| For many of us wine is something of a mystery | | | | the world's most widely planted grape and |
| and when we are buying wine it comes down to | | | | probably originates from Spain. As well as often |
| a simple choice between red and white and what | | | | being used to produce ros wines, it is also |
| our local supermarket has available in its "special | | | | commonly used as a base for many blended |
| offer" bin. But wine really isn't such a mystery at | | | | wines including such well known names as |
| all and, in this area at least, a little knowledge can | | | | Chateauneuf du Pape and Cotes du Rhne. |
| get you a very long way. | | | | Blush wine. |
| The starting point is to understand the different | | | | Blush wine is sometimes referred to as California's |
| types of wine available and here we can divide | | | | version of ros wine and is produced in much the |
| wines into five main groups. | | | | same way as ros wine. In this case however the |
| Red Wine. | | | | grape most often used is the Zinfandal grape |
| Red wine is fermented from what many people | | | | which produces a slightly sweet pink wine which |
| would refer to as red grapes but which are in | | | | also shows a somewhat blue color. The Zinfandal |
| fact more correctly named black grapes. In the | | | | grape originates in Croatia but has been grown |
| case of red wine the grapes are used whole for | | | | widely in the US for more than 150 years now |
| fermentation, that is to say complete with skin | | | | and is considered indigenous to California. |
| and pips, and it is the skin which gives the wine its | | | | White wine. |
| red color. | | | | Believe it or not white wine can be made from |
| There are a wide variety of black grapes available | | | | either white or black grapes, as the juice from |
| each with its own distinctive flavor which is | | | | either grape is colorless and it is only the skin of |
| derived principally from the soil and climate in the | | | | the black grape that gives red wine its color. |
| region where the grapes are grown. This, | | | | The flavors available across the range of white |
| together with the winemaker's art of mixing, | | | | wines vary tremendously according to the grape |
| allows us to enjoy a range of red wines from the | | | | used, the winemaker's art and the degree to |
| deep blackcurrant color of the full-bodied and | | | | which different juices are blended to create the |
| intensely flavored wines produced from the | | | | finished wine. |
| Cabernet Sauvignon grape to the lighter cherry | | | | Dry white wines often come from grapes such |
| and raspberry taste gained from the Pinot Noir | | | | as Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc while richer |
| grape. | | | | fruit-flavored wines are more likely to be based |
| Ros wine. | | | | upon the Chardonnay grape. |
| Ros wines are again produced from black grapes | | | | Sparkling wines. |
| but, in this case, the juice is separated off part | | | | Sparkling wines, of which Champagne is clearly the |
| way through the fermentation process and at the | | | | best known example, are based upon a dry white |
| point at which the winemaker determines that the | | | | wine. Here the wine is bottled and a solution of |
| juice contains sufficient color to give the finished | | | | sugar and yeast is added before the bottle is |
| wine the pink color that he is looking for. | | | | sealed. The sugar and yeast solution causes a |
| Once again the flavor of the finished wine | | | | secondary fermentation and sealing the bottles at |
| depends very much on the grape used for | | | | the start of this process traps the gas produced |
| fermentation and some of the finest ros wines | | | | by this fermentation within the wine to give it its |
| are produced from the Grenache grape. Often | | | | sparkle when the bottle is opened. |
| thought of as a French grape, Grenache noir is | | | | |