Chapter1 Wine Basics
WINE BASICS
Key Topics
• A definition of wine and alcoholic fermentation. • A discussion of Vitis vinifera, the wine grape; where ,how it has been developed into its modern form, and what characteristics it possesses that make it important to the production of wine.
• The three impacts on a wine’s flavor: grapes, viticulture and terroir, and viniculture.
Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
2
What Is Wine?
Wine—A fermented beverage produced from the juice of any fruit, usually grapes.
Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
3
Fruit: The Raw Material of Wine
• The sugar found in fruit is the raw material used to produce wine.
• Wine can be produced from the juice of any fruit that contains sugar, not just grapes. • The vast majority of wines produced in the world each year are made from grapes, especially one specific species of grape: Vitis vinifera, or the “wine grape.” Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
4
Alcoholic Fermentation:
How Wine Is Produced
• All alcoholic beverages must at some point go through the process of alcoholic fermentation.
• This process is the only way that humans can create alcohol.
• Alcoholic fermentation is a biological process that occurs in nature every day.
• It is an initial stage of the spoilage process, as a microorganism breaks a compound down into smaller parts during this type of fermentation.
Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
5
The “Formula” for
Alcoholic Fermentation
Sugar + Yeast = Ethanol + Carbon Dioxide + Heat
• So, when yeast comes in contact with sugar, it consumes the sugar molecules, breaking them down into two major waste products: ethanol and carbon dioxide. The process also produces heat due to the yeast’s metabolic activity. Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
6
Fermentation: Sugar
• Practically any source of sugar can be fermented, and for wine, the two
Key Topics
• A definition of wine and alcoholic fermentation. • A discussion of Vitis vinifera, the wine grape; where ,how it has been developed into its modern form, and what characteristics it possesses that make it important to the production of wine.
• The three impacts on a wine’s flavor: grapes, viticulture and terroir, and viniculture.
Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
2
What Is Wine?
Wine—A fermented beverage produced from the juice of any fruit, usually grapes.
Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
3
Fruit: The Raw Material of Wine
• The sugar found in fruit is the raw material used to produce wine.
• Wine can be produced from the juice of any fruit that contains sugar, not just grapes. • The vast majority of wines produced in the world each year are made from grapes, especially one specific species of grape: Vitis vinifera, or the “wine grape.” Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
4
Alcoholic Fermentation:
How Wine Is Produced
• All alcoholic beverages must at some point go through the process of alcoholic fermentation.
• This process is the only way that humans can create alcohol.
• Alcoholic fermentation is a biological process that occurs in nature every day.
• It is an initial stage of the spoilage process, as a microorganism breaks a compound down into smaller parts during this type of fermentation.
Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
5
The “Formula” for
Alcoholic Fermentation
Sugar + Yeast = Ethanol + Carbon Dioxide + Heat
• So, when yeast comes in contact with sugar, it consumes the sugar molecules, breaking them down into two major waste products: ethanol and carbon dioxide. The process also produces heat due to the yeast’s metabolic activity. Gibson, M, 2010, The Sommelier Prep
Course, John Wiley and Sons
6
Fermentation: Sugar
• Practically any source of sugar can be fermented, and for wine, the two