Wine Making Is An Century Old Art, A Modern Day Science and A Global Business
Wine making has been carried out in one way or another for many thousands of years now with jars found in Persia (modern day Iran) dating back to 5,500 BC showing evidence of grapes use for winemaking. Additionally, jars from Jiahu in China dated to somewhere between 6000 and 7000 BC have also been discovered containing wine from wild grapes.
However whether we are talking about ancient or modern wine production, a number of the same conditions apply and similar techniques are used because the chemistry of the grape is a timeless quality.
With some exceptions the grapes used in wine production grow only only between latitudes 30-50 degrees North and 30-45 degrees South of the equator. As opposed to the majority of 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 grapes of a higher quality.
Strangely enough, soils which are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients (conditions which are generally highly beneficial for the majority of plants) can produce grapes which are not suited to winemaking. Such grapes are often excellent for eating, but lack the desired quantities of minerals, sugars and acids for winemaking.
Undoubtedly, the finest wines are produced on soils which 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, overlying a base of chalk or clay. The crop here is sparse, but the quality of the grapes is high. In this case the pebbly soil allows for good drainage, which is vital as vines need adequate but not too much water, but these conditions force the roots to reach deep into the earth where they are able to absorb a variety of complex minerals.
Vineyards are also frequently found along river valleys, with slopes that provide abundant sunshine. Vines in these circumstances are frequently of the European species vitis vinifera, from which a number of well known wines are made, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, 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 referred to as an oenologist), has got to be an expert in a wide range of subjects including soil chemistry, fermentation, climatology and various other ancient arts and modern sciences.
As well as categorization by variety, wines are also classified by vinification methods (sparkling, still, ros�, fortified, blush), by region (Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux etc.), by vintage and by several other methods.
Once the grower, chemist and manufacturer have completed their job, the businessman then takes the stage and wine today is certainly very big business. Wine sales in the US 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 export volume, with Italy following close behind.
When all is said and done however, no matter how big a business wine producing is today, it is still very much a matter of balancing science, art and business and winemaking is most certainly not a venture to be undertaken by anybody of a timid disposition.
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