How is still wine made? Still wine: what is it, what are still wines.

Wine is a drink that you can talk about endlessly. It is believed that it was given to mankind as a gift from the gods, it brings great benefits to the body, gives a feeling of happiness and joy. Of course, if there is no talk of alcoholism, and it is used in moderation.

And if we talk about the positive effect of drinking, then it should be noted that inexpensive drinks that fill the shelves of our supermarkets basically do not bring any benefit to the body, but we can talk about their harm for a long time. Therefore, when talking about what kind of wines there are, we will start from the quality products of well-known wineries or analogues of home origin.

So, winemaking is based on fruit and berry and grape production. That is, first of all, what kind of wines there are depends on the raw materials from which they are made. Fruit and berry products are drinks created on the basis of berries (raspberries, strawberries, mountain ash, etc.) and fruits (apples, pears, peaches, etc.).

Such wines are valued much less than grape ones, and it is practically impossible to buy high-quality products of this variety in our stores. The exceptions, however, are drinks such as French (apple-based) or German Obstwine. Fruit and berry wines, in turn, are divided into still and sparkling. The former do not foam when opened, the latter have the effect of champagne.

Now let's take a closer look at grape wines. Moreover, it is these drinks that are considered classic in winemaking. So, what kind of wines are among grapes? They are classified into main types depending on how much alcohol and sugar they contain in their composition. The lightest are table wines. They are divided into dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet. More hoppy - dessert. In turn, they are divided into (such as Cahors, Muscat, Tokai) and liquor. The most intoxicating of those wines are dessert strong ones: Madeira, port wine and others.

Grape drinks are naturally made from the corresponding berry. And it can be different. Depending on this, wines are divided into white, rosé and red.

• If the drink is created on the basis of berries of one variety, this is a varietal wine.
• If grapes of different types are mixed, and then a drink is made on this base, this is a sepazh wine.
• If for the production of products they use the mixing of wine materials based on different ones, this is blending.

It is known that the longer the drink plays and infuses, the more interesting and brighter its bouquet is revealed. Therefore, what kind of wine is also affected by its aging time. Those products that are aged up to a year are called "ordinary", or "young". It is much cheaper than vintage wine. The latter are only bottled after two to five years of aging in oak barrels. And if such a wine, already in a container, stands closed in a horizontal position at certain temperatures and humidity in the cellar, it becomes a collection wine, and its value increases significantly.

Which wine to choose for you depends solely on your taste. But before choosing, it is worth understanding the classification and types of this multifaceted drink.

To date, about 10 million hectares are occupied by vineyards in the world. The undisputed leaders in the world wine market are Spain, Italy, France and Portugal. They are followed by Romania, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria, USA, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa. The CIS countries rank fourth in the world in terms of the total volume of wine production.

The basis common European classification wines lay down the one that was adopted in France. According to it, absolutely all grape wines are divided by type into two groups: quiet(natural, liqueur, flavored) and sparkling.

natural wine- the simplest type, which is obtained naturally. Grape juice is fermented by yeast that turns sugar into alcohol. The strength of still wines is from 8 to 15 degrees.

On the base natural wines are prepared liqueur and flavored. Fortress liquor wine reaches 15-20 degrees. To obtain a product with such a high alcohol content, a strong alcoholic drink, such as brandy, is added to still natural wine.

Flavored wines are made on the basis of still wines with the help of herbs, spices and spices. In our country, they are also called "original". The most popular flavored wines are, as you know, vermouth. The only difference between sparkling wines and still wines is the content of dissolved carbon dioxide. In sparkling drinks, it is not removed, but safely accumulates in the bottle. And the best sparkling wine, no doubt, is champagne from the French province of Champagne.

Two other characteristics wines are color and degree of sweetness. Here, too, there are classifications. wine happens white, pink, red. Degree of sweetness dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet.

Curiously, white wine can be made from any grape variety, be it white, red or black. This is where processing is important. To obtain White wine, squeezed grape juice is filtered, and fermentation occurs without the skin. Red wines are usually made from red grape varieties, and the squeezed juice ferments along with the skins. And finally, the riddle is rosé wines. Although everything is extremely simple here. Rose wines are made from red grapes, but the method of preparation remains the same as that of the "white counterparts". The nuance is that the must ferments along with the skin for several hours, and then it is removed. In such a short period of time, the coloring substances do not have time to completely pass into the must, as a result, the desired pink color is obtained.

Concerning degree of sweetness then most natural wines are dry (the sugar they contain turns into alcohol). In semi-dry and semi-sweet wines, sugar remains due to the characteristics of a particular grape variety.

