Basic Wine Information For A Beginner

Most people love to drink wine, but not all wine drinkers know the basic information about their favorite drink. Wines are basically categorized as either Red wine or White wine. Most of the usual wines are made from grapes, some unusual wines are made from other fruits like mangoes and peaches. Additives are added to grape juice during the wine’s manufacturing and aging processes. Red wines are made with the skin, stems and seeds of either black or red grapes. White wines, on the other hand, can be made from any kind of grapes but only the clear and color-free juice of the fruit is utilized. In general, reds are heavier than whites and whites are sweeter compared to reds. There are also Sparkling wines, or those wine variants that involves usage of carbon dioxide in the wine processing. Sparkling wines are also called Champagne and may range from being very dry (00) to being very sweet (6).

Wine tannin content refers to the important ingredients used in the making of wines. Tannin is obtained from the pips, stalks and skin of the grapes. A freshly produced wine tastes bitter because of its tannin content but as the wine ages, this bitter taste becomes more subtle.

Length of wine refers to the time by which the taste and aroma of the wine persists in the senses after the wine liquid has been swallowed.

Wine acidity is also considered in determining the wine’s taste and longevity. A wine with higher acidity tastes sour and sharp. A wine with lower acidity however tastes flat and is more prone to spoilage. Acidity in wine makes other flavors (from herbs, spices and fruits) to show up. Acidity of wine contributes to the wine’s tanginess, sharpness, crisp, brightness, etc.

The phrase ‘full-bodied wines’ refers to the direct measurement of the wine’s alcohol content. Light bodied wines have 7.5% - 10.5% alcohol, Medium-bodied wines have 10.5% - 12.5% alcohol and full bodied wines have at least 12.5% alcohol.
The wine bottle’s label indicates the wine type, flavor, variety, region where it is made and the vintage. All these information must be read and understood properly so you know exactly what you are drinking. The label also helps in pairing the wine to certain food dishes and meals. Wine grades are also printed on the label. A higher wine grade means a better wine quality. A quality wine is recommended to have at least 80 points.

Vintage is the term used to call the manufacturing year of the wine. Weather changes unpredictably. If this year the weather has not been very good, obviously the grapes produced will have less quality resulting to a lower quality of wines. The amount of rainfall during the time when the grapes are soon to be harvested will determine the sourness or sweetness of the grapes. The year 1990 is regarded as the best year for all wines, so vintage 1990 are what you should buy if you are fancying the best tasting wine. Do not be confused by the word vintage as referring to the age of the wine.

By: W Tsang

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