Champagne 101

Champagne is a single Appellation d’Origine Controlee. The grapes must be Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Chardonnay is a white grape and when used exclusively is called “Blanc de blanc”. The two Pinots are red grapes and Champagnes made from these grapes are called “Blanc de Noir.” A white wine is obtained by gentle pressing and taking the juice off the skins before it has time to impart any color. Sometimes a slight rust color is evident in some Champagnes as the skins were left to have some contact with the juice. For Rose Champagne, the skins are allowed contact for a chosen period of time.

To be called “Champagne” the grapes must have been grown in the Champagne region of France. The climate of Champagne holds many challenges for grape growers. It is the most northern region of any important wine producing region. The weather is cold and damp. Champagne’s weather comes from the North Atlantic without any mountains for a natural barrier. The average temperature in Champagne is barely high enough to allow grapes to ripen. Acidity levels stay high in such a cool climate which is desirable in sparkling wine. Another concern is early or late frosts. These are common occurrences and the wine growers use the aspersion technique to protect the grapes. This is the process of spraying a light layer of water on the grapes and vines which freezes on the buds or the grape bunches, forming a protective shield from the cold. Also this region gets a lot of rain. The grapes are susceptible to fungi and mildews with extended periods of dampness.

It is important to note the terroir of Champagne. The most distinguishing characteristic is the high concentration of chalk in the soil. There are two types of chalk (which is a form of limestone) and one; belemnite chalk can only be found in Champagne. The wine is then matured in the tunnels of the old chalk quarries.

Champagne is made from still wine that has been fermented dry. The key process in producing Champagne is a second fermentation that occurs in the sealed bottle There are several distinct steps in the “Methode Champenoise.”

Selecting the cuvee is the first step. Cuvees can be from a pure grape variety, or can be mixture of the grape varietals. Most Champagne is made from mixed cuvees. The alcohol content of the cuvee is usually around 10%.

The Tirage is the second step. After the cuvee is selected, sugar, yeast and yeast nutrients are added. The entire mixture, called the tirage is put in a thick glass bottle and sealed with a cap. The tirage is placed in a cool cellar, at a 45 degree angle and allowed to slowly ferment, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is important to note that Champagne contains approximately four atmospheres of carbon dioxide; four times that of other wines. Since the bottle is sealed, the gas cannot escape thereby producing the bubbles of Champagne.


Aging on dead yeast is the next step. As the fermentation process proceeds, yeast cells die and after several months, the fermentation process is complete. However the Champagne continues to age in the cellar for several more years. During this aging process, the yeast literally bursts open and spills their insides throughout, thus resulting in a yeasty, toasty characteristic. The best Champagnes are left to age for five or more years.

Riddling is the process in which the dead yeast cells are removed from the bottle. The Champagne bottle is at an angle in an A-frame type holder, bottom up. A “riddler” comes through and turns the bottle 1/8th of a turn and gives it a quick shake and possibly tilts the angle of the bottle a little more each time. This will loosen any yeast particles and send them to the neck of the bottle. This is done one to three days over a period of several weeks. Also known as Remuage

Disgorging is the process in which the dead cells are removed. The Champagne bottle is kept upside down while the neck is frozen in an ice-salt bath. This results in a ‘plug’ of frozen wine which contains the dead yeast cells. The cap is removed and the pressure of the carbon dioxide forces the frozen wine out leaving behind clear Champagne. At this point the dosage, a mixture of white wine, brandy and sugar, is added to adjust the level of sweetness the winemaker is trying to achieve, and to top off the bottle. The bottle is then corked and the cork wire put down to secure the high internal pressure of carbon dioxide.

Classification of Champagne styles include: Extra Brut, Brut,Sec, Demi-sec and Doux. Each one of these is an indication of residual sugar. Extra brut being the driest at 0 to .5% residual sugar and Demi-sec at upward of 5% residual sugar.

