Wine producing has been practiced in one form or another for many thousands of years with jars discovered in Persia (present day Iran) dating as far back as 5,500 BC displaying evidence of grapes use for winemaking. In addition, jars from Jiahu in China dated to somewhere between 6000 and 7000 BC have also been found containing wine from wild grapes. But whether we are talking about ancient or modern wine making, many of the same conditions apply and not dissimilar techniques are used as the chemistry of the grape is a timeless quality. With a few notable exceptions the grapes used in wine making grow only in bands delineated by the latitudes 30-50 degrees North and 30-45 degrees South of the equator. As opposed to most other crops, grapes do not need an especially fertile soil and it should be noted that a thinner soil frequently produces a small crop but also frequently produces grapes of a higher quality. Surprisingly, soils which are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients (conditions which are generally highly beneficial for the majority of plants) can produce grapes which are not suited to winemaking. Such grapes are often fine for eating, but lack the required quantities of minerals, acids and sugars for winemaking. Without doubt, the best wines come from soils which would be considered poor quality for other agricultural purposes. For example, the stellar wines from Bordeaux are made from grapes grown in gravelly soil, overlying a base of chalk or clay. The crop here is sparse, but the quality of the grapes is high. In this instance the pebbly soil permits good drainage, which is vital as grapevines need adequate but not too much water, but these conditions force the roots to grow deep into the earth where they absorb a range of complex minerals. Vineyards are also commonly found along river valleys, with slopes providing abundant sunshine. Vines in these cases are commonly of the European species vitis vinifera, from which many well known wines are made, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot. Viticulture, the name applied to the practice of grape growing for winemaking, is one of the most complicated agricultural undertakings today. A master vintner (nowadays, sometimes known as an oenologist), must be an expert in a wide range of topics including fermentation, soil chemistry, climatology and several other ancient arts and modern sciences. In addition to categorization by variety, wines are also classified by vinification methods (still, sparkling, fortified, ros�, blush), by region (Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux etc.), by vintage and by several other methods. As soon as the farmer, chemist and manufacturer have completed their work, the businessman then takes over and today wine is certainly very big business. Wine sales in the US alone run to over 600 million gallons, representing in excess of $20 billion in consumer spending. Perhaps not surprisingly France leads the world when it comes to exports with 22% of world export volume, with Italy following close behind. When all is said and done however, no matter how big a business wine making is today, it is still very much a matter of balancing science, art and business and winemaking is most certainly not a business venture to be entered into by the faint hearted.
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