WINE

DEFINITION____________________________________

Wine is a kind of fermented alcoholic beverage. It can be defined as an alcoholic beverage obtained from the fermentation of the juice of freshly gathered grapes. The fermentation takes place in the district of origin, according to local traditions and practice.

CLASSIFICATION OF WINE TYPES_________________

WINES

(Characteristic/Nature)

TABLE SPARKLING FORTIFIED VIN DOUX ORGANIC AROMATIZED TONICWINES WINES WINES NATURAL WINES WINES WINES

(Colour) Body (Degree of Sweetness) (Alcoholic Content)

RED PINK WHITE DRY MEDIUM MEDIUM SWEET

DRY SWEET LIGHT MEDIUM HEAVY LOW DE- NO BODIED BODIED BODIED ALCOHOL ALCOHOLISED ALCOHOL

NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS

Wines are classified in many ways. But most importantly, they are classified all over the world by its nature or characteristics. By its nature or characteristics, wines are classified into:

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(i) Table Wines: Table wines are also called Still Wines and form the largest category. These are natural wines and are the result of fermentation of grape juice with little or no addition of other substances. These are made without any diversions from natural processes. These wines may be red, pink or white in colour. Their alcoholic content varies between 8 – 15% by volume, more usually between 10 – 13% by volume. For example: Medoc, Beaujolais, Hock, Moselle, Alsace etc

(ii) Sparkling Wines: Wines that have a sparkle or effervescence in them are called sparkling wines. This effervescence is caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) gas; produced during (second) fermentation, which is trapped and not allowed to escape or injected artificially. These wines are usually white or pink in colour, but reds are also available. For example: Champagne, Marquis de Pompadour etc

(iii) Fortified Wines: Table wines that are strengthened by the addition of alcohol, usually a grape spirit (brandy) are called fortified wines. Brandy may be added during fermentation as in Port wine or after fermentation as in Sherry. These wines are usually red or white in colour. These wines are now known as Liqueur wines or vins de liqueur. Their alcoholic strength varies between 16 – 22%, by volume. Example: Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, Malaga etc.

(iv) Vin doux Naturel: Vin doux Naturels are sweet wines that have had their fermentation muted by the addition of alcohol in order to retain their natural sweetness. Muting takes place when the alcohol level reaches between 5 % and 8% by volume. These wines have a final alcoholic strength of 17% by volume.

(v) Organic Wines: Organic wines are also called ‘Green’ or ‘Environment friendly’ wines. These wines are made from grapes grown without the aid of artificial insecticides, pesticides or fertilizers. These wines are not adulterated in any way, save for minimal amounts of Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) - the traditional preservative, which is controlled at source. For example: Vinho Verde of Portugal.

(vi) Aromatized wines: Wines that are flavoured and fortified are called Aromatized wines. Sweetening agent may or may not be added. Examples are Vermouth, Commandaria, Dubonnet, Punt – e – Mes etc.

(vii) Tonic Wines: Table wines, which have had vitamins and/or health improvers added to them are called Tonic wines. For example: Wincarnis contains beef extract.

COLOUR

All the wines mentioned above can also be classified on the basis of their colour into Red, Pink or white.

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(i) Red wines: Red wines are made from black grapes. These wines are fermented in contact with grape skins from which the wine gets its colour. The grape juice (must) remains with the skins from 10 to 30 days to extract colour and tannin. The lighter the colour required, the less time it spends with the skins. Normally these are dry wines.

(ii) White wines: White wines are usually made from white grapes, but can be made from black grapes as well. Here, the grape juice (must) is usually fermented away from the skin but this is not necessary in case of white grapes. Speed is required to seperate the must from the skin in case of black grape, otherwise dyes would liberate into the must. Normally these wines are dry to very sweet.

(iii) Pink wines: Also known as Rosé wines, these can be made in three ways – from red grapes fermented on the skins for upto 48 hours; by mixing red and white wines together or by pressing grapes so that some colour is extracted. It may be dry or semi-sweet. These are called Blush wines in USA when made wholly from red grapes.

