Origin of Wine and What Influences the Taste

Well, would you accept that wine had its origin a long time ago!

I know people usually like hard facts.  But this is a difficult one. Many countries have touted wine production as their claim to fame. Some say the oldest regions for wine making was Mesopotamia.  And where is Mesopotamia?  According to Wikipedia, the word Mesopotamia is from the Ancient Greek meaning “land between rivers” and is the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, corresponding to modern-day Iraq and to a lesser extent northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and smaller parts of southwestern Iran. That works for me, because that area is known as the cradle of civilization. So it is fair to say that wine dates back to ancient civilization, even as far back as man’s beginning. Now that is old.

This beverage has been enjoyed for many centuries and over the years has developed into a real art form.  For those who are wine drinkers, without a doubt there is a glass and variety for everyone.  But what impacts the taste and favor of wines today.  There are many factors, but to name a few:

• Varieties of Grapes – There are thousands of grape varieties used to make wine and they are all distinctive in character.
• Climate – It could be said that climate influences the taste of wine more than the variety of grapes because it impacts how that variety will   perform.  Warmer sites produce wines with a sweeter, riper fruit than cooler sites.
• Soil Type – The combination of soil and climate are very important factors in the production of wine because they influence the way the grapes grow.

Decisions of Winemakers – Complex topic to say the least! Grapes picked early provide brighter fresher wines with more acidity, picked later you get fuller wines with sweeter fruit.  There is also the issue of managing fermentation, choice of yeast, containers used, steel versus oak barrels and even whether to filter make quite a difference in how the wine turns out.

Aren’t you glad we enjoy the fruits of many who have labored?!

By: Rosa L. McArthur