Modern remuage versus traditional remuage
Remuage also known as riddling is the process of moving the dead yeasts to the neck of the bottle so they can be removed during disgorgement. The process was invented by an employee of Madame Cliquot in 1818 because if the dead yeasts were not removed, the wine had to be decanted and lost some of its effervescence in the decanting. Before the yeast can be removed, the neck of the bottle must be frozen solid in an icy brine bath. This is so the disgorgement can take place and finally the dosage before the bottles is re-corked.
Traditionally the bottles were rotated daily by a riddler between one eighth and one quarter of a rotation and gradually brought to an upright position over a period of time up to three months in some houses. The purpose of these movements is to loosen the adhesion of the sediment to the sides of the bottle and get the dead yeasts to slide to the neck of the bottle. The time and space required for this step of the Champagne making process put limitations on the amounts of wine houses could produce during the year.
In 1973, the first computer controlled gyro pallets appeared and the remuage process changed rapidly. The task of dislodging the sediment which took several months by hand could now be accomplished in a shorter period of time in less space by machines operated by computers. There are several different techniques for automating the remuage process; some such as rotopal or champrex require human labor as well as machines that speed up the process. These systems hold up to 381 bottles in each container that can be rotated at the same time and also allow for some human judgement. The gyro pallet systems are completely automated and allow for over one thousand bottles to be riddled in the same pallet over a period of time, often less than one week. This increase in efficiency allowed some houses to take production from seven to eight cycles annually, using hand riddling to forty-five cycles with the automated gyro pallet system.
Even more radical technologies are coming into existence that enclose the yeast in a gel so it can react with the wine and be easily removed during the disgorgement process. This would make the gel not adhere to the sides of the bottles. Still, some twenty-five percent of champagne produced today are hand riddled so judgements can be made by people and the process is taken slowly.

Xavier Auzas

how many calories are in wine?

First it needs to be established that, yes, there are calories in wine. Indeed, almost nything you eat or drink contains calories unless it is made of almost entirely of water or chemicals. However, calories should be considered fuel for the body and a body will not function well without an adequate supply of fuel. That said, the calories in wine need to be counted if you are watching your weight.

Wine As A Fuel Source

Typically, there are around 80-100 calories in an average-sized glass of wine. An average-sized glass is considered to be 125-150 mls (around 4 fl oz), so in a 750ml bottle there are roughly five to six glasses of wine at most. There are red wine glasses available today that can hold almost a full bottle of wine so it is important to consider the size of the glass when counting the calories in wine. A 750ml bottle of wine will generally contain between 300 and 500 calories.

Not all wines contain the same number of calories. Some of the drier white wines, for example, Sauvignon Blanc, white Zinfandel, and Chablis are at the lower end of the calorie scale - around 80 calories per glass. Red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Merlot tend to be in the mid range - around 95 calories per glass. Champagne contains around 100-105 calories per glass.

The really high calorie wines are the fortified wines like Port, Madeira, Muscatel and Tokay. These wines typically contain between 165 and 185 calories per glass. However, it should be noted that these wines are usually served in smaller glasses.

Having established the existence of calories in wine it is important to count them in your daily dietary intake if you enjoy a glass of wine or two with a meal. However, it is also worthwhile to keep the number of calories in perspective. Compared to a cheeseburger the calories in wine appear almost negligible. A cheeseburger can have up to1000 calories and can include as much fat as a body might require in a month! At least wine is fat free. The calories come from the sugar and the carbohydrates. So wine in moderation can usually be included in a calorie-controlled diet.

The Benefits of Wine

Regardless of the calories contained in wine, there are many documented benefits to drinking it in moderation. Wine can enhance the food we eat and act as an aid to digestion. Red wine in particular has potential benefits in that it is believed to help protect against certain forms of cancer and heart disease. Studies have shown a reduction of 30%-50% in heart disease of people who regularly drink a glass of red wine each night and a 20% reduction in death from certain cancers.

The health benefits of drinking wine are often attributed to the so-called "French Paradox", whereby the French - even with a diet high in fat - don't suffer from heart attacks at the same rate as North Americans. This has been attributed to their moderate, though steady, wine consumption.

So perhaps it's time to stop focusing on the calories in wine and instead focus on the health benefits ... in moderation, of course.
by Alison Stevens

International appellation laws without the AVAs

Appellations of the World

An appellation is a geographical-based term used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. Historically, the world's first vineyard classification system was introduced by the Hungarians in Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary in 1730. Vineyards were classified into three categories depending on the soil, sun exposure and potential to develop Botrytis. The subdvisions were: first class, second class and third class wines. A royal decree by the Hungarian crown in 1757 established a closed production district in Tokaj.

