Making Wine Is An Age Old Art, A Modern Science and A Global Business
Wine making has been carried out in one way or another for many thousands of years with jars discovered in Persia (present day Iran) dating as far back as 5,500 BC displaying evidence of grapes use for winemaking. Additionally, jars from Jiahu in China dated to between 6000 and 7000 BC have also been found containing wine made from wild grapes.
However whether we are considering ancient or modern wine making, many of the same conditions apply and not dissimilar techniques are used because the chemistry of the grape is an everlasting quality.
With a few notable exceptions the grapes used in wine making grow only only between latitudes 30-50 degrees North and 30-45 degrees South of the equator. Unlike the majority of other crops, grapes do not require an especially fertile soil and it is interesting to note that a thinner soil frequently produces a small crop but also frequently produces higher quality grapes.
Strangely enough, soils that are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients (conditions that are normally highly beneficial for most plants) can produce grapes that are not suitable for winemaking. These grapes are often excellent for eating, but lack the desirable quantities of minerals, sugars and acids for winemaking.
Undoubtedly, the finest wines are produced on soils that would be thought of as poor quality for other agricultural purposes. The stellar wines from Bordeaux, for example, are made from grapes grown in gravelly soil, which overlies a base of chalk or clay. The crop here is sparse, but the quality of the grapes is high. In this instance the pebbly soil permits good drainage, which is essential as vines require adequate but not too much water, but these conditions also force the roots to reach deep into the earth where they are able to absorb a variety of complex minerals.
Vineyards are also most often found along river valleys, with slopes that provide plenty of sunshine. Vines in these cases are commonly of the European species vitis vinifera, from which many well known wines are made, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot.
Viticulture, the term used for the practice of growing grapes for wine, is one of the most complex agricultural undertakings today. A master vintner (nowadays, sometimes called an oenologist), must be an expert in a wide range of subjects including soil chemistry, fermentation, climatology and several other ancient arts and modern sciences.
In addition to categorization by variety, wines are also classified by vinification methods (still, sparkling, ros�, fortified, blush), by region (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace etc.), by vintage as well as by a dozen other methods.
As soon as the grower, chemist and manufacturer have finished their work, the businessman then takes over and wine today is 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 following close behind.
When all is said and done however, no matter how big a business wine producing has become, it is still very much a matter of balancing art, science and business and winemaking is most certainly not a venture to be entered into by anybody of a timid disposition.
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