Jammany Hall

Wine for Social Strivers

We all know that wine has been around for thousands of years, right?  If you don’t drink it, it’s more than likely that you know people who love a nice glass of wine.

Wine has often been portrayed as a drink that was primarily enjoyed by the wealthy, when in fact, wine has been a common staple of many cultures.  From farmer to king, wine was a drink that washed down many a meal and provided a clean source of drinking water in places where water was filthy and full of deadly microorganisms.

So, how did humankind discover wine?  It’s impossible to know for sure, but historians assume that early man noticed that animals or other people would act strangely after drinking liquid or eating rotten fruit found on the ground at the foot of a fruit tree or grape vine.

Have you ever visited a fruit orchard late in the season and smelled that “winey” smell?  If so, you have smelled wine in the wild!  All it takes to create primitive wine is a piece of fruit and yeast.

How does yeast enter the picture, you might ask?  Well, yeast is in the air all around us.  Yeast is a single celled organism that floats in the air.  Sure, you might buy a packet of it at the store to whip up some cupcakes, but it can also be found riding the air currents.

In primitive wine production, the scene goes like this:  A fruit (grape, apple, plum, for example) falls off the plant and lies on the ground and begins to decompose. All it needs at this point is the yeast.  If you remember your high school biology, fruits are high in water and sugar.  And remember, that all important yeast is simply floating around and ready to rock some wine. 

Grapes seem to be the perfect wine making raw material because of their relatively high water and sugar content.  Because yeast is floating around in the air, there is a good chance that the grape skin already has some on its surface as it begins to decompose.  If not, there is plenty of yeast available to land on the fruit.  As the fruit skin breaks down and splits open, the yeast organisms can gain access to the water and sugar within the fruit.

The yeast organism needs sugar and water to reproduce.  As the yeast consumes the sugars within the fruit, it needs to go to the bathroom.  Yep, the yeast produces two main waste products:  alcohol and carbon dioxide.  I’ll leave it up to you to decide which is Number One and Number Two!  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I know it’s a dumb joke, but I’m a wine dork and could not help myself.

Now that you understand the mechanics of how a fruit wine is produced, it’s easy to imagine how early man could have stumbled across primitive wine in the wild.  Perhaps he came across some liquid at the bottom of a container he was using to gather and store fruit.  We all know that people are curious by nature, so it seems highly likely that this gatherer could have drank the liquid and caught a slight buzz. 

In fact, this is extremely likely to be the way humans discovered the properties of wine and other alcoholic drinks such as beer.  So why haven’t we seen evidence of wine production on the cave walls of early humankind?  We do see pictographs of people hunting animals, but no drawings of wine production.

The key to remember is that early humans were hunter-gatherers.  Groups of people followed herds of game animals and ate fruits, roots, and other vegetable matter as they traveled in search of meat.  This is also true of early people who fished for their main source of protein.

It’s not until the advent of farming that we begin to see evidence of wine production.  As humans began to create permanent settlements and cultivate crops, the tending of fields and orchards presented these people with the opportunity to experiment with creating alcoholic beverages.  Trade with other groups helped to spread the practical techniques of both farming and wine making.

The first evidence of wine production has been found in China, with production dating back to 7000 BC, Georgia (c. 6000 BC), Iran (c. 5000 BC), Greece (c. 4500 BC), and Sicily (c. 4000 BC). 

However, the assumed earliest true winery has been discovered in an Armenian cave (known by archaeologists as “Areni-1”) that dates to 4100 BC, nearly 1000 years earlier than what was found in an Egyptian tomb previously thought to be the earliest.  The cave shows the earliest known evidence as a winery and contained a wine press, fermentation containers, and storage jars.  Interestingly, seeds from the grape species known as Vitis vinifera and the remains of vines were found.  This species of grape is still in use today to make certain modern wines. 

So, what is wine?

Simply stated, wine is a liquid beverage that is created by fermenting the juices of fruits.  Even citrus can be turned into wine, but the high levels of citric acid in the juice makes it a tougher wine to produce.  So, the very great bulk of wines that you might encounter are based on grape juice.  Of course, if you travel to Asia, you will see rice and plum wines commonly available in stores and on restaurant menus.

Speaking of wine grapes, these grapes are produced to be used in the production of wine.  They do differ from table grapes in flavor, size, and number of seeds.  Table grapes are cultivated to be enjoyed in their natural form.  For example, a Thompson Seedless grape which is perfect for eating, would make a lousy wine.  The Thompson Seedless lacks the skin-to-seed-to-pulp ratio that a classic wine grape possesses.

Grapes that are used for wine making tend to be smaller, sweeter, and heavier in seed content than table grapes.  Additionally, most wine is built on one of the thousands of subspecies of the Vitis vinifera species of grape.  Thousands of years of cultivation and breeding has produced the many varieties of grape used to produce modern wine.  The most heavily used species of grape is one you have likely heard of:  Cabernet Sauvignon.

Why is a wine’s age important?

