay. and protected geographical Blending - The indication used to mixing of two or identify where the more different grapes for a wine wines together were grown. by winemakers Restrictions other to produce a than geographical consistent boundaries, such finished wine as what grapes that is ready for may be grown, bottling. Laws maximum grape generally dictate yields, alcohol what wines can level, and other quality be blended factors, may also apply before an appellation together, and what is subsequently printed on name may legally appear on a label. the wine label. The rules that govern appellations are Body - A tasting term describing the weight and dependent on the country in which the wine fullness of a wine that can be sensed. A wine was produced. may be light, medium, or full -bodied. As a less specific term than texture, wines rich in B concentration, extract, alcohol, tannin, and glycerol may be described as full-bodied. Balance - The harmonious relationship of the Bouquet - Includes all the different smells of a components of wine (acids, fruit, tannins, and wine. Aroma applies more to young wines while

33 Bouquet applies to matured wines. Cordial Cork taint - A type of wine degradation or fault wines are pleasant tasting with no salient describing undesirable aromas and flavors in features and easy to drink. wine often attributed to mold growth on Brut - A term for a very dry champagne or chlorine bleached corks. sparkling wine. Drier than extra dry. Côte – the area on the slope of vineyards in mountains where the rich fertile soil settles and C makes the best ground for growing grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon - a variety of red grape Country wine - . mainly used for wine production, and is, like Crackling - semi-sparkling wine which is slightly Chardonnay, one of the most widely -planted of effervescent. Also called frizzante. the world's noble grape varieties. Crémant - French sparkling wine not made in Chardonnay - A type of wine and one of the the Champagne region. noble white varietals. D

Decanting - The process of pouring wine from its bottle into a to separate the sediment from the wine sediment, to provide oxygen, and to release its aromas.

Demi - Moderately sweet to medium sweet sparkling wines. DOC - the abbreviation for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or controlled place name. This is Italy's designation for wine whose name, origin of grapes, grape varieties and other Château - a house, with or without important factors are regulated by law. It is also fortifications, originally and still most frequently the abbreviation for Portugal's highest wine in French-speaking regions and often having an category, which has the same meaning in that accompanying vineyard. A fortified château (or country. castle) is called a château fort. DOCG - the abbreviation for Denominazione di Chianti - Italy's most famous wine derived from Origine Controllata e Garantita, or controlled the Sangiovese grape. and guaranteed place name, which is the Claret - a British name for Bordeaux wine. Also category for the highest ranking wine in Italy. a semi-generic term for a red wine similar in Doux - The French word for sweet and usually style to a Bordeaux. refers to the sweetest category of sparkling Cork - A wine bottle (closure) made wines. from the thick outer bark of the cork oak tree. Dry - wines with zero or very low levels of Corked - A tasting term for a wine that has cork residual sugar. The opposite of sweet, except in taint. sparkling wines, where dry indicates sweet.

34 E H

Enology - American English spelling of Hard - A tasting term for a wine that contains or the study of wine. too much tannin and is therefore unpleasant. Extra dry - A champagne or sparkling wine with Hard wines often take a long time to mature. a small amount of residual sugar (slightly I sweet). Not as dry as Brut. F Legs - The tracks of liquid that cling to the sides of a glass after the contents have been swirled. Fermentation - The conversion of grape sugars Often said to be related to the alcohol or into alcohol by glycerol content of a yeast. wine. Also called tears. Finish - A tasting term for the M lingering aftertaste after a wine has - The been swallowed. contact of grape skins with the Must Flabby - A tasting (pressed grapes and term used to juice—see below) indicate a wine during fermentation, lacking in structure, extracting phenolic often marked by low compounds including acidity. tannins, , and aroma. Flagon - A that holds two liters of Magnum - A bottle holding 51 ounces (1.5 (usually inexpensive) . liters), the equivalent of two regular wine Fortified wine - a wine to which alcohol has bottles. been added, generally to increase the Merlot - is used as both a blending grape and concentration to a high enough level to prevent for varietal wines. Merlot-based wines usually fermentation. have medium body with hints of , plum, G and currants. Mis en bouteille au château - French label Gewürztraminer - A white wine grape variety indication for being bottled at the winery, from the region of Alsace in France. usually in the Bordeaux wine region. Grenache - A red wine grape from the Rhône Valley of France, and also Spain. In the southern Rhône area, Grenache replaces Syrah as the most important grape (Syrah being more important in the north.

35 Mud - Wine sediment that occurs during and Off -dry - A wine that has the barest hint of after fermentation, and consists of dead yeast, sweetness; a slightly sweet wine in which the grape seeds, and other solids. Wine is separated residual sugar is barely perceptible. from the by . - Description of wine produced from Must - Unfermented grape juice, including pips, vines that are notably old. skins and stalks. - Wines produced inside of the N traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa. Nebuchadnezzar - A large bottle holding 507 Oxidation - The decay in a wine caused by over- ounces (15 liters), the equivalent of 20 regular exposure to air. wine bottles. P - Wines produced Phylloxera - outside of the phylloxera aphids traditional wine were accidentally growing areas of brought to Europe and North Europe from Africa. Noble rot - Another and consequently name for the ate through the roots of European mold that can grapevines pierce grape skins destroing causing dehydration. thousands of The resulting grapes produce a highly prized kilometers of vineyards in France alone. After sweet wine, generally dessert wine. discovery of the cause of the blight, root stocks Nose - A tasting term for the aroma or bouquet that were resistant to phylloxera were brought of a wine. from California and original french cuttings grafted onto them O Palate - A tasting term for the feel and taste of a wine in the mouth. Oaked - relating to wine that is fermented and stored for a time in oak barrels prior to bottling. pH - An acronym for potential hydrogen which Unoaked is the opposite meaning it is is a measure of acidity. The lower the pH, the fermented in other containers such as stainless higher the acidity. steel. Pip - Grape seeds. Oenology - The science of wine and Plonk - British-English slang for an inexpensive winemaking. bottle of wine. Oenophile - A wine afficionado or connoisseur. - The skins, stalks, and seeds that remain after making wine. Also called marc.