Which wine to prefer, red, white or rosé is a matter of taste. The main thing is that it actually turned out to be of high quality and tasty. By the way, scientists from the Stanford University Business School, together with colleagues from the California Institute of Technology, conducted a study according to which it turned out that people like expensive wine more, regardless of its actual quality.

The experts invited a group of volunteers to taste several samples of Cabernet Sauvignon and choose the wine that they like more than others. All participants in the experiment knew the price of each bottle, which, however, did not correspond to the actual cost. For example, a $90 bottle of wine was passed off as Cabernet for only $19, while a $5 wine was said to be 9 times more expensive. As a result, most participants in the experiment named the most expensive wine the most delicious. The experiment illustrated how psychological expectations can affect the level of pleasure received. In addition, special devices showed that supposedly more expensive wine caused a stronger activity of the brain center, which is responsible for pleasure. At the same time, the activity of the region of the brain associated with the sensation of taste remained approximately at the same level.

Sweet emotions, pleasant impressions and sparkling mood to you, friends!

Wines of the world

Wine classification

For many centuries of wine production, mankind has created many varieties of this wonderful drink. Let's briefly consider how wines can be divided into types (with a certain degree of inaccuracy).

The most general: wines are divided into two main types: containing carbonic acid (effervescent), and not containing carbonic acid (still).

They are divided into table, fortified and flavored.

Canteens wines are produced without the addition of alcohol and contain only alcohol obtained as a result of natural fermentation - from 9.0 to 14.0% vol.
According to the sugar content, table wines, in turn, are divided into dry - no more than 0.3% with residual sugar up to 1%; semi-dry - from 1 to 2.5% and semi-sweet - from 3 to 8%.

Fortified wines allow the use of rectified alcohol. They are: strong (contain from 17.0 to 20.0% alcohol by volume, including naturally fermented alcohol of at least 3.0% by volume; sugar content from 1.0 to 14%); and dessert (contain alcohol from 12.0 to 17.0%, including naturally fermented alcohol of at least 1.2% vol.).
According to the sugar content, dessert wines are divided into: semi-sweet (sugar - from 5.0 to 12.0%, alcohol - from 14.0 to 16.0% vol.), sweet (sugar - from 14.0 to 20%, alcohol - from 12.0 to 17.0% vol.) and liquor (sugar - from 21.0 to 35.0%, alcohol - from 12.0 to 17.0% vol.).

Flavored wines are prepared using rectified alcohol, sucrose, as well as infusions of individual parts of various plants according to a special recipe. Alcohol content - from 16.0 to 18.0% vol., sugar - from 6.0 to 16.0%. Flavored wines were prepared in ancient Greece and Rome, considering them to be healing. Today, vermouths are produced in many countries.

By quality, still wines are divided into ordinary, vintage and collection. Let us immediately clarify that this classification is adopted in Russia. In Western countries, there is a slightly different division (you can read about it below).

Ordinary- wines produced without aging, but not earlier than three months from the date of grape processing. These are ordinary, cheap wines that are not distinguished by any particularly high qualities.

Vintage- aged high-quality wines produced from the best grape varieties in individual wine-growing regions or micro-regions according to a special technology established for each brand of wine. The duration of aging of vintage wines: for dry table wines - at least 1.5 years, for strong and dessert wines - at least two years. These wines have high taste qualities.

Collectible- vintage wines of outstanding quality, which, after the end of the aging period in barrels (bottles, tanks), are additionally aged for at least three years.

Wines containing carbon dioxide are divided into the following groups:

Naturally saturated with carbon dioxide- fermentation in hermetic pressure vessels. These include those prepared according to a special technology by secondary fermentation of processed wine materials obtained from special white and red grape varieties. Champagne obtained by secondary fermentation in bottles and aged in them for at least three years is called "aged".

Sparkling- obtained by secondary fermentation of dry or fortified wine materials in hermetically sealed vessels according to the technology approved for each type of wine.

Natural semi-sweet sparkling- prepared by the fermentation of grape juice in pressurized sealed tanks, stopping the fermentation at a certain stage.

Effervescent or carbonated wines, artificially saturated with carbon dioxide by the so-called "saturation". Wine can be made from one grape variety (varietal wines) or several varieties - then it is called blended (from the French word "couper" - to cut). There are strong wines, some ports and madeiras made from fifteen grape varieties, the composition of which gives a wine of very high quality. Also, in addition to blending varieties, blends of wines coming from different wine-growing regions, and blends of wines of different ages are used.
Now we should talk about the classification of wines produced in other countries.

