Wine Basics

   Fine wines are made from crushed grapes to which a special type of yeast is added. The yeast ferments and turns the natural sugar of the grape juice into alcohol. Winemakers, called vintners, control the alcohol content of the finished product by adding or removing sugar. The color of wine is not due to the color of the grape used, but rather to the length of time that the grape skins remain in the juice. To make white wine, the vintner removes the skins as soon as possible. When rosé wine is made, the skins are allowed to remain in the juice for one to three days after the grapes are crushed. To produce red wine, the skins are left for an extended period.
     Inexpensive to moderately priced rosés, pink wines, or "blush" wines are white wines to which a small amount of grape juice has been added for coloring. Some high-priced blush wines are red wines from which most of the color has been removed.
     A table wine is any wine, except a sweet wine, that is served with meals. Cooking wine is any wine used in food preparation, but most wines sold as cooking wines are unsuitable for use as table wines. Dessert wines are sweet wines that are served with dessert.
     Aging is an important consideration in winemaking. Some types of wines improve with age, but others must be served as soon as possible after they are bottled. Most table wines improve in the bottle for about six to eight months. Some properly stored red wines can continue to increase in quality for many years. However, most table wines served in restaurants are at their peak from one to three years after they are bottled.
     Wines are often described as dry or sweet, and as full-bodied or light. Dry wines have the least amount of sweetness, whereas sweet wines have a distinct sugary taste. Full-bodied wines create the impression that they are heavier and more dense than light wines, which seem more delicate.
     The names of French wine-producing regions, such as Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne, are used as broad classifications for various wine types. Eighty-five percent of the wines served in North America are produced in California. An appellation is an indication of the region where the grapes were grown. The use of appellations is controlled by laws and regulations. For example, in France, only a wine made from grapes grown in the province of Burgundy can be labeled a Burgundy. In California, controlled appellations include Sonoma, Napa, and Alexander Valley.
     The type of grape that is used to produce a particular wine is called the varietal. Zinfandel and Chablis are examples of varietals. As another example, Bordeaux is the major wine-producing region of France, and the most common varietel of both American and French Bordeaux wines is cabernet sauvignon.
     Most people use the term champagne to refer to any sparkling wine, but, originally, this word referred only to sparkling wines produced in the Champagne province of France. Real champagne is fermented in the bottle under carefully controlled conditions, a process known as the methode champenoise. Most American champagne is made by adding carbonated water and sugar to already produced red and white wine. Very few producers in the U.S. use the costly methode champenoise to produce authentic sparkling wine. The foremost of these, Korbel, is located just 3 miles west of Forestville.
     Nestled in the foothills of the Coastal Range, the scenic Korbel vineyards are among the most picturesque in the world, surrounded by dense redwood forests rising dramatically from the snaking Russian River basin.

(Portions of this page were excerpted from Food and Beverage, by Dennis L. Foster)