You can't beat a fine wine, matured to perfection
If you have heard the adages given to fine wine over the centuries you know how highly it is regarded around the world. There have been many comparisons over the years and each has only enhanced the reputation of those well aged grapes. The fermentation process that creates wine can take years, especially when the result is to make an exceptional variety. It takes sugars, enzymes, acids, water, yeast, and some other nutrients to work together in the fermentation process and in the end you find a quality drink containing a fair amount of alcohol and delectable flavor.
Included in the final product are many chemical compounds
By the time a batch of wine has fermented into what will be considered a fine wine it will involve thousands of compounds made up of chemicals created due to the process of fermentation. With this in mind you can understand that each batch made may have a slightly different flavor and color. Some are so subtle and sophisticated that it takes an experienced wine connoisseur to convey the different flavors and aromas. Adding yeast to the crushed grapes that go into the manufacture of wine causes the sugar to turn into alcohol over time. Different grapes create uniquely different varieties of wine and each process of fermentation will vary according to what the vintner chooses to produce.
Wine has a long and glorious history
With a history dating back for many thousands of years, wine has been a revered drink nearly as long as man has inhabited the planet. Earliest known wine production dates back to around 6000 BC and commonly found in Rome and Greece. Historically wine plays a role in many religions and modern day auctions find extremely old and rare bottles of fine wine selling for as much as one million pounds and more! Wine collectors today can be compared with stamp or coin collectors and have turned a hobby into an obsession in some instances.
Wine tasters compare color and savor flavors
Visiting a vintners and tasting fine wines is part of many tours of California and other locations in the US as well as France, England, Spain, Italy, and Greece. The process begins with opening a bottle and allowing it to "breathe" a bit. After a few hours the wine may be decanted or poured into glasses, then savored by each tester. Subtle differences among bottles will be obvious to those with a palate that is sophisticated enough to determine those slight differences among the type of grape used. Most taste testers never actually swallow their samples so there is no fear of becoming "tipsy" and perhaps losing their fine palate.
Often the difference is found in the soil
Grapes growing in a vineyard's soil containing high amounts of limestone will taste different than those from other areas and types of soil. They may taste of the minerals themselves such as saltiness or even sulphur providing the grapes themselves with a rotten egg flavor. This can be corrected in the fermentation process. Sugar content can determine the sweetness of a wine, rendering it sweet to the point of tasting syrupy or slightly bitter depending on the amount of sugar in the grapes themselves. Organic molecules such as terpenes and esters contribute to the flavor variations, often making a dryer wine with somewhat stronger aroma and flavor.
Included in the final product are many chemical compounds
By the time a batch of wine has fermented into what will be considered a fine wine it will involve thousands of compounds made up of chemicals created due to the process of fermentation. With this in mind you can understand that each batch made may have a slightly different flavor and color. Some are so subtle and sophisticated that it takes an experienced wine connoisseur to convey the different flavors and aromas. Adding yeast to the crushed grapes that go into the manufacture of wine causes the sugar to turn into alcohol over time. Different grapes create uniquely different varieties of wine and each process of fermentation will vary according to what the vintner chooses to produce.
Wine has a long and glorious history
With a history dating back for many thousands of years, wine has been a revered drink nearly as long as man has inhabited the planet. Earliest known wine production dates back to around 6000 BC and commonly found in Rome and Greece. Historically wine plays a role in many religions and modern day auctions find extremely old and rare bottles of fine wine selling for as much as one million pounds and more! Wine collectors today can be compared with stamp or coin collectors and have turned a hobby into an obsession in some instances.
Wine tasters compare color and savor flavors
Visiting a vintners and tasting fine wines is part of many tours of California and other locations in the US as well as France, England, Spain, Italy, and Greece. The process begins with opening a bottle and allowing it to "breathe" a bit. After a few hours the wine may be decanted or poured into glasses, then savored by each tester. Subtle differences among bottles will be obvious to those with a palate that is sophisticated enough to determine those slight differences among the type of grape used. Most taste testers never actually swallow their samples so there is no fear of becoming "tipsy" and perhaps losing their fine palate.
Often the difference is found in the soil
Grapes growing in a vineyard's soil containing high amounts of limestone will taste different than those from other areas and types of soil. They may taste of the minerals themselves such as saltiness or even sulphur providing the grapes themselves with a rotten egg flavor. This can be corrected in the fermentation process. Sugar content can determine the sweetness of a wine, rendering it sweet to the point of tasting syrupy or slightly bitter depending on the amount of sugar in the grapes themselves. Organic molecules such as terpenes and esters contribute to the flavor variations, often making a dryer wine with somewhat stronger aroma and flavor.