February 2009 - Cyprus Wine Blog

Wine has played a major role in the rise and fall of countless individuals, nations and even civilizations. Nobody knows from which particular part of the world the grape-bearing vine originally came, but man has been drinking wine with his food for at least 5,000 years.

When we contemplate the wine in our glass, we are looking at the oldest known agricultural product in the world. The history of wine is very long, interesting and intricate at the same time, and the classification of wine is as interesting, multifaceted and complicated as its history.

Wine is a product of a complex interaction between nature and man. The influence of geographical location, climate, soil, grape varieties, vineyard management, local traditions, winemaking practices, knowledge, skill and technology have all led to the production of various types of wines. In fact, one can say that no two wines are the same, nor do two vineyards, regions, or countries produce wine that is indistinguishable from one another. For the most part, this distinction is due to the unique characteristics imparted on wine by the geographic conditions, the growing methods, and the winemaking process.

For centuries, wine was often anonymous, denoted only by the area of origin, and mainly sold out of casks. Cyprus Commandaria is supposedly the oldest “appellation d’origine” wine in the world and has been made on the island since at least 1,000 B.C.

Over the years, there were several attempts to impose some sort of order on the complex world of wine’s quality and styles. In France and Germany , there were endeavours to classify individual vineyards several centuries ago. Vineyard classification has a long history dating from some early examples in Jurançon (southern France) in the 14th century, and also in 1644 when the Council of Würzburg ranked the city’s vineyards by quality. It was not until 1650 that the glass bottle was “reinvented” and the process of corking perfected, allowing for the rise of individual estates and the distinction between qualities of wine. The growth in demand of wine during the 1700’s led to a flood of corruption and falsification. The demand for inexpensive wine gave producers the incentive to stretch their supplies with cheap additives and adulterations. This distrustful state led to the need to protect consumers against fraudulent geographical indications and guarantee the origin and quality of wine.

As early as 1716, Medici Grand Duke Cosimo II of Florence created geographic boundaries for Tuscan wine-growing regions, including Chianti and Carmignano. Along with setting boundaries, merchants were forbidden to use these geographical names unless their wine was made within the delimited area. Marquis de Pombal also carried out vineyard demarcation in 1756 in the Upper Douro valley of Portugal as part of the reorganisation of the port wine trade. Higher prices were to be paid to producers in the Upper Douro based on quality. While this demarcation was intended to improve the quality of wine, it was also designed to enhance the profits of some producers at the expense of others. Classification systems were developed at the regional level, which is why the structure of classification systems can vary within the same country. Wine classifications in Bordeaux and Burgundy also grew out of the desire of wealthy landowners to ensure continued profits. One of the first systems based on site classification was developed in the Bordeaux region in 1855.

Many regional wine classifications exist as part of tradition or appellation law. They were created as a quality control measure to protect both the consumer and the industry since adulteration of wine sold to consumers and fraud in the industry became a serious problem in the mid-19th century The most common of these is based on vineyard sites. The French AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) system was initially based solely on geography (i.e. growing and production location), but later included factors such as the varieties of grapes used, the age of the vines and the vinification methods.

Today, many of the major wine producing countries have legally enforced systems of classification of wines based on used regions of production, grape varieties and winemaking processes. Practices vary in different countries and regions of origin, many of which have changed 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’ organisations without such protection. Each country has specific wine classifications to ensure the growers and vintners are held to certain standards in growing and producing wine.

The European wine tradition is by far the most rich and extensive throughout the world. The modern history of this tradition began with the rise of wine on a national level, with little regard for neighbouring countries.

Europeans have long labelled their better wines with the names of regions, districts, or villages, thereby giving the wine’s origin utmost importance. European wines are named both after the place of production (e.g. Bordeaux , Rioja, Chianti) and the grapes used (e.g. Pinot, Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot). Most quality wines are governed by each country's geographic location system, which defines what grapes can be grown in specific areas and encourages the production of quality wines.

Factors such as soil, climate, viticulture and wine-making techniques all affect wine quality, however grape variety is the easiest to understand and notice. Quality is maximized when the grape varieties are suited to the site in terms of climate and soil structure, and this matching is entrenched in “Old World” wines from Europe .