ALCOHOL CONTENT

All the wines can be classified on the basis of alcohol content (which is reduced) into four main types:

(i) Low alcohol wines (LABs): These wines contain a maximum of 1.2% alcohol.(ii) De-alcoholised wines (DABs): These wines contain a maximum of 0.5% alcohol.(iii) Alcohol free or No alcohol wines (NABs): These wines contain a maximum of 0.05% alcohol.(iv) Reduced alcohol wines (RABs): These wines contain a maximum of 5.5% alcohol.

These wines are made in the normal way and then the alcohol is removed by one of the following two methods:

(a) The hot treatment: This treatment uses the distillation process. It removes most of the flavour as well.

(b) The cold treatment: This treatment uses reverse osmosis or fine filtration process. This removes the alcohol by mechanically separating or filtering out the molecules of alcohol and water through membranes made of cellulose or acetate, leaving behind a syrupy wine concentrate. Then, a little water and must is added to preserve much of the flavour of the original wine.

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DEGREE OF SWEETNESS

Wines can also be classified on the basis of degree of sweetness in them. Generally, White wines are classified on the degree of sweetness. The degree of sweetness on a scale ranges from Brut (Very dry) to Doux (sweet) with extra sec (dry), sec (medium dry), demi-sec (medium sweet) between them.

(i) Dry wines: It results when the yeast consumes all the sugar during fermentation, and none has been added. Such wines will be totally lacking in sweetness and hence called dry.

(ii) Sweet wines: It results when sugar remains in the wine after the yeast has died during fermentation or extra sugar has been added.

BODY OF WINE

Wines are also classified on the basis of its body. Body is the feel of the wine in the mouth; coming from the amount of alcohol, sugar, glycerine (a soluble substance formed during fermentation) and extracts from the grapes, such as tannin. Thus, body is also the weight of wine felt in the mouth i.e. higher the density or speciic gravity higher is the body and vice-versa. The body of wine ranges from full bodied wine to light bodied wine with medium bodied wine in between them. Generally, Red wines are classified depending upon body.

(i) Light bodied wine: A light bodied wine is usually referred to as light wine; it is low in one or more of the body components.

(ii) Full bodied wine: A full-bodied wine is typically high in body components. It clings to the side of the glass if swished around. When a full-bodied wine is tasted, the mouth is filled in a sensuous way.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE QUALITY OF WINE_

1. CLIMATE, MICRO-CLIMATE & BIO-CLIMATE

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Climate: The grapes will provide juice of the quality necessary for conversion into a drinkable wine where two climatic conditions prevail:

Enough sun to ripen the grape and The winter is moderate, yet cool enough to give the vine a chance to rest and

restore its strength for the growing and fruiting season

This shows that the grapes and hence the vine needs a good balance of heat, cold and moisture. Temperature should average 14 - 16C. The lowest annual average temperature necessary for the vine to flourish is 10C. It is estimated that the vine needs about 27 inches of rain per year mainly in winter and spring and atleast 1400 hours of sunshine.

Micro-climate: A particular beneficial weather pattern prevailing in a single vineyard or a group of vineyards or within a small region is called a micro-climate. It could be hills or mountains protecting the vines from heavy winds, or even a break in the mountain range allowing the air to freshen and fan the vines in very hot weather. It could be the angle of the sun, especially the clear brilliant morning sun that strikes one vineyard more favourably than another. The rise and fall of the terrain also has an effect, as also the location besides water body for ground moisture and reflected heat. These subtle differences in atmospheric conditions, combined with the quality of the soil and the grape variety used, are the reasons why some vineyards have such outstanding reputations.

Bio-climate: The relationship of soil and climate in a specific vineyard is called its bio-climate. Knowledge about bio-climate is used to obtain stable yields of high-quality grapes.

2. ASPECT

Vineyards are ideally planted on south-facing slopes (particularly in the northern hemisphere) where they point the sun and benefit from maximum sunshine and good drainage. Siting is of prime importance to capture the sunlight for photosynthesis and good ripening. Some vineyards are sited at a height of 243 m or more on mountainsides, while many of the great vineyards are located in river valleys and along lakesides benefitting from humidity and reflected heat.

