Portal:Wine

Topics Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology W i n e A portal dedicated to wine

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 play a role in religious ceremonies, such as Kiddush in Judaism and the Eucharist in Christianity. Template:/box-footer Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Etruscans and Greek settlers produced wine in the country long before the Romans started developing their own vineyards in the second century BC. Roman grape-growing and winemaking was prolific and well-organized, pioneering large-scale production and storage techniques like barrel-making and bottling. Two thousand years later, Italy remains one of the world's foremost producers, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Wine is a popular drink in Italy. Grapes are grown in almost every part of Italy, with more than 1 million vineyards under cultivation. In some places the vines are trained along low supports. In others they climb as slender saplings. Most wine-making in Italy is done in modern wineries. However, villagers who make wine for their own use sometimes still tread the grapes with their bare feet, until the juice is squeezed out. They believe this ancient method still makes the best wine. Jean-Louis Vignes B. April 9,1780 – d. January 17, 1862 Jean-Louis Vignes, or as he was known to his Spanish and Mexican neighbors, "Don Luis del Aliso", was a French settler to the Los Angeles area during the Mexican era. He was the first commercial wine maker in California and one of the first men to import and plant European Vitis vinifera grapes in the state. A skilled cooper by trade and an adventurer and entrepreneur by choice, he arrived in the Sandwich Islands on July 6, 1827 from Béguey, a village downriver from Cadillac, Gironde, France. After losing his business in Honolulu, he sailed to California and landed at El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles de la Porciúncula in 1831. Upon his arrival, he bought 104 acres of land located between the original Pueblo and the banks of the Los Angeles river. Vignes proceeded to plant vines and to build a winery. Unhappy with the quality of the local Mission grapes, he imported Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon blanc vines from Bordeaux In 1834, Vignes also planted one of the first orange groves in the Los Angeles area. By 1849, El Aliso, as Vignes' property was called, was the most extensive vineyard in California. Vignes owned over 40,000 vines and produced 150,000 bottles, or 1000 barrels, per year. In 1850, Vignes was the largest wine producer in California. Screaming Eagle Winery and Vineyards is a California wine estate producing limited amounts of varietal wine. The winery is located in Oakville, California, north of the town of Napa in the Napa Valley, and their product has risen to the status of "cult wine". Jean Phillips, a former real estate agent, bought the 57 acres (23 ha) vineyard in 1986 which was planted to produce a mix of varieties, most of which Phillips sold to various Napa wineries. With all white varieties but for 1-acre (0.40 ha), approximately 80 vines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Philips sought the opinions of Robert Mondavi Winery staffmembers on the commercial potential of her wine before hiring Richard Peterson as a consultant, and subsequently met Peterson's daughter, Heidi Peterson Barrett, who became her winemaker. The Carménère grape is a wine grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used to produce deep red wines and occasionally used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot. A member of the Cabernet family of grapes, the name "Carménère" originates from the French word for crimson (carmin) after the hue of the grape in fall. The grape is also known as Grande Vidure, a historic Bordeaux synonym, although current European Union regulations prohibit Chilean imports under this name into the EU. Along with Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit verdot, Carménère is considered part of the original six noble grapes of Bordeaux, France. Now rarely found in France, the world's largest area planted with this variety is in Chile in South America, with more than 4,000 Hectares (2006) cultivated in the Central Valley. As such, Chile produces the vast majority of Carménère wines available today and as the Chilean wine industry grows, more experimentation is being carried out on Carménère's potential as a blending grape, especially with Cabernet Sauvignon. Carménère is also grown in Italy's Eastern Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions and in smaller quantities in the California and Walla Walla regions of the United States. In Australia, three cuttings of Carménère were imported from Chile by renowned viticultural expert Dr Richard Smart in the late 1990s. After two years in quarantine, only one cutting survived the heat treatment to eliminate viruses and was micro-propagated (segments of individual buds grown on nutrient gel) and field grown by Narromine Vine Nursery. The first vines from the nursery were planted in 2002 by Amietta Vineyard and Winery in the Moorabool Valley (Geelong, Victoria) who use Carménère in their Angels' Share blend. “ ... good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people. ” — William Shakespeare Henry VIII (play) Food Drink Beer Wine Liquor Coffee Bacon Agriculture and Agronomy Health and fitness Hunger relief Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header Parent project: WikiProject Food and Drink Related projects: WikiProject Agriculture WikiProject Fishing and Fisheries Child projects: Task forces: Wikiproject Bacon WikiProject Bartending WikiProject Beer WikiProject Breakfast WikiProject Spirits Wikiproject Wine Beverages task force Cheeses task force Coffee and Tea task force Desserts task force Foodservice task force Herbs and Spices task force Pub task force What are WikiProjects? Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header {{Wikipedia:WikiProject Wine/Tasks}} Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header 48px The following entries are categories relating to Wine: ► Wine Outline of wine Grape varieties Wine producing regions Wine producing countries Wine terms Vineyards and wineries Wine personalities Champagne producers Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header Appellation • Oenology • Winery • Winemaking • Wine tasting • Vintage • Vinyard • Viticulture Wine styles Red/White • Rosé/Blush • Sparkling • Dessert • Fortified • Fruit • Ice Wine Notable varietals Albariño • Chardonnay • Chenin blanc • Gewürztraminer • Grüner veltliner • Muscat • Pinot blanc • Pinot gris • Riesling Sauvignon blanc • Sémillon • Silvaner • Viognier • Barbera • Cabernet Franc • Cabernet Sauvignon • Carignane • Dolcetto Gamay • Grenache • Malbec • Merlot • Mourvèdre • Nebbiolo • Petite Sirah/Durif • Petit Verdot • Pinot noir • Pinotage Sangiovese • Syrah/Shiraz • Tempranillo • Zinfandel Notable regions Bordeaux • Burgundy • California • Champagne • Douro • Mosel • Rheinhessen • Rhône • Rioja • Tuscany Notable nations Argentina • Australia • Chile • France • Germany • Italy • Portugal • Spain • South Africa • United States of America Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header The following Wikimedia sister projects provide more on this subject: Wikipedia's Portals All Portals Overview Glossaries Indices Lists Outlines Categories Reference Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Featured portals About portals