Another example of the diversity is the classification of a “table wine” which is a wine term used in two different meanings in different countries, to signify a wine style and as a quality level within wine classification. In the United States , table wine is primarily used as a designation of a wine style, and denotes “ordinary wine” as opposed to fortified and sparkling. The European Union regulates and defines the status of “quality wines” according to production methods, management and geographical location. Its original, fundamental role is in differentiating quality wines from table wines, broadly in line with the system traditionally employed by the French government, amended to account for the preferences and methodology of Italian and German growers among others in the EU.

In general, the classification of wine can be done according to various methods of classification, including but not limited to place of origin or appellation, grape varietal, vinification methods used, vintage, taste and style, sweetness and quality. This appears to be quite logical since the three elements that determine a wine’s taste are the grape varieties, the places where they are grown, and the people who make the wine. The character of the finished wine is determined by natural conditions but can also be greatly influenced by practices in the vineyard and by the wine-making.

A regional classification usually specifies the varietals that can be grown in that region as well as the growing conditions. The argument is usually one of quality control married to history. If the grapes come from Bordeaux or Chianti the wine is classified as this. A region that has traditionally grown certain varietals and used particular winemaking techniques is, rightly or wrongly, presumed to have arrived at those varietals through some process of natural selection. For the most part, this distinction is due to the unique characteristics imparted on wine by the geographic conditions, the growing methods, and the winemaking process. However, behind these natural and man-made factors exists an intricate web of regulations that fundamentally influences the character of the final product. These naming conventions or “appellations” (as they are known in France ) dictate not only where the grapes in a wine were grown, but also which grapes went into the wine and how they were vinified. The concept is based on the fact that two vineyards, regions, or countries produce wine that is possible to differentiate from one another. The classification system is one means of preserving their unique identity.

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”. The Declaration was signed in July 2005 by four winegrowing regions in USA ( Napa Valley , Washington , Oregon and Walla Walla ) and three winegrowing regions in EU namely Champagne , Cognac and Jerez or Sherry region. The list of signatories to the agreement expanded in March 2007 when Sonoma County , Paso Robles, Chianti Classico, Tokay , Victoria , Australia and Western Australia signed the Declaration at a ceremony in Washington , DC .

A varietal wine is wine made from a dominant grape such as a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, etc. There are rules in most areas about what can be called a varietal wine. Wines classified as varietals should contain consist mostly of that variety and should not be blended with any other varieties that markedly alter the primary varietal characteristics of that wine. For example, in the United States , at least 75% of the wine must come from the grape variety named on the label, while in Australia it’s 80%. In the European Union, a minimum of 85% is required if the name of a single varietal is displayed on the label, and if two or more varietals are mentioned, these varietals combined must make up 100% and they must be listed in descending order. Wines that blend two or more varieties together are a tribute to the winemaker’s art. These blends are made to achieve that perfect balance of flavours that highlights the best qualities of each.

There are many indigenous grape varieties, producing distinct flavours and types of wines, and each European region can have its own regional name for some grape types. The grape variety or varieties used in wine-making establish the range of flavours that can be expected in the finished wine. These common characters can be influenced by many things, such as the amount of sweetness left in the finished wine, the temperature and speed of fermentation, ageing in oak and other processes. The final product in the bottle is a combination of the colour, taste, alcoholic strength and several other factors that can result in many different styles of wine even from the same grape variety. Varietal wines are popular with consumers since the grape used is often a good indication of the weight and style of the wine and a good guide to matching with food. Varietal classification of wines encourages consumers to buy the wines of just the few most popular grape varieties, because those are the best-known and easiest-to-find wines. Ultimately, this buying behaviour could reduce the number of choices that are available.

A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown in a single specified year, and are accordingly dated as such. Vintage is just another name for the year the grapes for the wine were harvested. This is important because many grape growers have exceptionally good harvests only during certain years. Also, the best grapes are usually singled out for use in a producer’s vintage bottles. Vintage wines are often made from the highest quality grapes, and normally command a higher price than non-vintage (wine from mixed years) wines. Consequently, it is not uncommon for wine enthusiasts and traders to save bottles of an especially good vintage wine for future consumption. These wines often improve in flavour as they age. They are therefore more expensive than non-vintage wines. However, there is some disagreement and research about the significance of vintage year to wine quality. Whilst vintage wines are generally made in a single batch so that each and every bottle will have a similar taste, climatic factors can have a dramatic impact on the character of a wine to the extent that different vintages from the same vineyard can vary dramatically in flavour and quality.

