WHY WINE

A SHORT OVERVIEW OF WINE

Grapes are mostly water and sugar. Most wine is made from grapes. But it can also be made from fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. When yeast is added to the crushed pulp, fermentation converts the sugars into alcohol. Different amounts of water, sugar, alcohol, and 400 known compounds contribute to the flavor, aroma and color of the different types of wine.

Based on their color, wines are classified as red, rose’ or white. They range in color from straw to brown.

Each type can be either sweet or dry. Sweet wines have a high sugar content. Dry wines lack sweetness because little or no sugar is in the wine or it could have a high acidity content.

There are three types of wine:

1) Table wine – a natural or distilled red, rose’ or white wine that has an alcohol content from 7% to 15%.

2) Sparkling wine – mostly white (but sometimes red or rose’) effervescent or bubbling wine with an alcohol content of 7% to 15%.

3) Fortified wine (also known as dessert wine) – red or white wine that contains brandy with an alcohol content of 16% to 23%. Wines with additional flavoring added during the aging process are known as aromatic wines.