Wine is…

Okay. Let’s start at the ultimate elementary beginning. What exactly is wine? Well, according to Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, wine is:
1.    The fermented juice of grapes, made in many varieties, such as red, white, sweet, dry, still, and sparkling, for use as a beverage, in cooking, in religious rites, etc., and usually having an alcoholic content of fourteen percent or less.
2.    A particular variety of such fermented grape juice.
3.    The juice, fermented or unfermented, of various other fruits or plants, used as a beverage, sauce, etc.

Let me just add something here. With all due respect, Webster (or whatever employee of his wrote this definition) doesn’t know what he is talking about in one portion of this definition. Wine, as far as I (or most anyone else around the world) is concerned is always fermented—always contains alcohol. Sorry Webster.

So, that being said, from the above definitions we can conclude the following:
1.    Wine is a fermented juice beverage.
2.    Wine usually has an alcoholic content of less than fourteen percent.
3.    Wine, although most often produced from grape juice, can also be made from any type of fruit. (Some of my favorite wines are not from grape. For example, plum wine, blackberry wine, watermelon wine, dandelion wine [I’m not kidding]).
4.    There are many different varieties of wine made from grapes.

Okay. Since all wine is fermented, what exactly does “fermented” mean in relation to alcoholic beverages, specifically wine? Fermentation is a chemical reaction where sugar is converted into carbon dioxide and—you guessed it—alcohol. The cause of this reaction is the enzymes which are found in yeast breaking up and transforming the sugar molecules into alcohol. Chemical reaction indeed.

So, think of it this way: between the sugars, fruit juice, and yeast—there’s a party going on. But they aren’t drinking alcohol—they’re creating it. And, remember this also: air isn’t invited. No way! If the doors were open for air to stroll through and attend this vino-making-bash, he would mess everything up. And then the wine would be some vile tasting stuff indeed. No open-door-policy for air.

Wine, in a nutshell, is an alcoholic fruit juice (most popularly grape). Unlike brandies, whiskies, or vodkas; it does not have a massive volume of alcohol. However, as a general rule, its alcohol content is usually greater than that of beer or watered down wine coolers (yuk!).

Okay. Let’s go a step further. What is alcohol? We’ll cover that next time…