A Crash Course* in Wine

Everything You Wanted to Know about Wine but Were Afraid to Ask

What are the ideal conditions for growing wine? Two main natural features that affect wine growth are climate and terrain. Most wine regions are located between the latitudes of 30º and 50º. Grape vines like warm weather. Their growth process will stop at temperatures below 10º C (50º F). So obviously, sun exposure is very important for both heat and photosynthesis. Wine grapes need to be exposed to at least 1400 hours of sunlight during the growing season, which lasts from early spring to late fall. Climactic conditions, like fog, humidity, rainfall and wind, have a large impact on vine growth. Too little of one or too much of another can have adverse affects on wine grapes. For example, a vineyard needs at least 22 inches of rain annually. Unlike most crops, vineyards are planted in soils with low fertility, which favors smaller harvests with more intense flavors. Among other factors, ideal soil should also be deep, so that a vine’s roots have more space to grow, as well as being porous, to allow rainwater to drain, and have the ability to retain heat. All of these aspects have an impact on the variety of the wine that can be grown in a given region. 

How to judge a fine wine. Tasting wine is not only done with the tongue but also with the eyes and the nose. Basically there are four stages to wine tasting. 

1. appearance: Hold the glass of wine. How does the wine look in the glass? 

2. smell: Bring the glass to your nose. What kind of aroma does the wine have? 

3. taste: Take a sip and hold the wine on your tongue. How does it taste? 

4. aftertaste[1]: Swallow[2] the wine. What kind of taste remains behind? 

How to choose a wine. Choosing the correct wine to accompany a meal is a very important task. Wine enhances can enhance the flavor of certain food if combined correctly. Basically the color of the wine and food go well together. For example, red wine is better for red meats and tomato sauces, whereas white wine is better for white meats and cheeses. Although combinations can vary depending on an individual’s particular tastes. 

What is a Vintage wine? A Vintage wine refers to wines grown and harvested at a particular place in the same year. The wine is bottled in a single batch to ensure that all of it has the same taste and quality. However, most vintages are allowed to have another wine added. In most parts of the world, like the European Union and the United States, 15 % is the maximum of a non-vintage wine allowed in a batch[3] for a wine to receive the label of vintage.

[*] curso intensivo, [1] regusto, [2] tragar, [3] selección