Vinification is the method or process of changing grapes into wine or how the wine is made. Vinification processes permit classifications such as red, white, blush, pink and rose wines, sparkling, semi-sparkling or still, aperitifs, fortified and dessert wines. The colour of wine is not determined by the juice of the grape, which is almost always clear, but rather by the presence or absence of the grape skin during fermentation. Red wine is made from red grapes, but its red colour is bestowed by a process called maceration, whereby the skin is left in contact with the juice during fermentation. White wine can be made from any colour of grape as the skin is separated from the juice during fermentation. A white wine made from a very dark grape may appear pink or “blush”. A form of rose is called 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).

The most widely used vinification wine classifications refer to three major categories: table wines, sparkling wines, and fortified wines. For example, champagne is a sparkling wine. Sparkling wines are wines which contain carbon dioxide, which may either be a by-product of the fermentation, or may be added. Sparkling wines such as champagne contain carbon dioxide which is produced naturally from fermentation or force-injected later. To have this effect, the wine is fermented twice, once in an open container to allow the carbon dioxide to escape into the air, and a second time in a sealed container, where the gas is caught and remains in the wine. Sparkling wines that gain their carbonation from the traditional method of bottle fermentation are labelled “Bottle Fermented”, “Méthode Traditionelle”, or “Méthode Champenoise”. Other international denominations of sparkling wine include Sekt or Schaumwein ( Germany ), Cava ( Spain ), and Spumante ( Italy ).

Semi-sparkling wines are sparkling wines that contain less than 2.5 atmospheres of carbon dioxide at sea level and 20°C. Examples of semi-sparkling synonym terms are Frizzante in Italy , Vino de Aguja in Spain and Petillant in France .

Still wines are wines that have not gone through the sparkling wine methods and have no effervescence. Most wines are described as dry, off-dry, fruity, or sweet. Technically, this refers to the amount of sugars left over after fermentation is completed. Dry has a tiny amount of residual sugar content, while sweet has high sugar content. Still table wines, for instance, are classified by character as dry (not sweet), semidry, semisweet; sweet wines are classified as dessert wines. Apart from palate, types of table wines can also be distinguished by sugar and alcohol percentage. Dry table wines contain 2-3% of sugar and about 10% of alcohol – such wines are the lightest. Semisweet wines have sugar 5-6% and alcohol 13-14%. Table wines may have an alcohol content that is no higher than 14% in the U.S. In Europe , light wine must be within 8.5% and 14% alcohol by volume. Thus, unless a wine has more than 14% alcohol, or it has bubbles, it is a table wine or a light wine. Table wines are also further classified by colour, as red, white, or rose (pink). In Europe “vins de table” (in French), “vino da tavola” (in Italian), “Tafelwein” (in German) or “vino de mesa” (in Spanish), which translate to “table wine” in English, are lower priced wines.

Dessert wines range from slightly sweet (with less than 50 g/L of sugar) to incredibly sweet wines (with over 400 g/L of sugar). Generally dessert or sweet wines contain the highest percentage of sugar and alcohols than other types of wine — about 14-16%, and 16% of alcohol. Dried grape wines, such as Recioto and Vin Santo from Italy as well as Vinsanto from Santorini Greece and Cyprus Commandaria of are made from grapes that have been left in the sun after harvesting in order to reduce their water content.

Botrytized wines are made from grapes infected by noble rot. These include Sauternes from Bordeaux , numerous wines from Loire , Hungary , Germany and Austria . Eiswein is made from grapes that are harvested while they are frozen. They are commonly found in Canada , Germany , and Austria .

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. Examples include Port and Madeira .

Each of the categories mentioned above has merit, but the lack of universal standardization sometimes leads to confusion. As the market for wine becomes increasingly globalized, wine classification becomes both ever more important and of questionable value. It is important because classification can signify unique characteristics of the wine. It is of questionable value because the reality is that some classifications are in fact meaningless and because no consumer can possibly be expected to understand and interpret each country’s classification as printed on the wine label. In a world where the quality of wine is determined at least as much by the winemaker and the vineyard as it is by regional location and the brand name of a winery often has greater marketing pull than the name of a region, the marketing value of a regional or sub-regional classification is increasingly being challenged. After all, the ultimate sub-regional classification is the vineyard itself. Beyond this basic taste classification, wine-tasting experts have developed a system of classifying wines by the more in-depth tastes and aromas they display.