3. NATURE OF THE SOIL AND SUBSOI L

Vineyards thrive where other crops struggle. Poor soils rich in minerals are best for the vine as they provide nutrients such as phosphate, iron, potassium, magnesium and

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calcium. These minerals and nutrients contribute to the final taste of the wine. Favoured soils are chalk, limestone, slate, sand, schist, gravel, pebbles, clay, alluvial and volcanic. These soils have a good drainage and moisture retention capability to keep the vine roots healthy. Soil is analysed annually and any chemical deficiency is compensated for. Drainage is very important, as the vine does not like having wet feet.

4. VINE FAMILY, COMPOSITION OF VINE AND GRAPE SPECIES

Vine: The plant, which bears the grape, is called a Vine. The vine belongs to the Ampelidaceae family. This family has around 10 genera but only genus Vitis is important for making wines. This genus has a subgenus known as Euvites and this subgenus has around 60 species. Some of these species are Vinifera, Labbrusca, Riparia, Rupestris, Berlandieri etc. Thus, there are five family of species: Vitis Vinifera, Vitis Lambrusca, Vitis Riparia, Vitis Rupestris, Vitis Berlandieri whose noble grapes can be used for producing classic wines. The plant Vitis Viniffera produces grapes, which are used for the production of best quality wines throughout the world, with few exceptions. These are in the east coast of America and Canada where other species are cultivated because they are more suited to the terrain and climatic conditions. Thus, Vine family is one of the important factors that influence the quality of wine.

Composition of vine: The vine consists of: Roots: These are for anchorage and for absorbing nutrients and moisture from the earth. The root system is large and can reach to a depth of about 12 metres. Leaves: When sunlight falls on leaves that have chlorophyll, carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere and combines with water, absorbed through roots, to make sugar. The sap stores this sugar within the grape. Leaves also shade the grapes in very hot climate. Flowers: Vine flowers are very small and self-pollinate between May to June in the northern hemisphere and from November to December in the southern hemisphere. Flowering lasts for about ten days. If frost arrives during the flowering, unprotected vines will not bear grapes. Grapes: After pollination, grapes are formed which are small, hard and green initially but swell out and change colour as they ripen in August and September. They are usually fully ripe 100 days after flowering. A ton of grapes produces 675 litres, equivalent to 960 bottles of wine.

Grape: The grape must be in harmony with the soil, the location of the vineyard and local climatic conditions. It should be disease resistant, give a good yield and produce the best quality wine possible. Wine is produced from either varietal grapes, which is a classic single grape like Riesling or from hybrids, which are a cross such as Riesling X Silvaner = Miiller -Thurgau. Grapes behave differently in different soils. Hence, Pinot Noir is a classic in Burgundy and a disaster in Bordeaux.

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5. VITICULTURE

Viticulture denotes the method of cultivation of vine. An overworked vineyard without compensatory treatment or a neglected vineyard will only produce second-rate wine, so the farming of the vineyard is of great importance. It involves:

Vine selection; keeping the vineyard healthy; ploughing to aerate the soil; weeding; fertilising; pruning to regulate quality; training the vines; spraying to combat diseases; harvesting.

6. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GRAPE

The grape is made up of stalk, skin, pips and pulp and its respective roles are as follows:

Stalk: The stalk imparts tannic acid to wine. It is mostly used in the making of big, flavoursome heavy bodied red wine and is not used when making white and light bodied wines. Tannin acts as a preservative and antioxidant. If over-used, it makes the wine astringent and nasty. It is recognized on the palate by its tongue-furring properties.

Skin: The outer skin or cuticle has a whitish cloudy coat called bloom. This waxy substance contains wild yeasts and wine yeasts, which contribute to the fermentation process. It also contains other microorganisms such as bacteria acetobacter that is a potential danger to wine. If uncontrolled, it turns wine into vinegar. The inside of the skin imparts colour that is extracted during fermentation.

Pips: Crushed pips impart tannic acid, oils and water. They do not contribute to vinification, if left uncrushed.

