Wine 101
To misquote a hero of ours, the famous home-brewer of beer and author Charles Papazian, “Relax, don’t worry - have a glass of wine!” (Actually, he said “home brew”, but we think his point is well taken). Enjoying wine should be fun, not a reminder of what it was like when the teacher called on you in grade school and you didn’t know the answer. Drink what you like and like what you drink! For those of you who would like to explore a little beyond the boundaries, we have proudly put together a simple wine primer for you.
Where to begin? Education and information are your best allies in your search for finding the right wine for you. The most important thing to remember is to drink what you like, not what someone else tells you that you should like. Your taste buds are the most important factor when picking a wine. How do you know what you like? A good way to start is to arm yourself with some basic information and definitions of some common “wine speak.”
Making Wine: Turning grapes into that delicious elixir of life!
In the most basic sense, grapes become wine through a very simple process. That process is as follows:
1. Plant grapes
2. Pick grapes.
3. Put grapes into a container that doesn’t leak.
4. Extract the juice from the grapes (just crush ‘em)
5. Wait. Wait. Wait.
That’s pretty much it; but let’s go a little deeper.
First and foremost, grapes are the most important ingredient in making wine. However, it really isn’t as simple as just picking, crushing, waiting and drinking. The “where” of the grapes – as in where they grow – is as huge a factor as the varietal* of grape grown in determining the characteristics the wine will take on. Not all soils are ideal for all grapes; there will be more on that later.
Now that the grapes have been harvested, they need to be placed in something! Most winemakers use two different types of containers: stainless steel or oak barrels, the oak usually coming from France or America.
After the juice is extracted from the grapes and it is properly contained, yeasts are either allowed to naturally manifest from the environment, or are added by the winemaker. Yeasts are one-celled organisms that exist naturally in and around the vineyard, and usually exist on the skins of the grapes themselves; these yeasts, once they come into contact with the sugar in the grape juice, gradually convert the sugar into alcohol. The more sugar in the grapes the higher alcohol content the wine will have; this is what we call fermentation*! Fermentation can last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of months; the decision is up to the winemaker.
After the juice has fermented it has become wine. Next, a lot of winemakers will allow the wine to age either in the containers or in the bottles that you purchase the wine in. There are different theories on which is a better way to age wine, but for our purposes it’s only important to know that some wines are aged after fermentation. Some of them can age for years at a time and still some for just a few weeks.
Before we look at types of wines and what makes each special, I want to take a second and talk about one other aspect of the winemaking process. I feel it is important to mention sulfites. Some of you might know this term and some might not, either way – what they heck is a sulfite? Sulfur dioxide is a compound formed by sulfur and oxygen. It occurs naturally during fermentation, but in very small quantities. It acts as a sort of wonder drug for wine, acting as an antibacterial – which prevents the wine from turning into vinegar; it inhibits yeasts – preventing sweeter wines from re-fermenting once inside the bottle; and it is an antioxidant – which keeps the wine fresh and unspoiled by oxygen. The common misconception with sulfites is that they are harmful. THEY ARE NOT!!!!! But in 1988 Congress passed a law that stated wine produced in the U.S.A needs to specify whether sulfites where added to the wine or not. As far as sulfite content in wines, dessert wines contain the most sulfur, whereas dry whites and reds have the fewest.
While we’re here we should also talk about two important terms that will come up in your conversations about wine. Tannin and Acid. These two terms relate to the mouth feel and finish of a wine. Tannin is a substance in the grape skins, stems and seeds – which is why we talk about red grapes being tannic – because red wine is made with the grape skins. When discussing red wines, tannins describe the dryness or “cotton mouth” feel that a wine can give you. Acid (or acidity) refers to the natural tartaric acids in grapes. We usually use this term with white wines.
Now let’s get into varietals…
Riesling
If I were to categorize this wine, I would say it is the sweetest (commonly) of the big four white grape varietals. Riesling’s are almost NEVER fermented in oak, and the grape itself produces a more light bodied, refreshing wine.
Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris)
This is probably the most popular type of white wine in the store. Traditionally called Pinot Gris (meaning Gray Pinot, pinot being the name of the vine, gray being the color of the grape), and called Pinot Grigio in Italy, this variety of wine is traditionally medium to full bodied and usually lower in acidity than other whites. Their aromas tend to be fairly neutral. Pinot Grigios are the most common white wines in the world.
Sauvignon Blanc
Usually high in acidity with a strong nose and flavors, this grape is commonly very distinctive in character. Sauv Blancs usually have good mineral qualities to them and are often very earthy – usually referred to as “grassy” or “mossy”. Sauvignon Blancs tend to be more medium bodied and are dryer than Pinot Grigios tend to be.
Chardonnay
Most often the driest of the whites, this grape variety is one of the most regal in the world and is one of the grapes used in the champagne blend. One of the common mistakes I come across with people describing chardonnay to me is that they don’t like it because it is too buttery. The mistake here is that the butter flavor isn’t coming from the grape – it’s coming from the oak that the juice was fermented in. Oak is a very common container for fermenting chardonnay, and so people have come to think that chardonnay grapes have flavors of vanilla, butter, toast – but that’s the oak. The chardonnay grapes more usual flavors are tropical fruits like pineapple, or earthy mineral flavors like limestone. Chardonnays are also being made more often in stainless steel fermenting tanks, which is a good alternative to those who don’t want a rich, butter bomb, oaky wine.
Pinot Noir
The pinot noir grape may be the hardest of all the grapes to grow, mostly because of the grapes’ particular nature to climate and soil, and inability to get along well with other grapes. This is why you rarely see pinot noir grapes blended with other grape varietals and why the pinot noir grape is grown in less areas of the world. Most commonly Pinot Noir wines are going to be the most “sweet” of the reds, but by sweet I mean they are usually the lightest bodied wines, with the fruitiest flavors.
Zinfandel
Not to be confused with the uber-sweet, pink colored White Zinfandel – the zinfandel grape is RED (and so is the wine). It is one of the oldest grapes in California and while California is credited and most known for the grape it actually comes from Croatia. Zins are usually a perfect alternative to people who want something that has a good fruity nature to it (like a Pinot Noir) but wants a little more body or kick to the finish. Zinfandels are also known for having a spicy, thicker nature.
Merlot
The merlot grape produces a kind of middle of the road wine. It is known for good, deep colors, a fuller body and lower tannic structure. Merlots usually are a good buy for people who don’t want a wine that is as heavy as a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Shiraz, but want a bigger more robust red.
Cabernet Sauvignon
This grape is grown all over the world (as long as it’s not too cool a climate) and is probably the most recognizable varietal in the world. These grapes are known to produce a wine that has a much higher tannic structure than merlot grapes and a much darker fruit profile. Most Cabs are very full bodied and have a longer, lingering finish. Cabs are also very good blending grapes and are often blended to take a little bit of the bite off of a 100% Cabernet wine.
Shiraz/Syrah
Probably the most stout of the five main red wine grapes, Shiraz (or Syrah, depending on where you are in the world) grapes produce some of the biggest richest tasting wines you can buy. Known for a big tannin structure and deep, dark fruit flavor; the grape doesn’t always blend well. If you want a good wine to eat with red meats and summer grilling go with a Shiraz and you will not be disappointed.