36 sorbate - A wine stabilizer and whereby bottles of sparkling wine are preservative. successively turned and gradually tilted upside Proof - The alcohol content of a beverage. In down so that sediment settles into the necks of the United States, proof represents twice the the bottles in preparation for degorgement. alcohol content as a percentage of volume. Part of the Méthode Champenoise process. Thus, a 100 proof beverage is 50% alcohol by Robe - is the color of the wine. volume and a 150 proof Rosé - Pink wines that are beverage is 75% alcohol. produced from the In the Imperial system, shortened contact of proof, (or 100% proof), red wine juice with its equals 57.06% ethanol skins, reducing the red by volume, or 48.24% by color of the wine. weight. Absolute or pure These wines can also ethanol is 75.25 over be made by blending a proof, or 175.25 proof. small amount of red Punt - The indentation wine with white wine. found in the base of a Ruby - A style of Port wine bottle. Punt depth wine that is generally is often thought to be sweet. related to wine quality, with better quality wines S having a deeper punt. Sec - French for dry, Q except in the of Champagne, where it Quality - Price Ratio or means semi-sweet. QPR. A designation for rating wine based on the Sediment - Residue from wines, particularly ratio of its quality and its price. The higher quality and less expensive price a wine has, the reds; consists of tannins, and better the ratio. . - A fortified wine that has been R subjected to controlled oxidation to produce a distinctive flavor. Racking - The process of drawing wine off the its sediment, such as lees, after fermentation Syrah - (Shiraz) is a dark-skinned variety of and moving it into another vessel. grape used to make both varietal and blended red wines. Reserve - A term given to wine to indicate that it is of higher quality than usual. - A trained wine expert that often works in fine . Riddling - Also known as Rémuage in French, part of the Méthode Champenoise process Sparkling wine - Effervescent or bubbly wine containing significant levels of carbon dioxide.

37 Split - A wine bottle that holds approximately 6 Tart - A tasting term describing a wine high oz (175-187 mL) or one-fourth the equivalent of in acidity. Often displayed by young, unripe a typical 750 mL bottle. wines. Still wine - A wine that is not sparkling wine. - The most important acid Sweetness - Defined by the level of residual found in grapes. sugar in the final liquid after the fermentation Tears - The tracks of liquid that cling to the has ceased. How sweet the wine will actually sides of a glass after the contents have been taste is also controlled by factors such as the acidity and alcohol levels, the amount of tannin swirled. Often said to be related to the present, and whether the wine is sparkling. alcohol or glycerol content of a wine and also called legs. Syndicat des Vins de Bordeaux et Texture - A Bordeaux tasting term Superieur - An for the organization mouthfeel of representing the wine on the economic interests palate. of wine producers in Bordeaux. Transparency - The ability T of a wine to Table wine - clearly Generally any portray all wine that is not unique aspects sparkling or fortified. In the United States of its flavor-fruit, floral, and mineral notes. these wines must also be between 7% and U 14% . Also used to describe a wine that is considered a good, Unoaked - Also known as unwooded, refers to everyday wine. wines that have been matured without contact with oak such as in aging barrels. Tannin - Harsh, element in red wines from skins and stems; softens with aging V and is essential in the long-term Varietal - Wines made from a single grape development of red wines. Tannin variety. compounds give wine a bitter, dry, or VDQS - Vin délimité de qualité supérieure puckery feeling in the mouth at the back of the tongue. Tannin is to red wine what - A fortified wine that has been acidity is to white wine. flavored with as many as 40 herbs and spices.

38 Vertical and horizontal wine tasting - In a Viticulture - The cultivation of grapes. Not to be vertical tasting, different vintages of the same confused with viniculture. wine type from the same winery are tasted. This emphasizes differences between various W vintages. In a horizontal tasting, the wines are - A cool, dark location in which wine all from the same vintage but are from different is stored, often for the purpose of aging. wineries. Keeping wine variety or type and wine region the same helps emphasize differences in Wine tasting - The sensory evaluation of wine, winery styles. encompassing more than taste, but also mouthfeel, aroma, Vigneron - French and color. wine grower. Vignoble - French Y for vineyard Yeast - A Vin - French for microscopic wine. unicellular fungus Viniculture - The responsible for art and science of the conversion of making wine. Also sugars in Must to called enology (or alcohol. This oenology). Not to process is known be confused with as alcoholic viticulture. fermentation. Vinification - The Young - Wine that process of making is not matured and grape juice into wine. usually bottled and sold within a year of its vintage. Vintage - The year in which a particular wine's grapes are harvested. When a vintage year is Z indicated on a label, it signifies that all the grapes used to make the wine in the bottle - The science of fermentation were harvested in that year. http://www.homemade-wine-making- guide.com/food-and-wine-pairing.html

39 Maps: Italian regions:

French Regions

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