Itinerary No. 3
wine is technology
From the grapes to the wine
Wine-making methods
We started to drink it from a certain point of life, more and more, without much knowing, lightly. Then, slowly it became a discovery - to be unveiled from the first sip - of hints, harmony and relaxation. Today, it has become a joy that brings stories, territories, and people.
A joy that grows in every day, if we thinks that wine is a very old drink, whose production dates back more than 6,000 years ago. The recipe is simple and unchanged forever: grape, a little bit of yeast, a container and the patience to wait a few weeks.
Transformations and processes
Have you ever heard of “technical” topics and - although apparently interesting - do not understand what is about it? Or, for example, you tasted a rosé wine and you found it so pleasant to ask how it was done?
When it happens to me (not always) and I think it's worth investigating, I get help from these wineshots that focus on individual aspects of the winemaking process, such as chemical transformations or various pre-bottling treatments.
Organic, biodynamic and natural wines
Sulfites
Sulphites call a certain attention, without a doubt, for that wording "Contains sulphites" present on every wine label. So we try to understand what they are and why they are used.
Bottles
Matter of size...
The dimensions count up to a certain point if the content is good - you know - but certainly they contribute to stimulate our imagination and our aspirations. In the world of bottles, even the most common consumer, who is accustomed on average to the more commercial format - the so-called standard - in front of bottles of different sizes experiences curiosity and attraction.
or matter of shape?
The shape should be evaluated exactly like the size. If this latter one, in essence, determines a quantity, the shape of the bottle instead depend on the type of wine contained in it.
Although over time dozens of forms have been adopted, some very particular, modern production has been oriented on some models that better meet the expectations of consumers and respond well to functional needs, such as transport and storage.
What matters is the seal
Bubbles
The bubbles, so romantic and seductive, are the result of a physical transformation that involves all the wines whose production takes place under pressure and which maintain inside the carbon dioxide generated during fermentation.
When the bottle is uncorked and the wine get to the external atmospheric pressure (which is about 1 bar), the carbon dioxide is transformed from the liquid to the gaseous state, emerging in the form of very pleasant bubbles.
Sparkling wines are characterized, compared to other types of wine, for a further parameter: sweetness. It goes from the version with a very low sugar content (so-called Brut Nature, Dosaggio zero or Pas dosè) to the sweet version, where sugar exceeds 50 g / l (about five teaspoons).
Happy wine!
