Wine Creator

Winemaking Tips & Resources


Issues with Grapes and the Winemaking Industry

Filed under: Winemaking — Wine Creator at 6:50 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2007

The winemaking industry is a global one and as such the industry is very large. In the United States alone, California is responsible for 90% of the wine which is consumed there. The reasons for this being that the California climate is excellent for the growth of grapes, optimal conditions for the growth of wine include a growing season of at least a 100 days and temperatures which do not exceed 95F during the day and 40F at night. Though a lot of wine is made in the United States, they only export five percent of the amount which is sold around the world.

The making of wine for public consumption is guided by a large number of rules and regulations which must be followed explicitly. One of these is that wine which isn’t classified as a blend but consists for more than one grape should have a least 75% top 85% of a particular grape type, so it is not called a blended wine. The whole point here is not that there is something bad in wine being blended but the fact that the public must be duly informed. A number of blended wines exist and these wines include some of the most expensive wines that exist in the world today.

Certain grapes which are bred by vineyards are termed hybrids, what this means is that they are created by genetic manipulation and the combination of two grape varieties. The winemakers feel that these properties are worth combining due to the fact that having both types together tends to give better pulp or sweeter juice which thrives under different conditions. In addition to this, hybrids tend to grow effectively in cooler climates. American legislation explicitly forbids hybrid wine from being made into wine that is sold publicly; rather these grapes are used for jams and grape juice as well.

Grapes may also be grafted and grafting is a means through which different grape varieties are combined together and grown on one vine. The need for this is in order to create grapes which are resistant to diseases such as phylloxera. This method of growing for resistance is used in a large number of wine growing countries.

Due to all the different flavors that are made by winemakers, so many things tend to influence these wines, this usually starts with the kinds of grapes which are used but this is only the beginning. The places where the grapes are grown will also influence their overall quality. Another thing which may influence the quality of the grapes and ultimately the wine, is a method called pasteurization. What is done here is that the grape juice has all the natural yeast within it destroyed so that only those which are specifically needed are used in the process of winemaking. A number of other things may be added to the wine which influence and may change the flavor.

Over the years, winemakers tend to try various methods and learn from trial and error in order to know what creates a great wine. You are bound to experience this sort of thing when you start out in winemaking. Be prepared for successes as well as failures.

Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for CaffeineZone.com, MyLowCarbPages.com, and HomemadeWine.com.

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