Wine Is An Century Old Art, A Modern Day Science and A World-wide Business
Wine producing has been practiced in one form or another for thousands of years with pottery jars discovered in Persia (present day Iran) dating back to 5,500 BC showing evidence of grapes use in winemaking. In addition, jars from Jiahu in China dated to between 6000 and 7000 BC have also been discovered containing wine from wild grapes.
But whether we are talking about ancient or modern wine production, many of the same conditions apply and not dissimilar techniques are used because the chemistry of the humble grape is an eternal quality.
With some exceptions the grapes used for producing wine grow only only between latitudes 30-50 degrees North and 30-45 degrees South of the equator. Unlike most other crops, grapes do not need an especially fertile soil and it is interesting to note that a thinner soil usually results in a small crop but also usually produces higher quality grapes.
Ironically, soils that are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients (conditions that are usually highly beneficial for most plants) can produce grapes that are unsuitable for winemaking. Such grapes are often very good for eating, but lack the desirable amounts of minerals, acids and sugars for winemaking.
Undoubtedly, the finest wines come from soils which would be considered poor quality for other agricultural purposes. For example, the stellar wines from Bordeaux are made from grapes grown in gravelly soil, on a base of chalk or clay. The crop here is small, but the quality of the grapes is high. In this instance the pebbly earth permits good drainage, which is essential as grapevines need adequate but not excessive water, but the conditions force the roots to penetrate deep into the earth where they absorb a variety of complex minerals.
Vineyards are also most often found along river valleys, with slopes providing abundant sunshine. Vines in these cases are frequently of the European species vitis vinifera, from which various well known wines are made, such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.
Viticulture, the term used for the practice of grape growing for winemaking, is one of the most complicated agricultural undertakings today. A master vintner (today, sometimes known as an oenologist), must be an expert in a wide range of subjects including fermentation, soil chemistry, climatology and various other ancient arts and modern sciences.
In addition to categorization by variety, wines are also classified by vinification methods (sparkling, still, fortified, rosé, blush), by region (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace etc.), by vintage as well as by several other methods.
As soon as the grower, chemist and manufacturer have done their job, the businessman then takes over and wine today is certainly very big business. Wine sales in the United States alone run to something like 600 million gallons, representing in excess of $20 billion in consumer spending. Perhaps not surprisingly France is the world leader when it comes to exports with 22% of world export volume, with Italy coming in a close second.
At the end of the day however, no matter how big a business wine making is today, it is still very much a balance of art, science and business and winemaking is certainly not a venture to be entered into by the faint hearted.
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Author: Donald Saunders