European Union:

Protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) are geographical indications (GIs) defined in European Union Law to protect the names of regional foods.

Austria:

Districtus Austria Controllatus (DAC) is latin for controlled from Austria. It recognizes regional types of wines. The DAC system was introduced in 2002 and is similar to the AOC and DOCG. Regional wine committies award the DAC to wines that represent their typical origin with their taste. There are currently 3 DACs:

1. Weinviertal DAC for Gruner Veltliner

2. Mittleburgenland DAC for Blaufrankish

3. Traisental DAC for Riesling and Veltliner

South Africa's Wine of Origin

Switzerland's AOC-IGP

France:

Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC), which translates as "term of controlled origin" is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, controlled by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO). The origins of AOC date back to the 15th century. The first modern law was set in 1919, when the Law for the Protection of the Place of Origin was passed, specifying the region and commune that a given product must be manufactured in, and has been revised on many occasions since then. In the Rhône wine region Baron Pierre Le Roy Boiseaumarié, from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, successfully obtained legal recognition of the "Côtes du Rhône" appellation of origin in 1937.

AOCs vary dramatically in size. Some cover vast expanses with a variety of climatic and soil characteristics, while others are small and highly uniform. For example, the Cotes-du-Rhone AOC "covers some 100,000 acres, but within its area lies one of the smallest AOCs, Château Grillet, which occupies less than 10 arces of land."

Vintners must choose whether to display their premier cru status or their AOC classification, unable to plainly display both. Oftentimes, distinguishing classifications requires knowledge of esoteric label laws such as "Unless the wine is from a premier cru vineyard, the vineyard name must be printed in characters no more than half the height of the ones used for the village name". The Wine laws of France are what made its product so marketable to the world. Using four levels or tiers for quality required procedures and practices to be strict.

1. Vin de Table- lowest tier for quality, it can come from anywhere in France. Few laws.

2. Vin de Pays- regulates that the grapes come from within the boundaries of one of the

140 or so delimited regions and accounts for more than twenty five percent of the wine produced in France.

3. Vin delimite de qualite superieure (VDQS)- The third tier and is less than 1% of

total production. This is generally a temporary category used for probationary status for wines that have the potential to move up to the next tier.

4. Appellation d’origine Controlee (AOC)- This is the first and most famous tier. The

AOC controls: the grape variety, when to harvest, sugar content, yield, viticultural practices, vinification techniques and minimum and/or maximum alcohol strength of the finished wine. The use of the word Superior means the alcohol can be one percent higher. This tier also allows for higher designations like Cru and Grand Cru.

Germany:

In German wine, quality is determined by several factors, including region of origin, whether sugar has been added, and the ripeness of the grapes. The best qualities are classified on the labels, specifying the Einzellage (a small region of origin) the wine is from, thus providing some information about the terroir. In Germany there are more than 2,600 Einzellagen. Großlagen (ß = ss), of which there are about 170, in most cases consist of dozens of Einzellagen. Vineyard names can be used, as well as Einzellagen, Großlagen, Bereiche or generic names for large areas.

The 1971 classification of German wines divides them into the following groups:

Deutscher Tafelwein- The equivalent of table wine. They may be chapitalized.

Deutscher Landwein- German country wine

Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) Wine from a specific region

Qualitätswein mit Prädikat - This highest level of the classification contains almost all

quality German wines. The wines must be produced from recognised grape varieties grown within one district, which must be declared on the label, and the grapes must reach a prescribed level of ripeness depending on the region and variety. The must weight (sugar level of the grape juice) is seen as a rough indicator of qualtiy. This does not necessarily determine the sweetness of the final wine, because the winemaker may choose to ferment the wine for longer. From 2007/2008 onwards, Qualitätswein mit Prädikat will be renamed Prädikatswein. QmP wines are ranked by ripeness as:

Kabinett fully ripened light wines

Spätlese a late harvest wine, may or may not be sweeter than kabinett

Auslese made from selected very ripe grapes, usually sweet

Beerenauslese individually selected overripe grapes often affected by noble rot,

Trockenbeerenauslese selected overripe shrivelled grapes often affected by noble rot

Eiswein (ice wine) grapes that have been naturally frozen on the vine, No Noble Rot

Eiswein BA (Eisweinbeerenauslese) containing noble rot. Better quality than Eiswien.