Officially, the German wine regions are divided into 13 wine regions. Seven of these regions produce Rhine wines (Rheinhessen, Rheinpfalz (Palatinat), Rheingau, Nahe, Ahr, Mittelrein, Hessische Bergstraße), one is Moselle (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer), five others (Franconia, Württemberg, Baden, Saale-Unstrut and Saxony) - wines with quite different characters.

According to a law passed back in 1879, German wines are divided according to their natural richness and flavor intensity into three quality categories:

1. Deutschertafelwein - German table wine. It must be made from grapes harvested in one of the regions of Germany:. It is not required to pass a tasting test, but must comply with pure product laws and product descriptions, which are very strict. Table wines include Pride of the Knight's Castle, Dances of Winemakers, Party, Blue Skies, Golden Skies, Old Cellar.
2. Qualitatswein b. A. (abbreviated as "K.b.A. / Q.b.A.") - Quality wine from a certain region. A "Defined Region" can be one of the 13 officially designated wine regions. In order to enter the rank of quality wines, the wine must meet all the requirements of the region in terms of grape variety, planting, productivity and alcohol content. Every year, wines - candidates for the Qba rank - pass a professional tasting test (colour, transparency, smell and taste are evaluated). Qba wines are a stronghold of German winemaking. These are light, refreshing, with a good bouquet of wine. Over the years they become more complex. But any of these wines can be enjoyed with pleasure even a year after bottling, and the younger it is, the fresher and more pleasant it tastes. This class includes wines: Milk of the Madonna, Black Cat, Spring of the Queen Frog, Riesling, Mount Michael, etc.
3. Qualitatswein mit Pradikat - ("Qualitieswein mit predicate", - "K.m.P./Q.m.P.") - Quality wines with distinction. This is a specifically German phenomenon. Q.m.P is the highest ranking for German wines. Often referred to simply as “predicatsvine.” They must come from only one area (or one vineyard) within a given region. Wine class Q.m.P. - elegant, refined and durable. The predicate, or Distinction, designates one of five quality grades, which are determined by the degree of ripeness of the grapes at different stages of harvest and require a certain number of points when passing a tasting professional test:
   1) Cabinet (Kabinett) - wine made from grapes harvested at the usual harvest time. This is the lightest and usually the driest of the five categories (for example, Gornoye Meshto wine).
   2) Spatlese - wine made from late harvest grapes, with the aroma of ripe berries and a complete taste. The Spätlese wine is richer, fuller, more intense, but not necessarily sweet, possibly higher in alcohol, and more expensive (e.g. Rhenish Spätlese, Bishop of Main, Riesling Spatlese, Copper Mountain Grotto Spatlese ).
   3) Auslese - wine from specially selected bunches of grapes (for example, Sundial, Auslese Copper Mountain Grotto).
   4) Beerenauslese A wine made from overripe grapes, carefully selected by hand, from which rare, exclusive wines with an inimitable honey taste are obtained.
   5) Trockenbeerenauslese (Trockenbeerenauslese) - wine made from almost wilted berries selected from late-harvest grapes. Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese are exceptionally rare wines. These are wines for connoisseurs, they are among the most expensive wines in the world and are drunk on special occasions. They can, like other German wines, be drunk young, but they reach their peak of perfection only after 15-20 years, and some of them can be stored almost forever.

France has the oldest and most sophisticated system of wine laws in the world. This legislation controls all wine production with a strict system of identifying wines according to their place of origin. Most wines are classified and usually given their specific names by geographic region.

French laws define the following wine quality categories:

