WINES AND SPIRITS

Assignment on:
“Wines in different regions of the World”

Wine is the fermented juice of grapes. There are three major types of wine : 1. Table wine (17-22%) 2. Sparkling wine (8-12% + CO2 ) and 3. Fortified wine (17-22%)
France is the leading country from the top 10 producers of wine in the world. Subsequently there are: Italy, USA, Spain, Argentina, Germany, South Africa, Australia, Chile and Portugal. Grapes are agricultural products that require specific growing conditions. There are limitations on where vines can be grown. Some of these limitations are: the growing season, the number of days of sunlight, angle of the sun, average temperature, and rainfall. Soil is of primary concern, and adequate drainage is a requisite. The right amount of sun ripens the grapes properly to give them the sugar/acid balance that makes the difference between fair, good, and great wine.
Each major wine-producing country has government-sponsored control agencies and laws that regulate all aspects of wine production and set certain minimum standards that must be observed. Some examples: * France : Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC) * Italy : Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) * USA : Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau * Germany : Ministry of Agriculture * Spain : Denominacion de Origen (DO)

There are three major grapes from which white wine is produced: 1. Riesling 2. Sauvignon Blanc 3. Chardonnay
Regions where they grow best are: 1. Riesling : Germany, Alsace (France), New York State, Washington State 2. Sauvignon Blanc : Bordeaux-Loire Valley (France), New Zealand, California (Fume Blanc) 3. Chardonnay : Burgundy-Champagne (France), California, Australia
The common aromas of these grapes are: 1. Riesling : Fruity, Lychee nut, Sweet 2. Sauvignon Blanc : Grapefruit, Grass, Herbs, Cat pee, Green olive 3. Chardonnay : Green apple, butter, citrus, grapefruit, melon, oak, pineapple, toast, vanilla.
FRANCE
There are four major wine-producing regions of France: 1. Alsace 2. Loire Valley 3. Bordeaux 4. Burgundy
Alsace
Virtually all the Alsace wines are dry. Riesling is the major grape planted in Alsace, and it is responsible for the highest quality wines of the region. Alsace is also known for its Gewurztraminer, which is in a class by itself. Two factors are important in choosing a wine from Alsace: the grape variety and the reputation and style of the shipper.
In general, most Alsace wines are made to be consumed young- that is 1-5 years after they are bottled. Alsace wines are fresh, ”clean”, they are easy to drink, they are very compatible with food. Most Alsace wines are very affordable, of good quality, and are available in most markets.
Loire Valley
There are two white grape varieties: 1. Sauvignon Blanc 2. Chenin Blanc
The choice of Loire Valley wines should be by style and vintage. The main styles are: a) Pouilly-Fume: A dry wine that has the most body and concentration of all the Loire Valley wines. It is made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc. b) Muscadet: A light, dry wine, made from 100% Melon grapes. c) Sancerre: Striking a balance between full-bodies Pouilly-Fume and light-bodied Muscadet. It’s made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc. d) Vouvray: the ‘’chameleon’’ can be dry, semisweet, or sweet. It’s made from 100% Chenin Blanc.
Generally, Loire Valley wines are meant to be consumed young. The exception is a sweet Vouvray, which can be laid down for a longer time.
The difference between Pouilly-Fume and Pouilly-Fuisse is that Pouilly-Fume is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc and comes from the Loire Valley, while Pouilly-Fuisse is made from 100% Chardonnay and comes from the Maconnais region of Burgundy.
Bordeaux
Two of the five major areas of Bordeaux-Graves and Sauternes are known for their excellent white wines. Sauternes is world-famous for its sweet white wine. The major white grape varieties used in both areas are: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. a) GRAVES
When people think of dry white Bordeaux wines, they normally think of the major areas of Graves or Pessac-Leognan, but some of the best value-quality white wines produced in Bordeaux come from the entre-Deux-Mers area.
The best wines are produced in Pessac-Leognan. The best wines are known by the name of a particular chateau, a special vineyard that produces the best quality grapes. The grapes grown for these wines enjoy better soil and better growing conditions overall. The classified chateau wines and the regional wines of Graves are always dry.
Burgundy
Burgundy is one of the finest wine-producing areas in the world. Many of the world’s most renowned (and expensive) white wines come from Burgundy. Below are the types of wine that are produced there: 1. Chablis (white 100%) 2. Haconnais (white 85%-red 15%) 3. Cote Chalonnaise (white 40%-red 60%) 4. Cote de Beaune (white 30%-red 70%) 5. Cote de Nuits (white 5%-red 95%) 6. Beaujolais (white 1%-red 99%)
The three areas in Burgundy that produce world-famous white wines are: a) Chablis b) Cote De Beaune c) Maconnais
The most famous white grape variety is the Chardonnay. All the great white Burgundies are made from 100% Chardonnay. a) CHABLIS
Chablis is the northernmost area in Burgundy, and it produces only white wine. Chablis Grand Cru: the highest classification of Chablis, and the most expensive because of its limited production. There are only seven vineyards in Chablis entitled to be called “Grand Cru”. There are only 245 acres planted in Grand Cru vineyards. Some of the Grand Cru vineyards of Chablis: Blanchots, Bougros, Gre nouilles, Les Clos, Preuses, Valmar, Vaudesir.
Chablis: we can drink within 2 years of the vintage.
Premier Cru: between 2 and 4 years of vintage.
Grand Cru: between 3 and 8 years of vintage.
GERMANY
Germany has more than 1400 wine villages and 2600-plus vineyards. It produces only 2 or 3% of the world’s wines. Germany is the northernmost country in which vines can grow and 80% of the vineyards are located on hilly slopes. Germany produces red wines, too, but only about 15%. So 85% of the wines Germany produces are white.
