Portal:Wine

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The Wine Portal

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermentation of grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Although fruits other than grapes can also be fermented, the resultant wines are normally named after the fruit from which they are produced (for example, apple wine) and are known as fruit wine (or country wine). Others, such as barley wine and rice wine (e.g. sake), are made from starch-based materials and resemble beer more than wine; ginger wine is fortified with brandy. In these cases, the use of the term "wine" is a reference to the higher alcohol content, rather than the production process. The commercial use of the word "wine" (and its equivalent in other languages) is protected by law in many jurisdictions. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast which consume the sugars found in the grapes and convert them into alcohol. Various varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are used depending on the types of wine produced.

Wine stems from an extended and rich history dating back about 8,000 years and is thought to have originated in present-day Georgia or Iran. Wine is thought to have appeared in Europe about 6,500 years ago in present-day Bulgaria and Greece and was very common in ancient Greece and Rome; the Greek god Dionysos, and his Roman counterpart Liber represented wine. Wine continues to plays a role in religious ceremonies, such as Kiddush in Judaism and the Eucharist in Christianity.

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Languedoc wine, including the vin de pays labeled Vin de Pays d'Oc, is produced in southern France. While "Languedoc" can refer to a specific historic region of France and Northern Catalonia, usage since the 20th century (especially in the context of wine) has primarily referred to the northern part of the Languedoc-Roussillon région of France, an area which spans the Mediterranean coastline from the French border with Spain to the region of Provence. The area has around 700,000 acres (2,800 km²) under vines and is the single biggest wine-producing region in the world, being responsible for more than a third of France's total wine production. As recently as 2001, the region produced more wine than the entire United States. Other selections

Did you know...

...that French winemakers in Jurançon once promoted their white Manseng wines with the slogan "Manseng means Jurançon means Sex"?
...that the skin of the Austrian white wine grape Zierfandler turns red just before it is ready to harvest?
....that spinning cones are sometimes used to lower the alcohol level of wine made from grapes with a high sugar content?
...that Zinfandel was grown for table grapes in Boston long before it made wine in California?
...that after placing fifth in the original Judgment of Paris wine tasting, the 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon made by Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards won the 2006 rematch?
...that the Champagne house Cattier resurrected its dormant de Brignac brand and it is now known for its distinctive, golden pewter bottles?
...that the well known white wine region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia also makes red wine from grapes like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pignolo?
...that Benjamin Franklin supported the growing of Vitis labrusca grapes in Poor Richard in response to the Revenue Act of 1764.

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Mas de Daumas Gassac is a French winery located in the wine region Languedoc in the southeast of France, in the commune of Aniane. The wine produced here is classified as Vin de Pays de l'Hérault due to its use of grape varieties outside specifications of its AOC. Despite its modest designation and location, the vineyard has received widespread acknowledgement, described by the The Times to taste like a “Latour” and by the French magazine Gault-Milau as the "Lafite Rothschild of the Languedoc-Roussillon", it is frequently referred to as the Grand Cru of the Languedoc.

On land sold by the Daumas family to a former glove manufacturer Aimé Guibert, wines were first planted at this vineyard in 1974. Following the recommendation of Henri Enjalbert, a professor of Geography at the University of Bordeaux, whose assessment of the terroir determined the microclimate to be uncharacteristically favourable for cultivation of wine in such a warm region, the first vintage was produced in 1978 with the assistance of the oenologist Émile Peynaud. Aimé Guibert has since featured in the documentary film Mondovino, stating that "wine is dead".

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News

8 February: Ceja Vineyards to Open Wine Tasting Salon in Downtown Napa(Source:Business Wire)
7 February: Wine's impact on Washington: $3B per year (Source:Puget Sound Business Journal)
7 February: Cost Plus World Market Takes the Confusion out of Wine Selection with the Launch of Foodies, Its Latest Line of Wines from California(Source:Business Wire)
7 February: Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen to Host 2nd Riesling Rendezvous July 27-29(Source:Business Wire)
30 January: Governor stars in new tourism ads touting Calif food and wine (Source:The Associated Press)
30 January: Positive Wine Industry Vibe: Even beleaguered growers are optimistic at Unified Symposium(Source:Wines and Vines)

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Selected biography

The entrance of Robert Mondavi Winery.

Robert Gerald Mondavi (June 18, 1913–May 16, 2008) was a leading American vineyard operator whose technical improvements and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi aggressively promoted labeling wines varietally rather than generically. This is now the standard for New World wines.