General Wine FAQs

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How is wine made?

The following is a synopsis of the basic steps taken to make wine:

Grapes are crushed to release the sugar in their juice. The juice naturally ferments when yeast comes in contact with the sugar in the grape juice. The result is alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Red wine is made with dark-skinned grapes and fermented with the grape skins. White wines are made with white grapes, or if made with some dark-skinned grapes, the grape skins are removed prior to fermentation. Rosé wines have contact with the skins of dark-skinned grapes just long enough to impart a pink color.

The fermented wine is then separated from the grape solids and transferred into a vat or casks where it is clarified, stabilized, and may be taken through additional processes. Finally, the wine is bottled.

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Why are some wines white, some red, and some pink?

White wines are generally made from grapes with yellow or green skins. White wines can also be made from black or red-skinned grapes, if the juice is separated from the grape skins early enough – i.e. before fermentation. Red wines get their color from being fermented in contact with the skins of dark grapes. Rosé gets its pink color by either a short contact time with the skins of dark colored grapes before fermentation or by mixing finished red wine with finished white wine.

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What does vintage mean?

The vintage year on a wine label is the harvest year of the grapes from which the wine was made. The characteristics of a particular vintage are determined by the weather conditions and resulting wine grape crop for that year. A California wine with a vintage date must be made format least 95 percent of grapes harvested in the designated year.

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Are there rules for knowing which vintages are better for which wine regions?

The characteristics of a particular vintage are determined by the quality of that year’s grape crop. Improvements in wine making over the years have made vintage year less central to choosing a wine produced in most wine regions. Vintages are more important when collecting more expensive wines, especially those designed to be aged, and in growing regions where a less than satisfactory growing season is not compensated for by using innovative wine making technology or practices. If you are interested in learning about specific vintages, reading wine publications and tasting wines from different vintages will help you determine a vintage’s characteristics.

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What are sulfites and should I be worried about them?

Sulfite is a term used to describe sulfur dioxide and other sulfur derivatives. Sulfites are found in all wines as they are a natural product of fermentation. Sulfur dioxide is used in wine making to prevent oxidation, kill bacteria and wild yeasts, and to encourage quick and clean fermentation. The U.S. government requires wine labels to include “Contains Sulfites” to alert those who may be allergic to sulfites. Approximately 1% of the population is allergic to sulfites.

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How about all of these rating systems? Are some better than others?

The purpose of a wine rating is to quantify a wine’s quality separate from those factors that influence price. Rating systems vary. Some rating systems are based on a 50 to 100 point scale, others on a 5 point scale, etc. Keep in mind when looking at ratings, that the evaluation of wine is subjective. Factors like bottle variability, tasting conditions, and the judges’ likes and dislikes will influence a rating. You are the best judge of wine when it comes to what you enjoy drinking. If you like the wine, it’s a good wine. Ratings can be used as a helpful guideline for choosing a wine once you are familiar with the rater’s preferred style (if an individual) or the preferred style of the judges whose opinions contribute to the rating.

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What does all of that information on a wine label mean?

Alcohol Content

The United States requires that alcohol by volume information be included on wine labels. For table wine, the U.S. requirement is a minimum alcohol level of 7 percent, and a maximum of 14 percent. The label variance can be up to 1.5 percent. For example, a wine label stating “Alcohol 12.5% by Volume” can legally range anywhere from 11 to 14 percent. However, wines cannot exceed the upper or lower limit. The alcohol by volume range for Sherries is 17 to 20 percent, for Ports it’s 18 to 20 percent; both have a label variance of 1 percent.

Appellation or Growing Region

As mentioned under Name of Wine, the actual growing area or appellation becomes the name of many European wines. In other areas like the United States and Australia, where the wine is more often named for the grape variety, some producers also list the growing area on the label, particularly if the area is prestigious. The Napa Valley in the United States and the Hunter Valley in Australia are examples of such well known growing regions. In the United States, where growing regions are known as American Viticultural Areas (AVA), at least 85 percent of the grapes must come from a single AVA for the region’s name to be used on the label.

Bottle Volume

The volume figure, such as 750ml (milliliters) or 1.5L (liters), is sometimes molded into the bottle glass rather than printed on the label. Therefore, if the label doesn’t designate the bottle size, look along the base of the bottle for the indication. For details on the various bottle sizes allowed in the United States, see the listing on wine bottle sizes & names.

Country of Origin

The country of origin is the country where the wine is produced. However, depending on that country’s laws, it may not necessarily be where all the grapes were grown.

Descriptive Information

Occasionally, wine labels include descriptive words or phrases designed to give the consumer added information. For example, a label might indicate the wine was barrel fermented, a process thought to imbue a wine with rich, creamy flavors, delicate oak characteristics, and better aging capabilities. Many terms, however, are simply marketing jargon with no legal or standard usage.

Government Health Warning

A U.S. Surgeon General warning states that drinking alcoholic beverages can: 1. cause birth defects, 2. impair ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and 3. cause health problems.

Name of Wine

The standards for naming a wine vary depending on its origin. Some of the foundations for wine names follow.

In many European countries a wine is named for the growing area or appellation where it originated. For example, Bordeaux Supérieur and Chablis are French ACs (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée); Chianti is an Italian DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata Garantita), and Rioja is a Spanish DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada).

In some areas like the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America, and in France’s Alsace region, the grape variety (such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay) is often the name of the wine.

Proprietary names are sometimes used when a wine doesn’t fit into either of the previous guidelines. For example, Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia which, because it’s a Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend and doesn’t contain 75 percent of one grape variety, cannot (in the United States) be named after a specific grape variety.