Nothing about a wine is more meaningful than its taste. Quality becomes relevant only within the context of style, or taste category. Taste classification has been a new trend in wine guides for nearly 20 years, and is a modern way to choose a wine, rather than resorting to its geographic origin or varietal composition which require a certain amount of knowledge.

By looking at the international supply of wines all over the world, the consumer these days is king. High quality wines in a wide variety of different styles, taste and prices can be purchased any time and anywhere to suit personal preferences.

Wine News and Information

A study published in the Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research describes computer software that has been developed by researchers from the University of León and the University of Santiago de Compostela which can identify grapevine cultivation from satellite images. The software enables scientists to calculate the potential wine production of an area under cultivation. Previously, the area of vineyards was determined by tracing the borders of each plot by hand on photographs. This software applies a series of algorithms to analyse the photograph pixel by pixel, identifying different types of surfaces from vineyards to roads, forests and irrigated land. Researchers claim that the software can also differentiate between three types of vineyard — recently planted ones, those with a ground density of less than 35%, and those with a density in excess of 35%.

Scientists have discovered a grape seed extract which can force leukaemia cells to die. Laboratory experiments show the commercially available extract caused 76% of the blood cancer cells to be destroyed within 24 hours in a process of natural self-destruction called apoptosis. All healthy cells remained unharmed. Although the research is in its early stages, US scientists believe the results could mark the start of promising new treatments. It is the antioxidants in grape-seed, including resveratrol, which is known to have anti-cancer properties that are believed to cause the cells to die. Previous tests found that the extract was effective on skin, breast, bowel, lung, stomach and prostate cancer cells, but it this is the first time it has been tested on leukaemia. Professor Xianglin Shi, from the University of Kentucky in Philadelphia , who led the research, said: “These results could have implications for the incorporation of agents such as grape seed extract into prevention or treatment of haematological (blood) malignancies and possibly other cancers. What everyone seeks is an agent that has an effect on cancer cells but leaves normal cells alone, and this shows that grape seed extract fits into this category.”

In the USA , retailers say their customers have been trading down to less expensive brands of wine but buying more bottles in total, leading to approximately the same average purchase size at many stores. Why are they buying more bottles at these outlets? Perhaps they’re drinking away their troubles; perhaps they’re dining in more frequently, and trying to replicate the restaurant experience by uncorking at home; and perhaps they just feel guilty about buying a flashy, expensive alcohol brand during a recession, so they spend the same amount of cash on two less flashy bottles. In any case, the moral of the story is that the recession is forcing middle-market consumers to move down-market. What has become of the high-end oenophiles, though? Surely they’ve been affected by the downturn. According to James Miles, the director of Liv-ex, prices have fallen 20% in sterling (and 40% in dollars, given fluctuating currency exchange rates) since September. But in terms of volume, he said, almost twice as many bottles were traded on Liv-ex in December 2008 as in December 2007. Why? Some wealthier traders might have been hit hard by the economic downturn and are now in need of cash, so they have been selling these luxury goods en masse. More sellers leads to lower prices, and buyers in developing markets are picking up the bargains, Mr. Miles said.

Monolithos Monthly News

During the last few years the most critical task in vineyard management is that of surviving under unfavourable changing weather conditions. There are many factors that contribute to the actual survival rate of any variety. Factors encountered during the growing season contribute to its poor performance during a winter where it should have easily survived. The long dry summer with very high temperatures around 35ºC dehydrate the vines and minimise their development. The mild winters with relatively insufficient rain and high temperatures prevent the vine from entering early into dormancy, thus shortening the period of pruning. The cutting back of dead wood and superfluous plant growth is the single most important step in vineyard management. In the last few years, pruning was limited only during the month of February, whilst in a normal year, this task was spread evenly from the end of December to the beginning of March.

Prior to coming into its winter dormancy, each vine sets its buds for the upcoming year. The number of buds set is governed by the growing patterns of the past season, and it is up to the viticulturalist to prune accordingly so that the vine is not stressed and produces a healthy harvest. However the shortening of the pruning period limits the timing for this task.

In the winery, work has started on the fining and cold stabilisation of the white and blush wines. Bottling is scheduled to follower after filtering before the end of February.

All wines are available for tasting so, if at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or 99-165995.

Regards from all of us here at Monolithos and always remember —

“The wines that one remembers best are not necessarily the finest that one has tasted, and the highest quality may fail to delight so much as some far more humble beverage drunk in more favourable surroundings.”

H. Warner Allen, A Contemplation of Wine