Pulp: The flesh of the grape provides the juice called must, which is essential for fermentation. The must contains 78-80% water; 10-25% sugar and 5-6% acids. Water

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makes up the bulk. Sugar is formed in the grape by sunlight and is of two kinds: grape sugar (dextrose and glucose) and fruit juice (levulose and fructose). They are found in

about equal quantities. Tartaric, malic, tannic and citric acids in the must help to preserve and keep the wine fresh and brilliant. It gives it a proper balance. Esters are formed when the acids come in contact with alcohol and it gives the wine its aroma or bouquet. The must (unfermented grape juice) also has trace elements of nitrogeneous compounds such as albumen, peptones, amides, ammonium salts and nitrates, as well as potassium, phosphoric acid and calcium, all of which have an influence on the eventual taste of the wine.

7. YEAST AND FERMENTATION

There are two mam categories of yeast:

NATURAL YEASTS

The natural yeasts, moulds and bacteria that hover and float in the air, eventually set onto ripe grapes. Many insects including the fruit fly drosophila help in this process of settling down of natural yeasts. It is known that a single grape before fermentation will harbour on its skin (cuticle) 1,00,000 wine yeasts; 1,00,000 moulds and up to ten million wild yeast. They adhere to the pruina a waxy substance formed on the grape skin. This dull whitish haze of yeasts and microorganisms is known as 'bloom' is wine language.

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CULTURED YEASTS

These are pedigree strains of natural yeasts cultivated in a laboratory. They are efficienct in converting sugar into alcohol as compared to natural yeasts and are less susceptible to sulphur in the fermenting process. Sometimes, they are selected to do a specific job or are used in situations where natural yeasts have been washed away by heavy rain or when some of the yeasts have been brushed off in transit. There are up to a thousand varieties of cultured yeast, but the name is normally associated with a type of unicellular fungi called Saccharomyces. Two varieties of Sacharomyces are important in producing alcohol in wines:

(i) Saccbaromyces apiculatus: These are also called 'wild yeasts' or 'starter yeasts'. These yeasts start the fermentation, but they are feeble fermenters and are killed when the alcohol concentration reaches 4% by volume. The wine yeasts take over the fermentation after this stage. Normally, wild yeasts are aerobic i.e they work only in the presence of oxygen and hence there is always a risk of acetification. They impart an 'off-flavour' and delay the action of the true wine yeasts. As they have only limited tolerance to sulphur dioxide (SO2), a strictly controlled quantity of SO2 is added to the grape juice before fermentation. In modern wine-making they are usually dispensed with.

(ii) Saccharomyces ellipsoideus: This is the true wine yeast. It is much more tolerant to SO2 and is also anaerobic i.e it is able to work in the absence of oxygen. There are many varieties of the species, each suited to its native wine district or region. Most wine regions have yeasts that cling to each other and the fermenting vessel, and this clinging property assists the wine-maker to clear the wine and make it star bright. Champagne yeasts, on the other hand, do not cling to each other or the containing vessel, which facilitates the operation known as remuage prior to disgorging the exhausted yeast to clear the wine. Depending on the amount of sugar in the grape juice, wine yeasts are rapid workers fermenting quickly up to 13% alcohol and then more slowly up to 16% alcohol. At that concentration, they are destroyed by the very alcohol they have worked so hard to produce. Thus, types of yeast used during fermentation affects the quality of wine.

8. VINIFICATION

Vinification encompasses the methods of making wine. This includes:

the pressing of the grapes; the treatment and fermentation of the must;

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ageing & maturing the wine and occasionally topping it up to keep the air out; racking, fining and filtration to make the wine star bright: Racking is running

the clear wine off its lees or sediment from one cask to another. Fining is further clarification of wine usually before bottling. A fining agent such as isinglass, bentonite clay etc is added and this attracts the sediment suspended in the wine, causing it to coagulate and fall to the bottom of the container. Filtration is the final clarification before bottling. It removes any remaining suspended matter and leaves the wine healthy and star bright in appearance.

blending - compensatory or otherwise; bottling for further maturing or for sale.

