JASON ROMESBURG

WHAT IS WINE? Wine is the naturally fermented juice of fresh fruit or berries. It may be red, white, or pink (rose). It may also be dry, medium, or sweet in style. Contains an alcohol content of 5.5 to 14 percent.

HISTORY OF WINE Wines were cultivated as far back as 4000 BC. Stronger glass, tighter stoppers, and Louis Pasteur’s research in fermentation enabled wine to grow into the huge commercial industry it is today.

Simple anatomy of the grape Factors affecting the grapes: Size Skin color and thickness Acid/sugar ratio

CLIMATE IMPORTANCE Annual average temp: deg.F Rain about 27 in./yr Bad weather is very detrimental

GRAPE VARIETIES Wine-making grapes come from the species Vitis vinifera. thousands of varieties exist The grape variety determines the character of a wine. appearance smell taste balance of alcohol and acidity

GRAPE VARIETIES RED RED Cabernet Sauvignon Pinot noir Merlot WHITE WHITE Chardonnay Sauvignon blanc Riesling

C ABERNET SAUVIGNON Thick-skinned, small, and dark blue. Most well-known black grape variety in the world. High in tannins

C ABERNET SAUVIGNON This wine is rich in: COLOR AROMA DEPTH LENGTH

P INOT NOIR Used to make red Burgundy Very sensitive to climatic conditions One of the main grape varieties used in champagne

P INOT NOIR Rarely blended with other wines Light to medium-bodied red pale-colored wine Low levels of tannin and color in skins

M ERLOT Most widely planted black grape variety of Bordeaux Unblended are usually soft and easy drinking wines Usually blended with Cabernet sauvignon

M ERLOT Fruity, velvety, and matures fast Blended with stronger, more tannic grapes creates a smoother wine

C HARDONNAY The most popular white grape variety Disease-resistant and prolific in most conditions Adapt very well to climate, soil, and methods of wine making

C HARDONNAY 1 of 3 varieties used to make Champagne These wines are dry and can be: light medium full-bodied

S AUVIGNON BLANC Second most popular white The wines are dry, fresh whites Intense taste and aroma of green grass and gooseberries

S AUVIGNON BLANC The acidity makes it a good blending variety Most often blended with Semillon

R IESLING German grape variety Bone dry to very sweet Light-bodied

R IESLING Highly acidic Very sweet wines are made from these grapes that have been subject to noble rot Botrytis cinerea warm and humid environment

OTHER WINE VARIETIES Chenin blanc: (white) SHEN-in BLAHNK very dry to sweet, some sparkling, fresh and fruity, well-balanced and honeyed Gewurztraminer: (white) Guh-VERTZ-truh-mean-er spicy, full-bodied, dry to sweet, low acidity, high alcohol (13%) Semillon: (white) SEM-ee-yawn dry to sweet, best as a desert wine (noble rot) Gamay: (red) light/fruity, pear aroma, raspberry flavor

OTHER WINE VARIETIES Grenache: (red) Gruh-NOSH warm/fruity flavored, high alcohol, black pepper aroma, low in tannins Syrah: (red) Ser-AH very dark, full-bodied, strong, best kept 3yrs, aromas of blackcurrants, cedar, and mixed spice, best with food Zinfandel: (white or rose) ZIN-fun-dell light and elegant to massive and tannic reds, best are rich and deeply colored, 5yrs

“WINE GRAPH”

MAKING WINE

MAKING WHITE WINE

White wine is made with white grapes Black grapes can be used as long as they are not crushed and are pressed immediately

MAKING WHITE WINE 1. Grapes are transported carefully to the winery as soon as possible 2. Stalks and seeds are removed a. grapes are lightly crushed 3. Crushed grapes are pumped into a Vinimatic tank

MAKING WHITE WINE 4. The juice that has been allowed to “fall bright” is the only juice used to make white wine. 5. Fermentation a. stainless-steel vats b. oak casks 6. Bottled

MAKING RED WINE

Similar process used in white wine Grape skins are kept in contact with the fermenting juice

MAKING RED WINE 1. Stems and stalks are usually removed 2. Grapes are lightly crushed a. fermentation begins 3. Juice and skins are put in a fermentation vat

MAKING RED WINE 4. Wine is drained off the sediment 5. 2 nd fermentation (aging) in oak casks or stainless-steel vats 6. Racking and fining 7. Bottled

WINE CONTAINS WATER % ETHANOL % SUGARS % ACIDS % TANNINS % VOLATILE COMPOUNDS - more than 200, perhaps as many as 1,000 or even more PROTEINS, VITAMINS, MINERALS - very few SALT - normally none

WATER Is the universal solvent - tasteless, odorless, and colorless. Water in wine is not a good thirst quencher because there is enough alcohol in it to have a dehydrating effect.

ETHANOL An organic solvent, a preservative, and a flavor enhancer. A t high concentrations it feels hot, tastes sweet, smells like ethanol. Makes the wine feel smooth and full- bodied.

SUGARS A sweetener A flavor enhancer A preserver

ACID Makes wine taste lively, refreshing, tart, sour, and feel crisp or puckering. The major acids in wine are TARTARIC, MALIC, CITRIC, and LACTIC ACID. They help inhibit the growth of unwanted bacteria and fungi in the wine.

TANNINS Give wine “body”. A preservative. Feel astringent. Taste bitter at high concentrations (more than 0.5%).

ASSESSING WINE Sight Smell Taste

SIGHT… Color and Clarity indicate: grape variety maturity age

SIGHT… “Legs” or “tears” cling to the side of the glass after swirled indicate a high sugar or alcohol content, or both desirable

SMELL… Swirl the wine Move the glass under your nose and inhale deeply through your nose May smell many things fruit yeast grass earth

TASTE… Reasonable mouthful Push wine to the front of your mouth Inhale through teeth Roll in mouth

ENJOYING WINE LIKE WITH LIKE!!

WINE AND HEALTH Alcohol raises HDL (good) cholesterol, lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol, and inhibits blood clotting Reduce coronary heart disease Antioxidant and anticancer properties

WINE AND HEALTH heart disease Reduce coronary heart disease "Numerous well-designed studies have concluded that moderate drinking is associated with improved cardiovascular health," wrote the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) in 1996.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

WINE AND HEALTH heart disease Colleagues in the Johns Hopkins Medical Journal, "indicate that the risk of coronary heart disease, especially myocardial infarction [heart attack], is lower in persons who use alcohol moderately than in abstainers."

WINE AND HEALTH anticancer Antioxidant and anticancer properties Antioxidants and flavanoids, which are presumed to prevent both coronary heart disease and some cancers, are present in red wine The Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association reported in 1996, "The lowest mortality occurs in those who consume one or two drinks per day."American Heart Association