Wine Is An Century Old Art |
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Wine making has been carried out in one form or another for thousands of years with pottery jars found 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 discovered containing wine made from wild grapes. But whether we are talking about ancient or modern wine making, many of the same conditions apply and comparable techniques are used as the chemistry of the grape is a timeless quality. With a few notable exceptions the grapes used in wine making grow only in bands delineated by the 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 should be noted that a thinner soil often results in a small crop but also often produces grapes of a higher quality. Strangely enough, soils which are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients (conditions which are normally highly beneficial for most plants) can produce grapes which are not suitable for winemaking. Such grapes are however often very good for eating, but lack the required quantities of minerals, sugars and acids for winemaking. Without doubt, the best wines are produced on soils that would be considered 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 clay or chalk. The crop here is small, but the quality of the grapes produced is high. In this case the pebbly soil permits good drainage, which is vital as grapevines need adequate but not excessive water, but the conditions force the roots to reach deep into the earth where they absorb a range of complex minerals. Vineyards are also frequently found along river valleys, with slopes providing plenty of sunshine. Vines in these circumstances are usually of the European species vitis vinifera, from which various well known wines are made, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot. Viticulture, the name used for the practice of growing grapes for wine, is one of the most complicated agricultural undertakings today. A master vintner (today, sometimes referred to as an oenologist), has to 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 (still, sparkling, fortified, ros�, 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 work, the businessman then takes the stage and wine today is very big business. Wine sales in the US alone run to something like 600 million gallons, representing over $20 billion in consumer spending. Perhaps not surprisingly France leads the field 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 making is today, it is still very much a balance of science, art and business and winemaking is most certainly not a business venture to be undertaken by anyone of a timid nature.
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