Classification of wine

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The classification of wine is based on various criteria including place of origin or appellation,[1] vinification method and style,[2] sweetness and vintage,[3] and the grape variety or varieties used.[1] Practices vary in different countries and regions of origin, and many practices have varied over time. Some classifications enjoy official protection by being part of the wine law in their country of origin, while others have been created by, for example, growers' organizations without such protection.

The term "wine"

Within the

fermented juice of grapes.[4]

In the

honey wine", "dandelion wine", (blended) "fruit wine", etc.[7]

Other jurisdictions have similar rules dictating the range of products qualifying as "wine".[8]

By appellation

Historically, wines have been known by names reflecting their origin, and sometimes style:

Napa Valley, Santa Barbara and Willamette Valley. The AVA designations do not restrict the type of grape used.[9]

In most of the world, wine labelled Champagne must be made from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France and fermented using a certain method, based on the international trademark agreements included in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. However, in the United States, a legal definition called semi-generic has enabled U.S. winemakers to use certain generic terms (Champagne, Hock, Sherry, etc.) if there appears next to the term the actual appellation of origin.[10]

More recently, wine regions in countries with less stringent location protection laws such as the United States and Australia have joined with well-known European wine producing regions to sign the Napa Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin, commonly known as the Napa Declaration on Place. This is a "declaration of joint principles stating the importance of location to wine and the need to protect place names".[11] The Declaration was signed in July 2005 by four United States winegrowing regions and three European Union winegrowing regions.

The signatory regions from the US were

Jerez (the region where Sherry
is produced).

The list of signatories to the agreement expanded in March 2007 when

Victoria, Australia and Western Australia
signed the Declaration at a ceremony in Washington, DC.

Regional wine classifications

Many regional wine classifications exist as part of

Tokaj-Hegyalja in 1700.[12]

Other well known classifications include:

The follow regions are classified by vineyards, not estate.

  • Alsace

By vinification methods and style

Dark purple wine grapes on the vine
See also: Winemaking

Wines may be classified by vinification methods. These include classifications such as red or white wine, sparkling, semi-sparkling or still, fortified and dessert wines. The

Blanc de Noirs
where the juice of red grapes is allowed contact with the skins for a very short time (usually only a couple of hours).

Sparkling and still wines

Main article: Sparkling wine

méthode champenoise". The latter designation was outlawed for all wines other than champagne (which for obvious reasons does not bother to utilize it) in Europe in 1994.[14]

Other terms for sparkling wine in other languages include

pétillant in France. In most countries except the United States, champagne is legally defined as sparkling wine originating from the Champagne wine region in France, especially the city of Reims and the town of Épernay
.

Still wines are wines that have not gone through the sparkling wine method and have no effervescence.[15]

Dessert and fortified wine

Fortified wines are often sweeter, and generally more alcoholic wines that have had their fermentation process stopped by the addition of a spirit, such as brandy, or have had additional spirit added after fermentation.[16] Examples include Port, Madeira and Sherry
.

Other styles

See also: Category:Wine styles

Table wines
are inexpensive wines that often do not specify the grape variety used or the region of origin. Some equivalent terms for "table wine" in other languages are "vin de table" (French), "vino da tavola" (Italian), "Tafelwein" (German), and "vino de mesa" (Spanish).

Cooking wine or cooking sherry usually refers to inexpensive grape wine (or rice wine in Chinese and other East Asian cuisine) which is intended for use as an ingredient in food rather than as a beverage. Cooking wine typically available in North America is treated with salt to allow its sale in non-licensed grocery stores.[17] This also acts as a preservative, as the salt in cooking wine inhibits the growth of the microorganisms that produce acetic acid. This will preserve a bottle of cooking wine, which may be opened and used occasionally over a long period of time.

In other countries

Fortified wines
resist spoilage, as their alcohol content is too high to permit bacterial growth.

By vintage or variety

A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or mostly, grown in a single specified year, and are accordingly dated as such. Consequently, it is not uncommon for wine enthusiasts and traders to save bottles of an especially good vintage wine for future consumption. However, there is some disagreement and research about the significance of vintage year to wine quality.[19] Most countries allow a vintage wine to include a portion of wine that is not from the labeled vintage.[citation needed]

A varietal wine is wine made from a dominant grape such as a Chardonnay or a Cabernet Sauvignon and labeled by the name of the grape variety. The wine may not be entirely of that one grape and varietal labeling laws differ. In the United States a wine needs to be composed of at least 75% of a particular grape to be labeled as a varietal wine.[20] In the European Union, a minimum of 85% is required if the name of a single variety is displayed, and if two or more varieties are mentioned, they combined must make up 100% and they must be listed in descending order. E.g., a mixture of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Viognier must be called Chardonnay-Viognier rather than Viognier-Chardonnay.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Wine Classification".
  2. ISBN 0-7645-4453-5
    .
  3. ISBN 0-19-860990-6
    .
  4. ISBN 0-307-34635-8
    .
  5. ^ 26 U.S.C. §5381: "Natural wine". Accessed 9 November 2013.
  6. ^ The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. §4.10: "Meaning of terms: Wine". Accessed 9 November 2013.
  7. ^ The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. §4.21: "The standards of identity: Class 5; Fruit wine" & "Class 6; Wine from other agricultural products". Accessed 9 November 2013.
  8. ISBN 978-0-671-72897-7
    .
  9. ^ Title 27 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §4.25 Archived 2007-02-17 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Title 27 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §4.24 Archived 2007-02-17 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Center for Wine Origins | Declaration to Protect Wine Place". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-10-16. Napa Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin (press release, Napa Valley Vintners).
  12. ISBN 0-19-860990-6, classification Archived 2008-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ISBN 1-56305-434-5
    .
  14. ^ winepros.com.au. The Oxford Companion to Wine. "champagne method". Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
  15. ^ "Freedictionary.com".
  16. ISBN 1-56305-434-5
    .
  17. ^ "27 CFR § 24.215 - Wine or wine products not for beverage use". Legal Information Institute. Cornell Law School. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  18. ISBN 978-84-95388-54-4
    .
  19. S2CID 60638965
    . Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  20. ISBN 978-0-19-860990-2
    . Retrieved 21 May 2021.
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