Producer

The name of the producer is often the most important information on the label. That’s because some producers have a reputation for producing high quality wines year after year, whereas others have sporadic or less than stellar records. For example, a single grand cru vineyard in Burgundy can have numerous producers, with some making consistently higher quality wine than others. The name of the producer can be the name of a winery in countries like the United States and Australia, of a château in some parts of France like Bordeaux, of a Domaine in other French areas like Burgundy, and of wine estates in Italy, Spain, and Germany. The exact name of the producer is important because in many areas, such as France and Germany, there are a number of producers with the same surname. Therefore, knowledge of both Christian name and surname is necessary to differentiate producers. For instance, the name of the Prüm family is attached to numerous wine estates in Germany’s Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, the best known of which is Joh. Jos. Prüm.

Type of Wine

The label information regarding the type of wine is very general, usually in the form of basic terms like ‘red table wine’, ‘dry red wine’, ‘white wine’, ‘still white wine’, or ‘sparkling wine’. Such terms simply place the wine in a generic category. Don’t assume, however, that because a wine is described as, say, a ‘red table wine’ that it’s a simple or mediocre wine. In the United States, for example, unless a wine contains at least 75 percent of a particular grape variety, it cannot use the grape’s name on the label. For instance, Cain Cellars simply uses the descriptor ‘red table wine’ for it’s Cain Five – a wine this winery considers it’s premium red, which happens to be a blend of the five classic Bordeaux varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

Vintage

The year indicated on a wine label is the vintage, or the year the grapes were harvested. In the United States, a wine label may only list the vintage if 95 percent of the wine comes from grapes harvested in that year. If a blend of grapes from 2 years or more is used, the wine is either labeled non-vintage (NV) or there is no mention of date.

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Wine comes in different bottle sizes. Do they each have a name?

A standard sized bottle of wine holds 750ml of wine. A smaller bottle, called a half bottle, is 375ml. Bottles bigger than a standard sized bottle include:

· Magnum (= 2 standard bottles)

· Double Magnum (Bordeaux) / Jeroboam (Champagne/Burgundy) (= 4 standard bottles)

· Jeroboam (Bordeaux) / Rehoboam (Champagne/Burgundy) (= 6 standard bottles)

· Imperiale (Bordeaux) / Methuselah (Champagne/Burgundy) (= 8 standard bottles)

· Salmanazar Champagne/Burgundy) (= 12 standard bottles)

· Balthazar (Champagne/Burgundy) (= 16 standard bottles)

· Nebuchadnezzar (Champagne/Burgundy) (= 20 standard bottles)

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What is the dent in the bottom of a bottle of wine?

The dent on the bottom of a bottle of wine is called a punt. It is found on the bottom of Champagne/sparkling wine bottles and some still wine bottles. The main purpose of the rounded bottom or punt is to strengthen the bottle – especially important for sparkling wines – but punts can also be useful for collecting sediment and for pouring wine (it provides a place to put your thumb).

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What is malolactic fermentation?

Malolactic fermentation is a natural process during which beneficial bacteria convert malic (very tart) acid in a wine into lactic (softer tasting) acid. Malolactic fermentation can take place on its own or be prompted by the winemaker.

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What is botrytised wine?

Botrytised wines are those that have become sweet, aromatic, and what is sometimes called ‘honeyed’ due to grapes that have been infected with a mold known as botrytis cinerea.

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What is a dessert wine?

A dessert wine is usually a sweet wine drunk at or for dessert. Due to its sweetness, it is drunk in smaller quantities that table wine. In the United States, the classification of dessert wine is that of wines which are fortified (the addition of brandy or other spirits to raise the level of alcohol in the wine) whether they are sweet or dry.

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What is a kosher wine?

A wine is kosher if it is made using strict rabbinical production techniques. A kosher wine cannot include any chemical additives, gelatin, lactose, glycerin, corn products or non-wine yeasts. In addition, the entire wine making process must be conducted by Sabbath observing Jews under rabbinical supervision. Kosher wines are produced by wineries all over the world.

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Why do some wines give you a headache?

Histamines, found in the skins of grapes, seem to give some people headaches if they are sensitive to them. Red wine will affect a histamine sensitive wine drinker more than white wine because red wine has spent more time in contact with grape skins.

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Is wine fattening?

The calorie count in a 4 ounce glass of wine ranges from 80 to 100. Lighter wines tend to have fewer calories than heavier wines. Some wines are higher in carbohydrates than others due to their residual sugars. For example, a dry white wine may have 1 gram of carbohydrate per serving while a very sweet dessert wine could have up to 13 grams. Wine is fat free and contains no cholesterol.

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What is an organic wine?

Today many conscientious wine producers are making every effort to minimize the use of chemicals in their vineyards. In France they call this lutte raisoné, broadly translated as a rational fight against the problems of insects, weeds and fungus. This involves monitoring pest levels and only spraying when necessary. Organic viticulture is different. The regulations are strict and limit producers to the use of only naturally occurring products for pest control.

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What is a biodynamic wine?

This is an ‘ultra-organic’ wine. A biodynamic vineyard works with the rhythms of the earth in accordance with the cycles of the moon. Domaines Leroy and Leflaive in Burgundy, Coulée de Serrant in the Loire, and Chapoutier in the Rhône all practice biodynamic viticulture.

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Is wine good for you?

There is growing scientific evidence that regular moderate consumption of wine is good for you. Red wine in particular is said to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The cholesterol that blocks arteries is low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LPD). This is cleared from the blood by high-density lipoprotein (HPD). Both are carried in the blood. Moderate consumption of alcohol produces a better balance of the two. In addition, alcohol has an anticoagulant effect which makes blood less likely to clot. There is also evidence that wine can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or having a stroke.

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