Wine

Background

Wine is the sublime product of fermentation, the process of breaking down fruit—typically grapes. As the grapes ferment, yeast consumes the natural sugars and converts them to alcohol (how it works).

This basic process—known as vinification—can be tweaked in myriad ways to produce distinct styles of wine. Grape type, fermentation method, and aging technique are three of the most common differentiators of wine styles.

Other interventions may include fortification—the addition of a distilled spirit like brandy—or maceration (also known as skin contact), where the grape skins and seeds stay in contact with the juice for a period of time during fermentation.

History

The oldest evidence of winemaking comes from the Neolithic period in the modern-day country of Georgia, where evidence of grape fermentation has been found in ancient clay vessels called qvevri (pronounced kway-vree). Modern-day Armenia, Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan were also producing wine during this period.

Trade and colonization by the Phoenicians, a seafaring tribe with cities in modern-day Lebanon, likely introduced viticulture to civilizations around the Mediterranean. Roman expansion then brought the practice to some of the best wine-producing regions in the world, including Spain, Germany, and France—where today’s Old World wines are produced.

New World winemaking began with the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Franciscan monks brought vines from Europe and successfully cultivated them in locations including modern-day California, Chile, and Argentina.

Colonization and trade also spread viticulture to South Africa. Merchants from the Dutch East India Company brought vines to the area in the 1600s and the British invasion of 1795 expanded production. The British then transported flourishing South African vines to its new colonies in Australia, birthing that country’s wine industry.

Red and White

Wine is divided into two categories based on the type of grape used: red and white.

Red wine gets its color and notable flavor characteristics from grape skins. Skins and seeds remain in contact with the juice during fermentation and stain it a shade of red or purple, producing common flavor notes like berries, stone fruits, earth, chocolate, and tobacco.

Many red wines are aged in oak barrels. This “softens” the wine by introducing oxygen and also imparts flavor from the wood. Some common red wine grapes include pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and malbec.

When making white wine, the grape skins and seeds are removed before fermentation and leave the wine colorless. Flavor notes often found in white wines include tropical fruits, grass, citrus, and flowers.

While the majority of white wines are not aged, a notable exception is chardonnay, which mostly derives its unique flavor and texture from being aged in oak. Some common white wine grapes include sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, and riesling.

By the Numbers

More than 240 million hectoliters (a unit of 100 liters) of wine were produced worldwide in 2023—the equivalent of 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—with France producing the most at 48 million hectoliters.

While wine is produced across the US, California produces significantly more than any other state with 81% of total US wine production. In 2022, the average American citizen drank 2.86 gallons of wine, down from an all-time high of 3.14 gallons in 2021.

Nonalcoholic wine is a small but growing market, expected to have a global annual revenue growth of 11% over the next decade.