9. LUCK OF THE YEAR

In some years, everything in the vineyards and cellars go well, combining to produce a wine of excellence - a vintage wine. In other years, there can be great disappointments brought on by an excess of sun, rain, snow, frost and the dreaded hail, which will produce either poor or worse wines. So, the wine-grower can never be confident, but must always be vigilant.

10. METHOD OF SHIPPING AND TRANSPORTATION

Well, if the wine is not correctly balanced i.e if it is too much acidic and less in alcoholic content then it would deteriorate during transportation. Also, if during transportation and shipping it is mishandled or exposed to extremes of temperatures it gets roughed up and deteriorates. Problems also arise if the wine is too young or too old when shipped. Hence, now a days mostly all wines travel in refrigerated tanks or bottles which are transported by rail, tankers or ships at appropriate temperatures. In all cases, wine should be given an acclimatizing or resting period before being offered for sale.

11. STORAGE AND STORAGE TEMPERATURES

Wines are stored in attractive humidity and temperature-controlled cabinets that are available readily. The wines should be located away from excessive heat: hot water pipes, a heating plant or any hot unit such as a freezer! Heat does far more damage to wine than cold.

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Ideally, wine should be stored in an underground cellar that has a northerly aspect and is free from vibrations, excessive dampness, draughts and unwanted odours. The cellar should be absolutely clean, well ventilated, with only subdued lighting and a constant cool temperature of 12.5°C (55°F) to help the wine develop gradually. Higher temperatures bring wines to maturity more quickly, which is not preferable.

Table wines should be stored on their sides in bins so that the wine remains in contact with the cork. This keeps the cork expanded and prevents air from entering the wine - a disaster that would quickly turn wine to vinegar. White, sparkling and rose wines are kept in the coolest part of the cellar and in bins nearest the ground (because warm air rises). Red wines are best stored in the upper bins. Commercial establishments usually have special refrigerators or cooling cabinets for keeping their sparkling, white and rose wines at serving temperature. These may be stationed in the dispense bar - a bar located between the cellar and the restaurant - to facilitate prompt service.

FAULTS IN WINE ________________________________

Faults or sickness occasionally develop in the living wines as they mature in bottles. Sometimes, these faults are very obvious and at other times there is just a hint or suspicion of it. But, now a days with improved techniques and attention being paid to bottling and storage, faults in wine are a rarity. Some of the faults in wine are as follows:

(i) Corked wines: These are wines affected by a diseased cork caused through bacterial action or excessive bottle age. The wine tastes and smells foul. It is not the harmless cork residue that falls in wine while opening a bottle.

(ii) Maderization or oxidation: Due to bad storage the cork of the wine bottle dries out. As a result, the wine becomes too much exposed to air and colour of the wine darkens or becomes brown and the tastes ‘spoilt’. The taste slightly resembles Madeira, hence the name. (iii) Acetification: This is caused when the wine is overexposed to air. The vinegar microbe (acetobacters) develops a film on the surface of the wine, which produces acetic acid. The wine tastes sour, resembling wine vinegar (vin aigre = sour wine).

(iv) Tartare flake: This is the crystallization of potassium bitartrate at very cold temperatures. These crystal-like flakes; soluble in water but not in alcohol, are sometimes seen in white wine spoiling the appearance of the wine, which is otherwise perfect to drink. If the wine is stabilized before bottling, this condition will not occur.

(v) Excess sulphur dioxide (S02): Sulphur dioxide is added to wine to preserve and keep it healthy. Once the bottle is opened, the stink disappears and, after a few minutes, the wine is perfectly drinkable.

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(vi) Secondary fermentation: This happens when traces of sugar and yeast are left in wine in bottle. It leaves the wine with an unpleasant, prickly taste. It is ofcourse not the petillant, spritzig characteristics associated with other styles of healthy and refreshing wines.

(vii) Foreign contamination: This may be caused when wine has been put into previously used bottles that have not been hygienically cleaned or sterilized. Faulty bottling machinery may also cause glass to splinter and get into the wine. Wines may also be adversely affected if they are stored in a badly kept cellar at incorrect temperatures or stored next to strong odours such as petrol, vinegar or fish.