1. Vins de Table - Table wines. These wines must contain at least 8.5-9% alcohol, depending on the area of ​​production, but not more than 15%. If they are French wines in origin (wines of one region or a mixture of wines from several regions), then they have the right to be called "Vin de table de France" - "French Table Wines". If they consist of wines produced in EU countries, they are "Blends of wines from different countries of the European Community". If they contain must from EU countries and are produced in France, they have the name "Wine obtained in France from grapes harvested in ... (name of the country or countries of origin of the must)". "Blends" with wines imported from non-EU countries are prohibited. The quality and character of table wines vary by brand. The firms that produce them strive for a certain consistency in accordance with the tastes of customers.
2. Vins de Pays - Local wines. The category of Local Wines corresponds to the elite of Table Wines. To receive this appellation, Local wines must meet the following quality categories:
   1) they must be obtained only from recommended grape varieties and must be produced in the specific locality indicated in the name (a department, a specific area within a department or a region spanning several departments),
   2) they must contain at least 10% alcohol for Mediterranean regions and 9% for other regions;
   3) they must have analytical and organoleptic properties that meet the standards. These properties are tested by a tasting panel, which must be approved by the National Interprofessional Wine Service.
3. Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC)- Wines of Controlled Designations of Origin (CNI). Wines of this category satisfy the conditions of production determined by the National Institute of Genuine Appellations and enacted by the decree of the Ministry of Agriculture. The rules for the production of KNP wines are the most stringent and include the following points:
   1) locality of production: the region in which grapes are grown and wine is obtained from it is indicated;
   2) a set of grape varieties: KNP wines must be made from grapes, the variety of which is established for a given region;
   3) minimum strength;
   4) the maximum volume of production: according to the principle - "the lower the yield, the higher the quality." The decrease in yield occurs due to close planting, pruning.
   5) methods of growing grapes and making wine, as well as its storage during its formation, must comply with strict historical norms for a given region. All wines applying for this qualification undergo analytical research and tasting. At the end of the control tasting, if it gives a positive conclusion, the wines receive a certificate. This certificate, issued by the National Institute of Original Names, means permission to use them under the name of the AOC for which they claim. Wines that have not received such approval may not be sold under the AOC name. Such strict legislation guarantees the constant quality of the products of the Designations of Origin - wines such as Rosé Anjou, Beaujolais, Côte du Rhone, Bordeaux, Medoc, Petit Chablis, Côte de Bourg, Grave, Saint-Emilion serve as representatives of this class.

In 1963, the Italian government introduced laws to control the wine industry. The classification of wines according to these government standards is very similar to the French system of controlled appellations.

Some are named after the locality (for example, Toscano); other wines are named after the grape variety (eg Lambrusco, Barbera).

Firm "Mosel" supplies Italian wines from the following regions of Italy: Veneto region, Verona region (Valpolicella, Soave DOC, Pinot "Il Griso"); the region of Emilia - Romagna (Lambrusco); Tuscany region (Chianti, Toscano); Marche region, province of Ancona (Verdicchio); the Abruzzi region (Montepulciano d'Abruzzo); the Lazio region, near Rome (Frascati Superiore DOC); province of Salento, region of Apulio (Rosato del Salento); Lombardy region (Muscat), Piedmont region (Barbera d'Asti).

The following wine classes are distinguished:

1. V.d.T. (W.D.T.) - Vini di Tavola- table wines: Chardot, Cuvée.
2. I.G.T. (I.G.T.) - Indicazione Geographica Tipica - Typical Geographical Identification - light quality wines, not tied to D.O.C. standards, are the equivalent of the French "vins de pays": Tocay del Veneto, Pinot il Griso, Lambrusco, Toscano, Rosato del Salento.
3. D.O.C. (D.O.K.) - Denominazione di Origine Controllata - Controlled Designations of Origin - this classification is subject to rules similar to the French Appellation Controlee and includes a legal provision regarding the geography of origin of the permitted grape varieties, permitted yields, alcohol content, and aging requirements of the wine or group of wines. There are currently over 200 D.O.K. wines. Representatives of this category are Barbera Asti, Frascati, Montepulciano, Valpolicella, Soave, Verdicchio Classico, Muscat.
4. D.O.C.G. (D.O.K.G.)" Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Guarantita - Controlled and Guaranteed Designations of Origin - this "guaranteed" classification is supposed to apply to the noblest of Italian wines and along with requirements for lower yields and the elimination of less deserving grape varieties contains the requirement that all DOCGs must pass the appropriate procedures in the tasting council in order to obtain a guarantee of quality. This category includes such wines as Chianti, Chianti Classico, Dolcetto Acui.

The wine laws passed in 1970 increased the demands on the wine industry throughout Spain. The hierarchical quality ladder of Spanish wines established in Rioja, in a more or less appropriate, somewhat simplified form, has been transferred to many other Spanish wine regions with the status of Denominacion de Origen (Denomination of Origin). Winemakers in these areas have the right to indicate the name of the area on the labels as the place of origin of the wine.

Spain ranks third in the world in terms of wine production and owns the world's largest area of ​​grape cultivation. After Spain joined the EEC in 1986, its wine production intensified, as it became possible to quickly enter European markets. For several years old cellars were rebuilt, new vineyards were laid, modern equipment appeared at wineries. And if earlier only two regions were known in the world - Rioja and Jerez, today bright and high-quality wines from Valencia, Navarra and Catalonia are appreciated and are in demand in more than a hundred countries around the world.

