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FAITH LAPIDUS: I’m Faith Lapidus.DOUG JOHNSON: And I’m Doug Johnson with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.Since ancient times, people have grown grapes to produce wine.Join us as we tell about the history of wine and how it is made.We will also visit a vineyard in the United States and meet a winemaker.(MUSIC)
FAITH LAPIDUS: It is hard to say how long people have been drinking wine.Wine is far older than recorded history.Some experts say it is as old as civilization itself.The first wine ever made was probably an accident.People in ancient times might have picked ripe grapes.Some juicy grapes at the bottom of the
container were crushed together.As the grapes broke open, yeasts on the skins went to work turning sugar from the fruit into alcohol.This is the fermentation proce that turns grape juice into wine.DOUG JOHNSON: Winemaking probably began in the ancient Near East and Egypt.Burial places in ancient Egypt provide information about wine and its importance in Egyptian culture.Egyptian rulers were buried with wine offerings to help them in the afterlife.Archeological evidence also suggests that some of the earliest known wine producers were in Georgia and Iran thousands of years ago.FAITH LAPIDUS: North Africa, Spain, France and Italy had their first vineyards during the Greek and Phoenician empires.The ancient Romans greatly
expanded the winemaking industry.By the end of the Roman Empire, almost all of the major wine producing areas still in production today had been established in western Europe.During the period of the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church owned many of the great vineyards of Europe.Wine also played an important part in the church’s religious ceremonies.Wine was not just about having an enjoyable drink.It could be stored for future use.And, it was nutritious and often much safer to drink than water during early times, especially in cities.Some experts say that up until the the sixteen hundreds in Europe, wine was one of the only prepared drinks.After that, wine had competition from beer, coffee and tea.DOUG JOHNSON: One thing was very important for the start of the modern wine industry.Wine needed a better storage method.In the mid sixteen hundreds people began making gla wine bottles that were stronger and low cost.Before that, wine was transported in containers made out of wood, clay or leather.Gla bottles and the tight seal of a cork permitted wine to last longer in storage.It became clear that wine aged well and tasted even better over time.These developments led to a whole new kind of wine culture.Today, the top wine producing countries in the world are Italy, France and Spain, followed by the United States.Although Europe is still important in the wine industry, many other countries around the world are making top wines.These include Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Australia.Wine production is even increasing in countries like India and China.(MUSIC)
FAITH LAPIDUS: Before we discu how wine is made, we tell about several kinds of grapes.Some grapes are grown internationally.Chardonnay is
probably the best known white grape.sauvignon blanc and riesling are other well known white grapes.Grapes for making red wine include pinot noir, syrah, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.Other kinds of grapes are special in certain areas.For example, albarino and tempranillo are grown in Spain while Italian grapes include vermentino and
nebbiolo.Other more local examples include Austria’s gruner veltliner grape and Hungary’s kardarka.DOUG JOHNSON: Grapes contain water, sugar, acidity and tannin.These four elements are influenced by the kind of grape and the soil and climate of the vineyard.Wine growers can also affect the taste of their wine using other methods.The French have a special name for the importance of the place where a grape is grown and its effect on the taste of a wine.“Terroir” is the word used to describe how a vineyard’s soil and climate give a wine special qualities.For example, a chardonnay wine grown in France will taste very different from one grown in California.FAITH LAPIDUS: Now that we know about grapes and geography, we have some important tools for understanding the label on a bottle of wine.Some vineyards define their wine by the kind of grapes used in making the wine.Others define their wine based on where it is produced, such as wine made in France.A bottle of wine may cost several dollars or hundreds of dollars.The cost of a wine usually has to do with how it was produced.Some wines are ma
produced by companies with well known brand names.Other wines are made in very small quantities and require a great deal of time and effort to produce.