The most important grape varieties are: 1. Riesling – this is by far the most widely planted and the best grape variety produced in Germany. Of the grapes planted in Germany 23% is Riesling. 2. Silvaner – This is another grape variety, and it accounts for 7% of Germany’s wines. 3. Muller-Thurgau – a cross between two grapes (Riesling and Chasselas) – 21%
There are 13 winemaking regions. The 4 most important are: 1. Rheinhessen 2. Rheingau 3. Mosel 4. Pfalz
The three basic styles of German wine are: * Trocken – dry * Halbtrocken – medium-dry * Fruity – semidry to very sweet
Different levels of German wine
As a result of the German law of 1971, there are two main categories, Tafelwein and Qualitatswein. * Tafelwein - Literally, “table wine”. The lowest designation given to a wine grown in Germany, it never carries the vineyard name. * Qualitatswein – Literally, “quality wine”, of which there are 2 types. 1. Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete : QbA indicates a quality wine that comes from one of the 13 specified regions. 2. Qualitatswein mit Pradikat : This is quality wine with distinction – the good stuff. These wines may not be chaptilized : The winemaker is not permitted to add sugar. In ascending order of quality, price, and ripeness at harvest, here are the QmP levels: * Kabinett – light, semidry wines made from normally ripened grapes. Cost 15-25$. * Spatlese – breaking up the word, ‘spat’ means ‘late’ and ‘lese’ means ‘picking’. Putting them together makes ‘late picking’. That’s exactly what this medium-style wine is made of – grapes that were picked after the normal harvest. The extra days of sun give the wine more body and a more intense flavor. Cost 20-35$. * Auslese – translated as ‘out picked’, this means that the grapes are selectively picked out from particularly ripe bunches, which yields a medium to fuller style wine. Cost 25-50$. * Beerenauslese – breaking the word down, we get beeren, or ‘berries’, aus, or ‘out’, and lese, or ‘’picking’. Quite simple, these are berries (grapes) that are picked out individually. These luscious grapes are used to create the rich dessert wines for which Germany is known. Beerenauslese is usually made only two or three times every 10 years. It’s not unheard of for a good Beerenauslese to cost up to 250$. * Trockenbeerenauslese – a step above the Beerenauslese, but these grapes are dried (trocken), so they are more like raisins. These ‘raisinated’ grapes produce the richest, sweetest, honeylike wine – and the most expensive. * Eiswein – a very rare, sweet, concentrated wine made from frozen grapes left on the vine. They’re pressed while still frozen. According to Germany’s 1971 rules for winemaking, this wine must now be made from garpes that are at least ripe enough to make a Beerenauslese.
The difference between Rhein and Mosel wines:
Rhein wines generally have more body than do Mosels. Mosels are usually higher in acidity and lower in alcohol than are Rhein wines. Mosels show more autumn fruits like apples, pears, and quince, while Rhein wines show more summer fruits like apricots, peaches, and nectarines.
CALIFORNIA (USA)
California produces more than 90% of U.S. wine. If the state were a nation, it would be the third leading wine producer in the world. Wine-making regions in California have been divided into four groups: * North Coast: Napa Country, Sonoma Country, Mendocino Country, Lake Country (Best wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot) * North Central Coast: Monterey Country, Santa Clara Country, Livermore Country (Best wines: Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussane) * South Central Coast: San Luis Obispo Country, Santa Barbara Country (Best wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah) * San Joaquin Valley (known for jug wines)
The most important white-wine grape grown in California is Chardonnay. This green-skinned (Vitis Vinifera) grape is considered by many the finest white-grape variety in the world. In California, it has been the most successful white grape, yielding a wine of tremendous character and magnificent flavor. The wines are often aged in small oak barrels increasing their complexity. Chardonnay is always dry, and benefits from aging more than any other American white wine. * Sauvignon Blanc- Sometimes labeled Fume Blanc. California Sauvignon Blanc makes one of the best dry white wines in the world. It is sometimes aged in small oak barrels and occasionally blended with the Semillon grape. * Chenin Blanc- this is one of the most widely planted grapes in the Loire Valley. In California, the grape yields a very attractive, soft, light-bodied wine. It is usually made very dry or semi-sweet. It is a perfect aperitif wine, simple and fruity. * Viognier – one of the major white grapes from the Rhone Valley in France, Viognier thrives in warmer and sunny climates, so it’s a perfect grape for the weather conditions in certain areas of California. It has a distinct fragrant bouquet. Not as full-bodied as most Chardonnays, nor as most Sauvignon Blancs, it’s an excellent food wine. * Johannisberg Riesling – the true Riesling responsible for the best German wines of the Rhein and Mosel – and the Alsace wines of France – is also called white Riesling, or just Riesling.
Concluding, there are some good reasons why everyone should try a glass of wine. Some of them are: lower risk of heart disease, cancer and depression (one glass per day), wine enhances the already lovely flavors of your favorite food, it can be served to make social gatherings more memorable, it can be enjoyed to help people unwind and produce a state of euphoria. There are no wines that are not good, every person have his own taste and find it separately from others in totally different kinds of wine. The only thing that remains is just to try.

SOURCES: 1. Zraly, K. (2007). Windows on the world: Complete Wine Course (2008 edition). New York/London: Sterling.
Pages: 15, 22-26, 30-31, 33-35, 59, 70-72, 78-79, 81-84.