(viii) Hydrogen sulphide (H2S): The wine tastes and smells of rotten eggs. Discard it immediately.

(ix) Sediment, lees, crust or dregs: Organic matter discarded by the wine as it matures in cask or bottle is called sediment, lees, crust or dregs. It is removed by racking, fining or in the case of bottled wine, by decanting.

(x) Cloudiness: It is caused by suspended matter in the wine, disguising its true colour. It may be due to extremes in storage temperatures.

(xi) Weeping: This is the seeping of wine from the cork. It is caused when a small cork is used or faulty cork is used or when a secondary fermentation pushes the cork used.

(xii) Wine that ‘does not travel’: This was very common in olden days. It is because either the wine is not correctly balanced or the wine might have been roughed up because of bad handling or might have undergone too many extremes of temperature on the journey. Now a days all wines travel happily in refrigerated tanks. Problems do arise when the wine is too young or too old when shipped. Wines should generally be given an acclimatizing or resting period before being offered for sale.

ENEMIES OF VINE_______________________________

(i) Oidium Tuckerii: It is a powdery mildew that covers the grapes consequently splitting and rotting them. This is avoided by treating the vines with sulphur spray before and after blossoming.

(ii) Phylloxera Vastatrix: It is a louse-like, almost invisible aphid that attacks the roots of the vine vitis vinifera as it is not resistant to it. It arrived in Europe in the mid 1800s by accident, transported on American vines imported into various European countries from the eastern states of America. It ravaged many of the vineyards of Europe at that time. The cure that was found was to graft the European vine (vitis vinifera) scion (shoot cut for grafting) to resistant American root stocks (vitis rupestris). This practise became standard throughout the world wherever Vitis vinifera is

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grown. However, there are some pockets of vineyards resistant to Phyloxera either due to geographical isolation or that the vines are planted on sandy soil that the louse finds impossible to penetrate.

(iii) Grey Root Or Pourriture Gris : In warm damp weather, this fungus attacks the leaves and fruit of the vine. It is recognized by a grey mould. As a result of this fungus, an unpleasant flavour is imparted to the wine. To avoid this, anti-rot sprays are used.

(iv) Noble Rot Or Pourriture Noble (Botrytis Cinerea): This is the same fungus in its beneficent form, which may occur when humid conditions are followed by hot weather. The fungus punctures the grape skin, the water content evaporates and the grape shrivels, thus concentrating the sugar inside. This process gives the luscious flavours characteristic of Sauterness, German Trockenbeerenauslese and Hungarian Tokay Aszu.

(v) Coulure: This happens when there is a soil deficiency or too much rain or uneven temperature. The flowers on the vine are infertile, resulting in a dis-appointing yield of grapes. This condition of berries not developing is known as millerandage. To avoid this condition treat the soil with good fertilizers.

(vi) Chlorosis: Too much limestone in the soil causes yellowing and even death of the plant. This is called chlorosis. It can remedied by treating the soil with iron sulphate.

(vii) Pyralis, Endemis and Cochylis: These are tiny butterfly moths (pests) that pierce the grapes and destroy the crops within hours. To avoid this happening, spray insecticides.

(viii) Frost: Frost (especially during spring), stunts the formation of the buds that greatly reduces the yield. Treatment: fire heat, spraying with water.

(ix) Hail: Hail is a danger, especially just before the vintage when the grape skins are very thin and vulnerable. In this condition, it can easily puncture the skin and ruin the crop. Prayer ‘that it doesn’t happen’ is only the remedy.

WINE LABEL INFORMATION______________________

The European Community has strict regulations that govern what is printed on a bottle label. These regulations also apply to wine entering EC. A lot of useful information is given on the label of a wine-bottle. The language used will normally be that of the country of origin, the wine belongs to. The information includes:

(i) The country where the wine was made,(ii) Alcoholic strength in percentage by volume (% vol),(iii) Contents in litres, cl, or ml,(iv) Name and address or trademark of supplier

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It may also include:

(v) The year the grapes were harvested, called the vintage,(vi) The region where the wine was made,(vii) The quality category of the wine,(viii) Details of bottler

HOW WINES ARE NAMED________________________

Every wine label carries a name to identify the product inside the bottle. These wines are generally named in four ways: (i) by the predominant variety of grapes used (varietal); (ii) by broad general type (generic); (iii) by brand name; and (iv) by the place of origin.

