WINE

the fermented juice of the grape. Of the grape genus Vitis, one species, V. vinifera (often erroneously called the European grape), is used almost exclusively. Beverages produced from V. labrusca, the native American grape, and from other grape species are also considered wines. When other fruits are fermented to produce a kind of wine, the name of the fruit is included, as in the terms peach wine and blackberry wine. alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of grapes. The term may be applied to products made from other fruits, vegetables, herbs, and even flowers, but used alone it applies only to the grape product. The major constituents of wine are water, sugar, and alcohol. More than 400 known compounds contribute to the flavour, aroma, and colour of wine. Wines may be classified according to colour as red, ros (pink), or white. Wines described as white actually range from straw colour through brown. Wine taste is described as sweet or dry. Sweet wines are high in sugar content; dry wines, the opposite of sweet, are not sour but lack sweetness because they contain little or no sugar. High acidity may also contribute to dryness. Wines are also classified as table, sparkling, or fortified. Table wines, the natural or still wines, may be red, ros, or white, with alcoholic content from about 7 to 15 percent. Sparkling wines, effervescent or bubbling, are most frequently white, but may be red or ros, and have alcoholic content similar to that of table wines. Fortified, or dessert, wines contain added brandy and may be red or white, with alcoholic content from about 16 to 23 percent. Fortified wines with additional flavouring are called aromatic wines. The leading wine-producing countries include France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Portugal, Germany, South Africa, and the United States. Wines may be named for place of origin or grape variety used, or may bear generic names. Most European wines take place-names, usually the most specific to which they are entitled. The words Appellation d'Origine Contrle (controlled place of origin) on the label of a French wine guarantee that the wine has been produced at the stated location and has met with rigid French laws controlling production. In the United States varietal names are increasingly used; the law requires that the variety named must comprise at least 75 percent of the grapes used to produce the wine. Certain European place-names are used as generic terms for American wines resembling the original, but, although the same grape variety may be used, soil, climate, and processing variations result in a different wine. Wine labels may show the vintage, meaning the year in which the grapes used were harvested. The vintage is an important indicator of the wine's value because seasonal variations in weather affect harvest quality from year to year. Wines blended from several vintages bear undated labels. Additional reading Encyclopaedias and dictionaries on wines and wine production include Frank Schoonmaker's Encyclopedia of Wine, rev. and expanded ed., rev. by Julius Wile (1978); Hugh Johnson, The World Atlas of Wine: A Complete Guide to the Wines and Spirits of the World, 3rd rev. ed. (1985), and Hugh Johnson's Modern Encyclopedia of Wine, 2nd ed. (1987); and Ted Grudzinski, Winequest, the Wine Dictionary (1985). Standard works on wine making include M.A. Amerine, et al., The Technology of Wine Making, 4th ed. (1980), a treatise on the making of all types of wine; and Jean Ribreau-Gayon, et al., Sciences et techniques du vin, 4 vol. (197277). Viticulture is discussed in A.J. Winkler, General Viticulture, rev. and enlarged ed. (1974), a standard treatise on grape growing.French wines are discussed in Alexis Lichine and Samuel Perkins, Alexis Lichine's Guide to the Wines and Vineyards of France, 3rd ed. (1986); Steven Spurrier, The Acadmie du vin Guide to French Wines (1986); David Peppercorn, Bordeaux (1982, reprinted 1986); and Hubrecht Duijker, The Wines of the Loire, Alsace, and Champagne (1983). For German wines, see Gerhard Troost, Technologie des Weines, 5th rev. ed. (1980); and Frank Schoonmaker, The Wines of Germany, 2nd rev. ed., edited by Peter M.F. Sichel (1983). Wines of other countries are discussed in Burton Anderson, The Simon and Schuster Pocket Guide to Italian Wines (1987); Jan Read, Maite Manjn, and Hugh Johnson, The Wine and Food of Spain (1987); Zoltn Halsz, The Book of Hungarian Wines (1981; originally published in Hungarian, 1981); Len Evans, Complete Book of Australian Wine, 3rd ed. (1978); Anthony Dias Blue, American Wine: A Comprehensive Guide (1985), on the United States; William I. Kaufman, Encyclopedia of American Wine, Including Mexico and Canada (1984); and Leon D. Adams, The Wines of America, 3rd ed. (1985). Maynard A. Amerine