When you hear people discussing a wine’s age, you are hearing when the wine grapes were harvested, and the fermentation process was started.  Generally, wine grapes are harvested in late Summer-early Fall in the Northern Hemisphere, while harvesting takes place in mid-Winter to early Spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

Depending on the region where the grape is grown, certain years have been known for extremely favorable weather conditions, while others have been known to be lousy for grape cultivation.  The amount of sun and moisture (rain and dew), as well as air temperatures reaching the grapes can cause taste and aroma qualities in the grape to vary.  So, when you hear the common line in a movie, “1996 was a great year for Merlot”, the speaker knows (hopefully) that the year’s weather made some great grapes!

What if there is no date on the wine bottle?

Most wines are created by using a single variety of grape that has been harvested in the same vineyard.  This makes it easy to place the grape’s harvesting and production year on the bottle’s label. 

In the case of blended wines, this isn’t always the case.  The winemaker may be using grapes that were harvested in different years to create the blend.  When this happens, the bottle will lack a vintage date on the label.  Other than not seeing a grape name on the bottle, this is a clue that you’re drinking a blended wine.

However, there are many wonderful blended wines!  Don’t think that you are drinking anything less worthy merely because the winemaker didn’t use a single grape species.  For example, champagne is a blended wine, and you’ll find very few people who’ll turn down a fine glass of bubbly!

What is so special about the taste of wine?

I think it’s safe to say that we tend to eat and drink what tastes good to us.  When it comes to alcoholic beverages, it’s usually an acquired taste.  Do you remember your first sip of beer?  If you’re like most people, you probably went away thinking about how awful it tasted.  Am I right?  But over time, you may have come to enjoy a nice cold beer on a hot Summer day.  I know I did!

The same case can be made for wine.  Personally, I thought it was nasty when I first tried it.  As I grew more experienced and my tastes developed, I grew to appreciate wine for its complexity and flavor.

But what gives wines their unique flavors, aromas, and bouquets?

Because there are thousands of subspecies of the Vitis vinifera grape, there are an almost unlimited number of tastes in wine.  Humans have been tweaking Vitis vinifera for thousands of years, and each of these subspecies of grape has unique qualities that make wine tasting an adventure.

Adding to the grape variety are several other factors.  For example, climate plays a huge role in how a grape develops on the vine.  In cooler climates, like Northern Europe (think Germany), wine tends to have a shorter ripening cycle due to cooler temperatures.  Because the grape doesn’t have as much time to ripen because of fewer sunny and warm days, grapes from these regions are often slightly bitter.  Rain is also a major contributor to the quality of grape juice.  Too much rain can create a watery juice, and rainy climates are usually not very sunny.

Grapes grown in sunnier climates such as those found in Italy and Spain tend to produce juice that is higher in sugar.  Sugar is the food that yeast eats to produce alcohol.  More time on the vine results in more sugar available for the yeast to convert to alcohol.  These climates are generally drier, and the grapes receive just the right amount of water to produce great wine. 

Northern climates tend to produce more white wines, while southern climates tend to produce more red wine varieties.  Of course, you can find both types of wine in each climate.

The winemaker also has a hand in the taste of the final product.  By using certain types of yeast, the winemaker can tweak a grape juice to build a desired flavor profile.  Even wine produced from the same batch of grape juice can taste completely different with a different strain of yeast. Certain strains of yeast are more aggressive and build wines that are higher in alcohol content and aid the winemaker in creating a unique mouthfeel.

The container that is used to ferment the wine also plays a major factor in the finished wine’s flavor profile.  When wine was first cultivated, clay vessels were used as fermentation containers.  As the years passed, wooden barrels were introduced.  The species of wood that was used to build the barrel was a contributor to the finished wine’s flavor profile because each wood has certain chemical properties.  If a wood were high in sugar, the sugar would be also available for the yeast to consume and the wine would be affected by the higher overall sugar in both grape juice and wood. 

As barrels were reused, the sugar available from the wood itself was depleted.  In modern times, winemakers will sometimes utilize barrels that were used to make spirits.  This interesting use of old barrels can develop some really cool flavors.  The residual spirit flavors are taken up by the wine and can influence the finished product.

What about aroma and bouquet?

In its simplest terms, aroma is the scent that comes from the grape itself.  So, aromas are produced by chemical compounds that are formed as the grape grows on the vine.  The bouquet is the scent that is produced as the wine is fermenting and stored.  For the average wine drinker, the terms aroma and bouquet are basically the same thing.  For wine nerds, they are two components of wine that are quite interesting.

When you’re tasting wine with the intent of understanding what you’re drinking, sniffing the glass for the aromas and bouquet are vital.  You’ve probably seen actors in movies or on TV swirling their wine glasses and then sticking their noses in for a sniff.  The swirling motion allows for air to mix with the wine and release volatile scent compounds.  Wine lovers can train themselves to identify these aromas and bouquet to a very high degree.  In fact, you can do the same!