Greece: ονομασία προελεύσεως ελεγχομένη (Onomasia Proelevseoz Elegomeni)

Greece implemented appellation laws in 1971 and 1972, utilizing criteria similar to France and most European countries. The program is overseen by KEPO, the Central Committee for the Protection of Wine Production. The appellation is qualified by: the suitability, pedigree and historical role of grape varieties; soil composition; vineyard elevation; yield per stremma (1 stremma=1/10th of a hectare); sugar levels, the effect of oenological practices such as barrel aging and any additional factors likely to affect the quality of wine within regions under consideration. Currently Greece has are four appellation designations:
O.P.A.P.- (Onomasía Proeléfseos Anotéras Piótitos) 'Appellation of Origin of Superior

Quality' or the French 'V.L.Q.P.R.D.' There are 25 designations for this appellation, most of them for dry red and white wines.

O.P.E (Onomasía Proeléfseos Eleghoméni) 'Controlled Appellation of Origin' or the French 'V.Q.P.R.D.' There are currently seven qualified regions or products, all of them for sweet wine. Producers of OPAP and OPE wines have the option to use the term Reserve for white wines that are aged for two years (minimum of 6 months in barrel and 6 months in bottle) and red wines that are aged for 3 years (same minimums). Grand reserve can be used for white wines that age for three years or more (spending a minimum of one year in barrel and one year in bottle) and red wines that are aged for 4 years (spending a minimum of two years in barrel and two years in bottle).

Topikos Inos- (Local wine) is the Greek equivalent to the French Vins de pays. There are currently 139 qualifying appellations. Labels are permitted the use of confidence-inspiring domaine names so long as the requirement of sufficient locality is met.

Epitrapezios Inos- (Table wine) is equivalent to the French Vin de Table. Producers of Table wine have the option to use the term Kava (rough translation: cellared, which in Greece is a qualititative association) for white wines that are aged for two years (spending a minimum of 6 months in barrel and 6 months in bottle) and for red wines that are aged for three years ( spending a minimum of 6 months in new oak or 1 year in old oak barrels and two 2 years in bottle).

Italy:

Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) is an Italian quality assurance label for food products and especially wines. It was instituted in 1963 and overhauled in 1992 for compliance with the equivalent EU law on (PDO). There are two levels of labels:

DOC — Denominazione di Origine Controllata

DOCG — Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita

DOCG regions are subterritories of DOC regions that produce outstanding products that may be subject to more stringent production and quality standards than the same products from the surrounding DOC region. Wines labelled DOC or DOCG may only be sold in bottles holding at most 5 liters. A notable difference for wines is that DOCG labelled wines are analysed and tasted by government–licensed personnel before being bottled. To prevent later manipulation, DOCG wine bottles then are sealed with a numbered governmental seal across the cap or cork.

Italian legislation additionally regulates the use of the following qualifying terms for wines:

classico: is reserved for wines produced in the region where a particular type of wine has been produced "traditionally".

riserva: may be used only for wines that have been aged at least two years longer than normal for a particular type of wine.

IGT Indicazione Geografica Tipica, for high-quality wines that do not fit DOC/DOCG regulations. Tipica is the second of four classifications of Italian wine, leading Vino da Tavola (Table wine). Created to recognize the unusually high quality of the class of wines known as Super Tuscans, IGT wines are labeled with the locality of their creation, but do not meet the requirements of the theoretically higher DOC or DOCG. It is considered the rough Italian equivalent of the French vin de pays designation.

Portugal:

Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) The world's second oldest appellation control was introduced in Portugal in 1756 pertaining to port wine which was produced in the region of the Douro valley.

Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) DOC’s in waiting, like France’s VDQS

Vinho Regional Similar to France’s Vin de Pays

Vinho de Mesa – Table wine

Spain:

Denominación de Origen (Designation of Origin - DO) It wasn't until the 17th century that laws begin to be formulated with regard to wine, initially prohibiting, later encouraging and ultimately regulating its production, commercialization and consumption

Spain has 109 identifiable wine regions under some form of geographical classification, of which 59 are Denominación de Origen. The Spanish appellation hierarchy for wines takes the following form (highest quality first):

Denominación de Pago (DO de Pago) - Individual single-estates with an international reputation
Denominación de Origen Calificada/Qualificada (DOCa/DOQ - Denominació d'Origen Qualificada in Catalan): top-quality wine regions. So far, only Rioja
Denominación de Origen (DO - Denominació d'Origen in Catalan) - mainstream quality-wine regions
Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) or (VC)- less stringent regulation with specific geographical origin
Vinos de la Tierra (VdlT) - "country wine" areas which do not have EU QWPSR status but which may use a regional name
Vino de Mesa - Table wine, production of which has been in decline in recent years.

United Kingdom: Quality Wine Scheme

The UK has 5 categories of still wine and 4 of sparking wine.

Still Wine Sparkling Wine

1. UK Table Wine 1. English Sparkling Wine

2. English Regional Wine 2. English Quality Sparkling Wine

3. English Quality Wine 3. Welsh Sparkling Wine

4. Welsh Regional Wine 4. Welsh Quality Sparkling Wine

5. Welsh Quality Wine

UK table wine and all sparkling wine do not have to be tasted before labeling, the others do.

Australia:

Label Integrity Programme (LIP)- Australia has an evolving geographic indication system that regulates labeling, but what is more important is the quality control measures implemented by the with the following regulations:

1. Minimum of 85% of the grape variety stated on the label must be used.
2. If two different types of grapes are used in excess of 85% for any one variety, both grapes must be mentioned on the label in order of importance.
3. Generic labels are not permitted.
4. If the name of a growing area, state, region or sub region is on the label, a minimum of 85% of the grapes must come from that place.
5. If the vintage is stated on the label, a minimum of 95% of the grape must have been harvested during that vintage.
6. If the term “show reserve” is used on the label, the wine must have won a medal at a tasting competition.
7. If the term “reserve bin” or “bin number” appears on the label, it usually distinguishes a premium or higher quality wine.
8. If the term “wood matured” appears on the label, it indicates that the wine spent time in new or relatively young casks and thus has an oaky taste.

Canada:

Vintners Quality Alliance, or VQA. British Columbia VQA wine is produced from 100% B.C. grapes, and Ontario VQA wine is produced from 100% Ontario grapes.

The VQA system allows for sub-appellations, by which the grapes for wines are sourced from extremely specific geographical locations with different soil and climate. This is in accordance with the concept of terroir.

As Canada's highest quality wines, VQA wines may be made with fruit from relatively small agricultural yields per vine (which increases quality), they meet specific brix levels at harvest, and are regulated in terms of the use of additives during wine production. There are also standards regulating the use of certain types of packaging and closures.

Levels of appellations:

Provincial → Regional Appellation →Collective sub-appellation → Sub-appellation

Chile:

In December 1994, the Republic of Chile defined the following viticultural regions, also known as viticultural zones or appellations: Atacama. Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Central Valley, Administrative Metropolitan Region and South.

Chilean wine laws stipulate that export white wines must attain a minimum alcohol content of 12% and reds 11.5%. Especial wine must be aged two years, Reserve wine must be aged four years and Gran Vino must be aged six years. If a varietal, estate, vintage or place of origin is named on the label it must contain 75 percent of that grape type.

Argentina

Instituto Nacional de Viniviticultura (INV) - regulates pruning methods, harvesting schedules, transport of grapes, release dates of finished wines, minimum and maximum alcohol percentages and the planting of new vines. The INV also sets prices for domestic wines. Only Vinos Finos (the best of Argentinean wines, about ten percent) is strictly controlled by government and industry. Argentine winemakers have traditionally been more interested in quantity than quality and the country consumes 90% of the wine it produces.

United States

An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a delimited grape-growing region distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the United States government's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). There are 235 AVAs in 50 states, with 97(+) of them in California.

Unlike most European appellations, an AVA specifies only a location. It does not limit the type of grapes grown, the method of vinification, or the yield, for example. Some of those factors may, however, be used by the petitioner when defining an AVA's boundaries.