(i) Varietal Names: Here, the name of the single grape, which predominates, is the name of the wine. This grape gives the wine its predominant flavour and aroma. E.g. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Zinfandel. Within the European Economic Community at least 85% of varietal wine must come from the grape named and some countries like France have raised this requirement to 100%.

The names of varietal wines once learned are quickly recognized and the better-known varietals almost sell themselves. Varietals range in price from moderate to high, depending to some extent on the wine quality. Taste them before buying, because they vary greatly from one producer to another and one vintage to another (This is true of all wines). The name and fame of the grape alone do not guarantee the quality of the wine.

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(ii) Generic Names: These wines are of a general style or type, such as Burgundy or Chablis. Their names are borrowed from European wines that come from well-known wine districts. But in reality, their resemblance to these European wines is slight to nonexistent and the name does not indicate the true character or quality of wine. Law requires all generics to include the place of origin on the label (such as California, Washington State, Napa Valley etc). This distinguishes them clearly from the European wines whose names they have borrowed.

The best of the generics are pleasant, uncomplicated, affordable wines that are often served as house wines. Generics frequently come in large-size bottles (1-4 litres) and are sometimes called jug wines. Nowadays these wines often come in bag-in-a-box form, in which a sturdy cardboard box contains a plastic bag holding 10 to 15 gallons of wine. The wine is drawn off through a spigot in the side of the box, and the bag shrinks as wine is withdrawn, so the wine remaining in the bag is unspoiled by contact with air.

Generics are not so popular today because of mass awareness and wineries have begun to use the names Red Table Wines and White Table Wines instead of the old generic names.

(iii) Brand Names: A brand name (also called a proprietary name or a monopole in France) is one belonging exclusively to a vineyard or a shipper who produces and/or bottles the wine and takes responsibility for its quality. It may be anything from an inexpensive blend to a very fine wine with a prestigious pedigree.

A brand name distinguishes a wine from others of the same class or type. Brand names are also used deliberately for high-quality wines that do not meet the 75 percent varietal requirement because better wine with more skillful blending of the dominant grape with others can be made. Examples of these are Reviera, Bosca etc.

A brand name alone does not tell anything about the wine. The reputation of the producer and the taste of the wine are better keys to choice.

(iv) Place-of-Origin Names: II is more common to use a place of origin as a name on the label. The place of origin is usually a rigidly delimited and controlled area that produces superior wines of a certain character deriving from its special soil, climate, grapes, and production methods. Wines from such an area must meet stringent government regulations and standards in order to use the name. The defined area may be large (a district, a region) or small (a commune, a parish, a village, a vineyard). Generally, the smaller the subdivision - the more rigorous the standards and the more famous the wine.

Along with the area name on the label is a phrase meaning "controlled name of origin"—Appellation Controlee in France, Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC for short) in Italy. Other countries have similar requirements for using the name of a delimited area. Generally a wine from a controlled area has a certain claim to quality, and the best wine-growing areas have the best claim. But the name is not a guarantee, and all wines from the same area are not the same.

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THINK IT OVER_________________________________

1. Explain the following terms: (a) Viticulture [Nov-05]2. Name four Table wines from India. {Nov-05]3. Define Wine. Explain the following terms: (a) Sweet wines (b) Fortified wines (c)

Organic wines [April-05]4. Explain the following terms: (a) Corky [Nov-04]5. Draw the classification chart of Fermented beverages. [Nov-04]6. With the help of examples describe any four types of wines. [Nov-04 / April-04]7. The stalk and pips of the grape contains alkaloid named ____________. [Nov-04]8. Yeast cells settles on the skin of the grapes to form the characteristic

____________. [Nov-04]9. What are Organic Wines? [Nov-04]

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