Wine 101

The harvest season for the northern hemisphere (Europe, US)

August-September

Wine grapes

Compared to regular grapes they are smaller, sweeter and have lots of seeds

Compounds produced in fermentation

acidity, sweetness, alcohol, tannin, and aroma

The origin of the term "Vintage"

"Vint" stands for "Winemaking" and "age" implies the year it was made. So, when you see a vintage year listed on the label, that's the year the grapes were picked and made into wine.

Single varietal percentage requirements

75% USA*, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Greece 80% Argentina 85% Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand Oregon requires 90%

What is inside of a bottle of wine?

Acid, Anthocyanin, Water, Alcohol, Sugar, Minerals

Most common Vitis vinifera

Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine

Harvesting season for the Southern Hemisphere (Argentina, Australia)

February-April

Vitis vinifera

Most wines are made with this single species of grape which that originated in Caucasus

NonVintage wine (NV)

Wines marked non vintage have typically been blended. Champagne will be listed as NV. P

Wine blend

a wine made with a blend of several grape varieties. Blending is a traditional method of winemaking, and today there are several famous wine blends produced in classic winemaking regions.

Wine

an alcoholic beverage made with the fermented juice of grapes. Technically, wine can be made with any fruit but most wines are made with wine grapes (which are different than table grapes).

Single varietal wine

is made primarily with one type of grape. It's common to see these wines labeled by the name of that grape variety.