They are divided into the following classes:

1. Table wines - table wines - at the bottom of the hierarchy are young ordinary wines that do not age in oak barrels, sometimes they are called young wines.
2. Varietal wines - varietal wines - produced from one specific grape variety. For their manufacture, Spanish varieties Tempranillo are used - giving the wine a good acid balance, Grenache (Garnaccia) - increasing the level of alcohol content in wine, as well as a number of foreign grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, which give excellent results on the lands of Spain.
3. Crianza wines - Vintage wines "Criansa". Before leaving the winery, they are aged for a year in a tank, then at least a year in an oak 225-liter barrique barrel and another six months in bottles. These are rich, high quality wines.
4. estate reserve wines - wine "Reserve" spends 1 year in a tank, 2 years - in a barrel-barrique and another 1 year - in bottles. This is a top class wine. A feature of Spanish winemaking is that about 90% of the wines are aged in oak barrels. This gives additional flavors to deep and rich Spanish wines.

Georgian wines

It is most convenient to classify Georgian wines according to the regions of grape production.

1. Vintage table wines - Tsinandali, Rkatsiteli, Gurjaani, Napareuli, Vazisubani, Tibaani and others - are made from Rkatsiteli grape varieties. The birthplace of this grape is Kakheti, a region in the southeastern part of Georgia, in the basin of the Alazani and Iori rivers.
2. Saperavi - another ancient variety of the Kakhetian vine, excellent red table and semi-sweet wines are made from it, such as dry Saperavi, Kvareli, Teliani.
3. Alazani Valley is considered a diamond in the pearl surroundings of other Georgian wine regions. It is here that microzones are located, where such famous wines as Kindzmarauli, Tsinandali, Akhesheni, Gurjaani are produced.
4. Imereti - the birthplace of the famous vintage wines Tsolikauri and Sviri, located in the eastern part of Western Georgia in the basins of the rivers Rioni and Kvirila.

Racha region Lechkhumi famous for vintage natural semi-sweet and fine dry wines. From here come the wines of Tvishi, Ojaleshi, Tetra. It is in this area that the Khvanchkara microzone is located, where the famous naturally semi-sweet red wine is made.

These days, you rarely see cheerful peasants trampling grapes with bare feet in wooden vats. Rather, one should imagine stainless steel, computers and laboratory hygiene. Constant experimentation with technology and equipment is an integral part of the modern wine industry, but despite this, winemaking in many ways remains a mysterious and magical process.

First of all, you need to get grape juice. This forcible action on the grapes, although strictly controlled, takes place in a machine called a crusher that splits the grape skins. If you are making white wine, you need to separate the fermented juice from the stems and skins. They give color to the wine and tannin it; both are undesirable for white wine, so you immediately put the crushed mass of grapes under the press and squeeze out all the liquid, and then pump it into a container called a fermentation tank.

Some winemakers place whole bunches of grapes directly under the press for even fresher juice. The greatest achievement of winemaking in the 20th century was the ability to control the temperature of fermentation, which made it possible to carry out cold fermentation. This is one of the reasons why cheap Australian or Chilean wine grown in hot conditions still tastes fresh and fruity.

Most modern light white wines are made in huge, refrigerated steel containers, but some top quality white wines are fermented in small oak barrels, giving the wine an oily, vanilla depth.

In the manufacture of red wine, juice and pulp are fermented together, as the peel contains natural dyes, aromatics and tannin, which plays the role of a preservative. Fermentation usually takes place in large vats made of stainless steel, concrete, or (sometimes) wood. Fermentation takes place at a significantly higher temperature than for white wine in order to extract the maximum amount of color and aroma from the skin.

It is sometimes necessary to stir the liquid or pump the juice from the bottom over the pulp floating on top, but most of the time you just sit and watch the formation of a deep red hue. When the color saturation and tannin content reach the optimum level, the juice is drained into a new container, and the remaining mass goes under the press to squeeze out the remaining liquid.

Do you know what still wine is? This term is not so often used, therefore, it can cause bewilderment, although it is quite simple. Therefore, we allow ourselves a small educational program in order to fill this gap in your knowledge.

Everything is simple here. Here, tell me, do you know what " sparkling wine»? Undoubtedly! So, the quiet ones are their complete opposite. In other words, not sparkling. These are wines that do not contain carbon dioxide.

Still wines include both table and dessert wines.

In addition, it is believed that only natural wines can be called still, in addition, dry ones. Sometimes semi-dry. Here you can already get confused, based on differences in wine classifications in different countries.

In any case, the division of all wines begins precisely with this: is it sparkling or still, and then there are their own classifications. True, the color division is also the same for everyone, what is there to invent: red, white and rosé wines - everything is simple.

So, the next time you hear someone offering you a drink or buying some still wine, don't be alarmed - this is not something special or specific, this is your usual wine that you have already drunk more than once.

Large selection of still wines at WineStreet.

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