In order to help wine nerds identify and relate differing aromas, Dr Ann C. Noble of the University of California, Davis developed what is known as the Aroma Wheel.  If interested, you can purchase Dr Noble’s Aroma Wheel at www.winearomawheel.com

A device like the Aroma Wheel can be super helpful in training your nose to pick out the aromas of wine and that knowledge makes drinking wine an adventure.  By learning about the characteristics of different wines, you can enjoy them more deeply.  It’s definitely fun to go to the liquor store for some exploration of the wine section.  Even better, how cool would it be to introduce friends and family to wine appreciation?  Its always a good time to bring a bottle or two of an offbeat wine that you can present and guide the other drinkers to the flavors and aromas they should be looking out for as they enjoy the wine,

What are some well-known types of wine?

Speaking of introducing wine, there are thousands of wines from around the world.  These diverse wines are all built on subspecies of the Vitis vinifera grape. 

What’s even more interesting is that even wines that are built on the same grape subspecies can taste and have different aromas if grown in different regions!  As mentioned earlier, climate affects the outcome of the grape through rainfall, temperature, and sunlight.

Wine grapes can grow on every continent except for Antarctica.  With such a diverse growing area, and with so many climates and weather patterns, it’s easy to see how incredibly varied wine can be at any given time.  A grape that might be amazing in one year, thanks to optimal growing conditions, may suffer the next because the weather conditions were poor. 

Here’s a list of the top 10 wine producing regions of the world:

The top three countries (France, Italy, and Spain) produce approximately half of the world’s wine output.  That’s probably not too shocking, as I’m sure that you would probably say France or Italy if asked where most wine comes from.  Well, now you know that it’s a fact!

Now, let’s talk a bit about the different types of wines that are available for your tasting pleasure and can be easily found at your local liquor store.  You’ve probably heard of these different types of wines because they are extremely popular.  They also give us a good sampling of the wines that have made a mark on the world’s palate.

This list is courtesy of Wine Folly (www.winefolly.com).  Drop by Wine Folly to find tons of wine information and great videos on wine tasting and other wine subjects.

We deliberately left out brand names of the wines so that you could go to your local liquor store and find wines in these categories that work for your budget.  Who are we to tell you how much to spend?  The clerk at your store can give you plenty of help finding the right wine at the right price. 

So, get out there and start exploring!

I read that wine can be good for me.  Is that a bunch of baloney?

Ah, the ten million dollar question!  Here’s some information from the world-renowned Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.org). The Mayo Clinic is well-known for conducting deep research on many health-related subjects.

Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks.

Any links between red wine and fewer heart attacks aren’t completely understood. But part of the benefit might be that antioxidants in red wine may increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) and protect against cholesterol buildup.

Doctors don’t recommend that you start drinking alcohol for heart benefits, especially if you have a family history of alcohol addiction. Too much alcohol can have many harmful effects on your body.

But if you already enjoy a glass of red wine with your evening meal, drinking it in moderation appears to help your heart.  Antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols may help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. A polyphenol called resveratrol is one substance in red wine that’s gotten attention for its health benefits.

Resveratrol might help prevent damage to blood vessels, reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) and prevent blood clots.  However, studies on resveratrol are mixed. Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a lower risk of inflammation and blood clotting, which can lower your risk of heart disease.

The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol.  Simply eating grapes or drinking grape juice might be a way to get resveratrol without drinking alcohol. Red and purple grape juices may have some of the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine.

There’s still no clear evidence that beer, white wine or liquor aren’t any better than red wine for heart health.

Various studies have shown that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine.  The potential heart-healthy benefits of red wine and other alcoholic drinks look promising. Those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, including red wine, seem to have a lower risk of heart disease.

However, it’s important to understand that studies comparing moderate drinkers to nondrinkers might overestimate the benefits of moderate drinking because nondrinkers might already have health problems. 

More research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits.

The American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute don’t recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive and can cause or worsen other health problems.

Have a personal or strong family history of alcoholism

Have a liver or pancreas disease associated with alcohol consumption

Have heart failure or a weak heart

Take certain medications

If you have questions about the benefits and risks of alcohol, talk to your doctor about specific recommendations for you.

If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means:

Up to one drink a day for women of all ages.

Up to one drink a day for men older than age 65.

Up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more than women and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol.

A drink is defined as:

12 ounces (355 milliliters) of beer

5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine

1.5 ounces (44 milliliters) of 80-proof distilled spirits

Go forth and explore the world of wine!

Wine is an ancient and widely-spread alcoholic beverage that has been developed to maximize taste and aroma.

The entire world of wine is at your feet and ready for you to explore.  With so many grapes from so many regions available for you to sample, why not make it an exciting journey?  We recommend enlisting friends to try these wines with you.  Bonding over a glass of wine is a time-honored way to bring friends and family closer.

Your study of wine will give you confidence in social settings.  Wouldn’t you like to be able to view a wine menu and see more than a bunch of foreign-sounding names?  I bet your date/significant other would be impressed if you could order something other than a Chardonnay or Merlot.  How about your boss?  Imagine going out for a work meal and speaking knowledgeably with the waiter about the wines offered on the menu.  You could host an impromptu wine tasting with your tablemates!