Once an AVA is established, at least 85% of the grapes used to make a wine must be grown in the specified area if an AVA is referenced on its label.

State or county boundaries, such as for Oregon or Napa County, are not AVAs,

A vineyard may be in more than one AVA. For example, the Santa Clara Valley and Livermore Valley AVAs are located within the territory of the San Francisco Bay AVA, which is located within the Central Coast AVA.

Oregon

The BATF laws have been strengthened in regards to labeling of the variety’s percentages listed requiring that ninety percent of the listed grape be in the bottle with the exception of Cabernet Sauvignon, which only requires seventy-five percent.

Washington

The state follows BATF laws and members of the Washington Wine Commission have taken even greater steps to increase quality through stringent labeling practices that require wine makers to only use AVA names on labels if one hundred percent of the grapes are from that AVA, all wines must be from Vinifera grapes with no additives and the term reserve must only be used for gapes that are one hundred percent Washington and up to ten percent of the wineries total production of that variety.

Xavier Auzas

Quick overview of France's appellation laws

The increase in trade and export led to increases in wine fraud, whereby inferior wines were labeled as superior wines, or inferior wines were blended with the wines of well-known producers. A number of laws to fight cheating were passed in 1935. They established the Appellation d`Origine Contrôlée system, which is governed by a powerful oversight board (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine - INAO). Consequently, France has one of the oldest appellation systems for wine in the world, and strictest laws concerning winemaking and production. Many other European systems are modelled on it. With European Union wine laws being modelled on those of the French, this trend is likely to continue with further EU expansion.

French law divides wine into four categories, with two falling under the European Union`s Table Wine category and two falling under the EU`s Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR) designation. The categories are:

Table wine:
* Vin de table - Carries with it only the producer and the designation that it`s from France.
* Vin de pays - Carries with it a specific region within France (ex. Vin de Pays d`Oc). Any French varietal can be grown in any region as long as the yield is restricted to 80hl/ha.

QWPSR:
* Appelation Contrôlée (AC) - A locale within a region (ex. Côte de Beaune)
* Appelation d`Origine Contrôlée (AOC) - Indicates a specific vineyard (ex. Château Margaux)

France`s best-known regional appellation system was developed in 1855, in preparation for the Great International Exposition in Paris. At the request of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, the Union of Brokers Attached to the Bordeaux Market identified the Grands Crus (Great Growths) du Medoc and organized them into five categories. The rankings were based entirely on recent prices.

White wines in Bordeaux were also ranked. One (present-day Château d`Yquem) was uniquely ranked above all others in its own category, that of Premier Cru Superieur (Superior First Growth). There were 11 First Growths and 12 Second Growth white wines. These, too, were established entirely on the basis of prices in 1855.

Within two years after the classification system was published, wine sales by the classified producers increased over 250 percent. With the passage of time, many of the châteaux acquired additional vineyards far away, some sold part of their vineyards, some let their vineyards deteriorate, and many other changes occurred.

Wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. argues that the classification has long created an injustice to consumers because it has caused mediocre wines to be sold for too much and good wine to be sold for too little. He says that the archaic rankings ``should be regarded by both the wine connoiseur and the novice as informational items of historical significance only.``

Bourgogne`s classification system was created in 1861 for the Paris World`s Fair in 1862. It has 110 appellations in an area only one-fifth the size of Bordeaux. Complicating the system is the fact that many villages have hyphenated their names to include that of their best vineyard. This promotes sales but tends to confuse consumers.

Xavier Auzas

New world vs Old world--What does this mean?

The Old World and New World Approach to Wine

by Randy Kemner

Old World Wine

For the indigenous wine-growing cultures of Europe, wine was originally created as a way to preserve fruit from grapes until the next fall harvest. The fact that grapes were the only fruit with enough natural sugar to ferment into wine made them special enough to plant wherever climate and soil would allow them to thrive.

In the ancient Mediterranean cultures before the science of fermentation was understood, the transformation from grape juice to wine was mystical and holy, and wine soon found its way into the religious services of nearly all religions of antiquity where it remains to this day. Wine is still used in Jewish ceremonies and is the "blood of Christ" in Christian communion services and Catholic masses. The "holiness" of wine is not lost on Europeans where it takes on multiple roles at the family table.

