Today, there is an abundance of wine on the shelves of our supermarkets, in which it is quite easy to get confused. To learn to understand wines, you must first understand their classification according to international standards.
Instructions
Step 1
By type, all grape wines are divided according to the common European classification adopted in France. According to her, wines are divided into two basic groups: sparkling (containing dissolved carbon dioxide, formed in wine during natural fermentation and not specially removed) and still (not containing carbon dioxide). The group of still wines is divided into three more subgroups: natural, liqueur and flavored. Natural still wines are the simplest wines that are produced naturally: by fermenting grape juice with yeast, which converts sugar into alcohol. The strength of still wines ranges from 8 to 15 degrees. All table wines are of this type. Liqueur (fortified) and flavored wines are made on the basis of quiet natural wines. The alcoholic strength is 15-20 degrees. This is achieved by adding strong alcoholic drinks, most often brandy, to quiet natural wine. Liqueur wines include Madeira, sherry, port, Marsala. Flavored wines are made by adding to quiet natural spices, herbs and spices and a little bit of grape alcohol. The most famous flavored wines are vermouths; the most famous sparkling wine is champagne.
Step 2
Each wine has its own style, which means two things: the color of the wine (white, pink, red) and the degree of its sweetness (dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet). White wine can be obtained from any grape variety. The main thing is the way it is processed. When processing white wine, squeezed grape juice is immediately filtered and fermented without pulp (skin). The color of white wine ranges from cognac to light straw; wine with a reddish tint is called red. Its color ranges from deep ruby to pale scarlet. Red wines are made from red grape varieties, and squeezed juice ferments with the skin. Rose wines are made from red grapes "in white". The wort ferments with the pulp for only a few hours, then the pulp is removed. Rosé wines range in color from pale red to pinkish-pale, and most natural wines are dry. All the sugar contained in them is fermented "dry" into alcohol. There are natural semi-sweet or semi-dry wines in which sugar remains - due to the natural characteristics of the grape variety. Unfortunately, such wines are very rare and expensive. Most semi-dry and semi-sweet wines are prepared with the use of artificial slowing down of fermentation.
Step 3
In terms of composition, Europe divides wines into blended (from a mixture of different grape varieties) and sepage (varietal, made from one grape variety). If the wine is named after the grape variety, for example, cabernet or merlot, it means that it is varietal, or sepage. When buying a sepazh wine, you know roughly what to expect from it, based on the characteristics of the grape variety. It should be borne in mind that not every grape variety produces a harmonious wine. It is interesting that a mixture of rough, disharmonious wines can produce an amazing fragrant product with an excellent taste. On the label on the back of the bottle, you can read which grape varieties were used for the blend.
Step 4
By aging, wines are divided into young and aged. The beginning of the aging period is considered to be January 1 of the year following the harvest. Young wines are sold before this date. Ordinary (wines without aging) are sold from January 1 of the year following the harvest. Aged wines are wines that have been aged for at least six months. Wines made from first-class grapes and aged in barrels for at least 18 months are called vintage wines. The best examples of such wines fall into the category of collection wines, which are required additional aging for at least three years. This classification is not entirely perfect, since low-grade, ordinary wines, and high-quality ones, which simply do not need long aging, can be classified as un-aged wines.
Step 5
According to the same European classification, wines are subdivided according to the place of origin. When buying a bottle of wine from a store, read the label carefully; if the origin of the wine is not specified, it is a wine of inferior quality, called table wine by European standards. For us, this is an ordinary natural wine. For Europeans, this is synonymous with low-grade, cheap mash, a bottle of which costs no more than one to two dollars. When the place of origin is indicated on the label (local wines), this means that the quality of such wine is much higher than that of table wine. After all, indicating the place of origin of his drink on the label, the producer must have a license that confirms the compliance of his wine with the standard parameters for this region. If the label indicates the place of origin of the wine, which also gives an idea of the type of drink, this means that this is wine. guaranteed of the highest quality. To be assigned such a category, the wine must be made from strictly defined grape varieties, in accordance with the standards for its cultivation, adopted for a particular area. Such wines have an original bouquet and specific taste, characteristic only for the area indicated in the name of the drink.
