\~')''> CHAPTER ~® Wine LEARNING OBJECTIVES INTRODUCTION After reading this chapter, you will be able to Of all the alcoholic beverages, wme is regarded as the most complex and , define and cl:issify wines interesting subject of study. This i_s so because each cc-untry and rygion , know the constituents of grapes uses d_ifferent types of ·grapes for wine _production; implements own , name and understand the labelling Jaws; foll~ws own quality control; has different manufacturing charac!eristics of son1e of the processes, wine evaluation methods; storage methods; follows sew~al famous black and whitf: grapes service procedures for various types of wines, etc; A comprehensive • list ~he factors influencing the book oil wine that deals with all-of these aspects is justifiable. Here we character of a wine • understand the wine faults and wiil discuss what ifexpected from the food and _beverage service staff: the reason for ~hem • know how t'l evaluate wine DEFINITION OF WINE • understand how the w:nes are named Wine is an alcoholic beverage obtained from the fermented juice of freshly harvested ·gra§ It is prepared from both whi~nd black _ grapes. There are many varieties of grapes produced and not all of them are used in the production of wme. The colour, flavour, and aroma qf -the wine are largely influenced by the type of grapes used m·the . "c. s ---- ; - · .. ,__ 4 •~:""'IT'e ••-~...o:..':i.1::_ .. ~-~ production.,_..-· CLASSIFICATION OF WINE Wine is classified on the basis of the following factors: I 5-• Colour ~ Taste J!t Content I ~T -Colour-- Wine is classified according to colour, such as white wine, red wine, \ rose wine (pink wine),. and blush wine . White wine White wine colour ranges from pale straw wjth a green.. tinge to dark gold. It is produced from both· white and black grapes. If f r produced from black grapes, the skin of the grapes must be removed soon after crushing, to prevent the 'must' (pressed grapes), taking on the I -------------------------- .. Re~ wine The colour of red wine ra~ges from purple when young and to brick red !s it ages. It 1s p~duced form red grapes. ~e skin is allowed to remain with the fennentiqg must either throughout. the process or half way through. The colouring pigments present in the skin give colou r to th e wme. · Rose wine This wine is light ink in colour which is roduced from the · e of d red grapes or only orm red rapes. The skin of the black grapes is allowed to remain in contact with tne must, till the required ting is obtained. It takes about 24 to 36 hours depending on the intensity of rose colour required. Once the required colour is obtained the skin is removed. It is legally permitted in some countries to blend small quantity of red with white wine. ~ . Blush wine It is the new style of rose wine developed in California, USA. Skins of black ~ are allowed to macerate with the must for a very short period which produces a very light pink- 'eofoutelt wme. • w "·-~--• .. Taste · According to the taste, wine is classified int~ dry, mediu~, and sweet. Dry wine It is produced· when all the sugar is converted to alcoh2.l: · Sweet wine It is obtained when there is .some sugat left after formentati~, stopped naturally or intentionally by tlie manufacturer. · - · · · M ~f . e:lium It .is neithe~ too .<in'JlQr too s»ie~t. it has traces ~gar left·~er the·~ermentation 4 (Note: Red wmes are dry and wrutes are both dry an~ sweet-in tast.:.. The tastes-dry and sweet-range from medium to extremes.) 1D=-content . BlSed on the c0ntent of tlie wine, wine is clasaified as still, sparkling, fortified, aromatized, ~nd • • ........ ' -◄--·•--- _ ,.~- •~ • - -~~ ... - ... • - ""::...•-.:.- r•tz __,,_ .... tome wme. · · = · Still wine- It is a kind of wine obtained by the natural fermentation process without adding anything else. Tht carbon dioxide (CO2) produced during fermentation is allowed to escape. This typeof wine is also tenned as table wine. The alcoholic content is 10-14 per cent abv. Cabarnet Sauvignon - ___. 9 .. a, is one of the mpst popular table wines. Sparkling wine These are ottled with the carbon dioxide produced durin fermentation. The gas is prevented from escapjpg. The trapped gas is the result o secondary fermentation ei er 1u·the bottle or in the sealed tank. Some manufacturers impregnate the wine with the gas. It gives effervescence or sparkle to the wine. The alcoholic percentage is between 10 and 13 per cent. The glasses used for sparkling wine must be thick to withstand the pressure of the gas behind the cork . .._f~ampagne is an example of this kind of wine., Fortified wine The alcoholic strength of the wine is increased with the addition of brandy either during or at the end of the fermentation. The alcoholic strength of the fortified wines range from i6 to 22 per cent abv. This type of wine is also termed as heavy wine. Examples.