Introduction to Wine: Vitis Vinifera

Welcome & Synopsis of the Course

• The lecturer is Mr. Raakesh Madoo, who holds an MSc, BSc, CPA, CHE, and WSET Level 2.
• Primary focus is the discussion of Fermented Beverages (Wines and Beers), and Distilled Spirits.
• Course assessment involves: 10% class participation, 20% weekly journals, 20% individual assignment, 25% midterm, and 35% final exam.

Defining Wine

• Wine is a fermented juice.
• Legally a fermented beverage made from grapes only.
• Classified as wine, grapes must belong to the genus "Vitis," part of the Vitaceae family.
• The three major grape families used in commercial wine production are Vitis Vinifera, Vitis Rotundifolia, and Vitis Labrusca.

Why Vitis Vinifera

• The main Eurasian species used in winemaking for thousands of years.
• Comprises many grape varieties yielding high sugar/glucose content, high acid content, attractive aromas and flavors, and lower water content.
• More resistant to vineyard bacteria, fungus, and diseases like Phylloxera.
• Adaptable to many growing environments.
• Sanctioned by law.

A Brief History of Wine

• For millennia, grapes were harvested for medicinal, religious, and nutritional purposes.
• Domestic cultivation of grapes can be traced back to 4000 BC in South Caucasus (Georgia), Anatolia (Turkey), and the Western Black Sea Shore (Romania and Bulgaria).
• Ancient civilizations like Sumerians, Egyptians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Chinese, Persians, Greeks, and Romans used wine as an alternative to water for religious, medicinal, and commercial reasons.
• Winemaking has spread to all continents except Antarctica.

Classification of Wine

• Wines are classified in various legal ways due to their extensive nature.
• Classification can be based on grape variety (varietal wines), hemisphere and continent (Old World vs. New World), region within a country (regional wines), and method of production.
• Classifications based on production method include: table/still wines, sparkling wines, fortified wines, dessert wines, and aromatized wines.

Wine Producing Countries of the Old World

• Any country producing wine within the borders of Europe is considered an Old World wine-producing country.
• Leading Old World wine-producing countries include France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.
• These five European countries typically set the legal, regulatory, and qualitative standards that are used as benchmarks globally.
• Other Old World wine-producing countries of exceptional quality include Austria, Tokaj (Hungary), Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria.
• A full understanding of Old World Wines requires analysis of the specific viticulture and viniculture practices of these regions.

Wine Producing Countries of the New World

• Any country producing wines outside the borders of Europe is considered a New World wine-producing country.
• It's important to avoid considering New World Wines as inferior to Old World Wines.
• Understanding New World Wines requires analyzing their specific viticulture and viniculture practices.
• There is currently some exchange and cross-fertilization of ideas and practices between Old World and New World wine-producing countries.
• Leading New World wine-producing countries include Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, The USA, New Zealand, and Canada.

Factors Influencing the Cultivation of Grapes (Viticulture)

• The vine's species, variety, clones, crossings, and if it is a hybrid.
• Natural environmental factors (terroir) like sunlight, water, soil type, nutrients, weather, micro-climate, and general climate.
• Managing the vine through training, pruning, trellising, density, control of harvest size, and timing of harvest (vintage year).
• Managing hazards such as frost, freeze, rain, hail, water stress, sunburn, and nutrient deficiency.
• Managing pests and diseases like phylloxera, animals, fungi, and viruses/bacteria.
• Vineyard management can be conventional, sustainable, organic, or biodynamic.

Factors Influencing the Production of Wine (Viniculture)

• Begins with factors influencing the cultivation of grapes.
• Extent of crushing of the grapes.
• Adjustment of grape juice (must) like enrichment, chaptalization, acidification, and de-acidification.
• Option of skin contact for color extraction.
• Fermentation, the conversation of grape juice/must into wine using yeast.
• Choice of lees contact.
• Option for malolactic fermentation.
• Choice of maturation using oak barrels or inert vessels like stainless steel, concrete, or glass.
• May include option for blending.
• May include option of clarification.
• Stabilization is required.
• Finally packaging.