In the southern European and Mediterranean dinner table, wine provided not only the fruit but the acidity needed to balance the starchy and fatty diets of the populace. A glass of Riesling, for example, would perk up the heaviness of pork and sausages. A glass of Chianti brought needed fruit and acidity to the starchy game and olive oils of Tuscany. European wine is made for the dinner table.

Wine was used in the middle ages and beyond not only as a beverage but as a cure for diseases. Scurvy, non potable water and stomach ailments were among many health-related uses for wine wine. Modern research has disclosed cardiovascular benefits and cancer-preventative properties to wine. The so-called "French Paradox" is that French people who eat rich dairy and fatty foods thought to cause cardiovascular illness actually have less of such illness than Americans. Drinking red wine was thought to be part of the reason why.

Wines from the Old World have traditionally been identified by their place of origin. In wine-growing Europe, centuries of evolution have resulted in determining which varieties of grapes are best adapted for the unique soil and climate of a particular region. Appellation laws in France, Spain, Italy and Germany have strict requirements that protect the character of the wines of each region and there are government tasting panels that actually monitor each winery's stylistic compliance.

For the wine consumer, a typical European wine is identified by the name of its place on a label. Chianti, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chablis, Vouvray, Bordeaux and Champagne are all names of regions whose grape variety makeup is determined by law. That way a wine buyer buying a Barolo, for example, is guaranteed that his wine will be made of Nebbiolo and it will have a taste unique to that region.

New World Wine

In countries where grape growing isn't universal and grain beverages like beer and spirits dominate, the wine has a different historical and cultural place in society. The way the population drinks wine differs also from the Europeans.

New World wines are dominated by varietal bottling, listing the grape variety on the label. The purpose of the New World vintner is to achieve full expression of varietal character, not the full expression of his region. The place, which is important in terms of soil and climate, takes a back seat to the variety. Whether the Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Australia, Argentina or Napa Valley, the vintner wants to make Cabernet. The Bordelaise, who also use Cabernet Sauvignon, want to make Pauillac or St. Julien or Margaux.

Because New World winemaking is relatively modern, there is little tradition of wine at the tables of the indigenous population. Working-class Americans, for example, weren't raised with a bottle of inexpensive, unoaked table wine on the table. For people discovering wine on their own then, understanding and learning about the taste of different varietals such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot is the first step to wine appreciation.

In practical terms, non-wine drinking cultures produce wine enthusiasts who learn about wine by exposing themselves to elite wines rather than indigenous wines. It is a top-down process that is about the wine itself rather than wine as merely one of many components to a dinner menu. As a result, wines are made—and judged—as they perform in a stand-alone situation. The more concentrated, dense, flavorful, fruit-forward, the more impressive the wine.

These New World styles of wines have become so popular they dominate wine sales in America and increasingly in much of the world. Modern wine criticism encourages vintners who experiment to make bigger and more alcoholic wines that make a great first impression. Suitability with food is of secondary, or no consideration.

The Main Distinction Between Old World and New World Wines

Understanding that wine is fermented fruit juice may be the most important contrast between the Old and New World approaches to wine. Where the Old World traditionally uses wine as a food, it must possess the proper flavor, pitch, weight, balance and acidity for the items it is accompanying on the plate.

New World wines, whose aggressive alcohol and liberal use of oak flavor are so desirable in a stand-alone beverage, usually fails as a food wine for the same reasons. They simply taste out-of-whack, often diminishing in size when confronted with competing flavors. A simple, fruity, balanced wine in the European mold is much more versatile on the table. It is the role of wine as fruit, that Old World wines are so much more useful on the table than flavored booze.

What my blog is about

I've spent the past fifteen years learning, studying, selling and drinking wine. As a restaurant manager I've learned to pass the on passion and the knowledge to my staff. I hope to do the same with this blog. Throughout the years, I've learned a lot from various articles and I'm attempting to create a compilation of these articles. I will also be publishing my own and those of my oenophile friends.
The world of wine is complex and elaborate so understanding appellation laws is what allows all of us to better select wines the wines we like.
Bonne degustation.