__ are sherry, port, Madeira, and Marsala. Aromatized wine These wines are fortified and aromatized with herbs, bark, spices, roots,~ The alcoholic content is 14-20 per cent abv. Vermouth is the most popular aromatized wine. Tonic wine This wine has health improvers added to it......_ GRAPES Sugar and yeasts are essential for fermentation to occur and the acids, pigments, and tannins are • necessary for a wine to have a good bouquet, taste, colour, body, and balance. All are avaitable naturally in each grape in varying proportions according to the grape variety, the type of soil in which the vines grow, and the climate. Constituents of Grapes The following are the constituents of grapes (see Figure 20.1) and each contributes to winemaking. • Stalk • Skin • Pulp • Pips Stalk Stalks hold grapes in a bunch. It weighs around 3-7 per cent of the total weight of the harvest depending on the type of vine. Stalk contains tannins, which are soluble in alcohol. Tannin contributes the following to the wine. • Astringency • Keeping quality • Helps in coagulation with fining agent containing protein that is_used during the clarification process Skin It is a natural cover to proiect the contents inside the grape. The s~n contains the pigments 'anthocyanes' and 'flavones' that give colour to the wine. The si9n is covered with a w~y sub:;tance called bloom which contains bacteria, moulds, . ~ arid miil~ons of wild and wine reasts including Saccharomyces ellipsodium in various fonns Stalk (tannin) which convert the grape sugar to alcohol. .Pulp It ~s a soft substance behind the .skin of the grapes which contains liquid, sugar (glucose and fructose), and acids, such as tartaric, malic, and citric acids. It amounts to Pips (ta:rnin, oils) Pulp (sugar, 80-85 per cent of the weight of the ~unch. acids, minerals) Skin (yeast, tannin, During the fennentation process, these acids pigments) interact with alcohol and produce 'esters' which provide bouquet to the wine. Other than these acids, the pulp also has other minerals Figure 20.1 .Constituents of Grapes which influence the taste and character of the wine. The water content of the pulp is about I 80 per cent and the sugar is between 10 and .25 per cent, and the rest is acids. This composition depends on the variety of the grapes and the climatic conditions. Pips These are the small seeds of grapes. These contain both tannins and oils. They give an unpleasantly bitter flavour to the wine and are discarded during winemaking. Main Grape Varieties There are hundreds of varieties of grapes grown and not all of them produce good quality wines. Following are the main grapes used in the production of wine and their characteristics. White grapes Principal whites The following white grapes (see Table 20.1) are the main ingredients for most of the white wines produced in the world. 1 /ardonnay This is a classic grape variety which comes originally from Burgundy, France. It is one of the types of grapes used in the production of champagne. It produces light, crisp, dry wine with a flavour of a lot of tropical fruits. Many Chardonnay wines are fermented and matured in oak casks. It is grown throughout the wine-producing regions of the world. It withstands all kinds of climatic conditions and prefers a soil ric-h in calcium. It is used in the USA, Australia, South Africc!, New Zealal)d, Toscana ih Italy. This grape is from Germany. Mose!, and Rhine wines of Germany are produced from this _ 2 /ling grape. It grows well in cool dimate but n-ot in hot climates and·can withst~nd any type of soil. Riesling grapes ripen early. They produce light citrus-flavoured dry wines and floral, sweet wines. The wines produced from these grapes can either be consumed-young or can _ be ageiwhen affected by botrytis (botrytis cinerea is a necrot~ophic fungus that affects many plant s.pecies, although its· most notable hosts may be wine grapes). It is matured in stainless steel to retain its delicate floral a~oma. The-USA and South Australia cultivate this variety·of grapes. 3 _,,;au,.,igr,on It is the principal grape variety u~ed ,in the production of excellent white wines of / Blanc Bordeaux and Loire Valley. The wine h~s a grassy flavo_ur al)d the character of acidic fr~it, gooseberry. It requrres_a cool climate and limestone or gravelly soil. The USA, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, Toscana in Italy are the ·other re_gion.s using this variety. It is grown in Graves, Sauternes, and Barsac regions of.