Life in the Vineyard

Let’s be honest: this post is a introduction to an aspect that, usually, it is not the most interesting for wine beginners: viticulture as the practices for growing grapevines to produce wine. I decided to make a series of posts with this because it is important to know how from the beginning, from the intensity of sun shine to the space between vines a vine-grower decides in the vineyard, affect the characteristics of the wine at the end. With these clues I try you can guess more about the wine in your glass. Next time you wonder why this wine is different from this other, ask yourself not only for the main grape varietal in the wine, but also, from where it was grown and how: is it a cool area, was the year dry or hot for the average? does this grape fits in this weather? and why is important how old the vine is?. To have an answer to all this aspects will let you know better the wine you have. So, this series of videos is to remark the most important aspects that will affect the taste of the wine because of 3 variables: The Climate and the place, as it determines the growing conditions of the grapevine. The Varietal, as it is important it can express the better in the specific climate conditions The Human Factor, as the techniques vine-growers use to facilitate the better conditions of the land to get the best wine possible. . Ready for more about Life in the Vineyard? Last note: I’ve separated this post in the 3 aspects, as they are easier...

Sacred drink, evil drink

Enjoy the second cartoon video in the History of Wine series. It explains wine’s role as a sacred drink, but also explains the dark side of wine as an evil drink, based on the Judeo-Christian tradition. Again, the story comes from Jose Peñin’s book History of Wine. This cartoon begins by explaining how the most ancient god (mother Earth) became the goddess of vines and wine to the ancient Babylonians and how many ancient cultures shared a common idea of a “Garden of the Gods” where wine was the main drink. Drinking wine is associated with higher beings and the vines represent eternity with its never-ended cycle of death and rebirth each year. Vines were a symbol of the cycle of life.  Wine, as a higher drink with mystical properties, is represented in the first known text of history, the Poem of Gilgamesh (1800 BCE). This poem is a story about a Sumerian king that provoked the gods’ anger by treating the common people of his kingdom with cruelty. In the poem, the gods decided to kill the King and sent a savage giant called Enkidu to fight with him and to end the king’s life. To be prepared for combat, Enkidu is lionized for a while, making him drink up to 7 glasses of strong wine to achieve a higher status, to change him from simple savage to human. In the poem, wine was a way to a better and more elevated understanding of the world. But the things went bad for Enkidu, when in the vapors of wine, he and the King, not only never fought, but became close friends. So, the...

What is in a Glass of Wine?: Sugar & Aromatic Components

What is in a Glass of Wine serves as a foundation for learning about the chemical components of wine: This post is about sugar and aromatic components in wine but there are also tannins, alcohol and acids… Though water remains the most abundant. These components, called “Structural Components”, help define the taste of wine, and they are very helpful in understanding the wide variety of aromas, flavors, tastes and textures of wine. This series of posts explains how these components appear in wine and how they affect the taste, with special attention on the different aspects that can make them change or evolve. Here it comes: What is in a Glass of Wine? (IV): Sugar & Aromatic Components   Among the 3% of other components of wine, in this video we take a look at sugar and aromatic components. The amount of sugar in wine is responsible for the sweetness of the wine, but it also acts as a moderator in high acid wines, balancing them. A wine with high acidity benefits from a high amount of sugar, like the tasty sensation we get from a lemonade that is both high in acid and sugar. Sugar is a main component in grapes and it is transformed into alcohol during the fermentation process that converts must into wine. Grapes contain different types of sugar and these sugars are more or less easily transformed into alcohol, so, it may happen, that after the fermentation process is ended, some sugar remains in the resulting wine. This not-transformed-into-alcohol sugar is called “residual sugar” and depending on the amount of it or its type, wine is more or less sweet....

What is in a Glass of Wine?: Tannins

What is in a Glass of Wine serves as a foundation for learning about the chemical components of wine: This post is about tannins in wine but there are also acid, alcohol, sugars and aromatic components…Though water remains the most abundant. These components, called “Structural Components”, help define the taste of wine, and they are very helpful in understanding the wide variety of aromas, flavors, tastes and textures of wine. This series of posts explains how these components appear in wine and how they affect the taste, with special attention on the different aspects that can make them change or evolve. Here it comes: What is in a Glass of Wine? (III): Tannins Ready for more about this topic? Among the 3% of other components of wine, in this video we take a look at tannins. What are tannins? Tannins are components responsible for the structure of the wine and belong to a chemical group called phenolic components. Among them, there are other famous substances of wine, like anthocyanins (responsible for the color of wine) and resveratrol (well-known and discussed due to its antioxidant properties). Biologically, tannins are molecules developed by plants as natural defenses and preservatives… And they affect the taste of the wine. Tannins come from the skins, the seeds or the stems of the grapes and are also present in wood. So, wines fermented in contact with the skins, seeds or stems of the grapes or aged in oak barrel, have tannins. According to the winemaking techniques, red wines and rosé wines always have tannins. White wines can have tannins too if they spend time in oak. How tannins are perceived? Tannins in wine are described as structure, as a sensation...

Origin of Wine

Enjoy the first cartoon video of the History of Wine series. It begins with the hypothesis of the first tasting, according to José Peñín’s book History of Wine and then it moves on to one of the most popular legends about the discovery of wine. It also reveals some facts about the first evidence of wine and then leads you through history to the discovery of how man and wine began their love affair. Hypotheses of the Origin of Wine Men probably first tasted grape juice looking for something sweeter and more pleasant than water. The taste for sweet things is the first we developed, so, it’s likely they enjoyed the taste of grapes from the very beginning. Probably it was a surprise when they left the juice in a jar for later consumption and it become an acidic and dry beverage, but with a curious side-effects on mind and body. So, the obvious answer seemed to improve the taste and to keep the valuable side-effects: they began to add sugar, fruits, spices, etc. to get a better taste.  Aparently, the initial wine culture was more related to the mystical side than to the gastronomic value as shown by many ancient divinities associated to the vines and wine. Myths of the Origin of Wine Probably the most famous legend about the origin of wine is the story of Jamshid. A woman from his harem decided to kill herself by drinking the fermented grape juice, in the believe that it was spoiled because it tasted so acidic and dry. She failed in her goal as the wine began to make its effect, provoking her sweet dreams of love and mutual...