From drinking occasions to ancient medicine, wine has been a vital aspect in many cultures throughout the years.
Wine is considerably one of the oldest alcoholic drinks known to man. A significant factor about wine is that it has a broad spectrum of flavors!
The problem we often meet is not knowing the difference between the types of wine. Do you ever find yourself standing in the wine aisle, trying to decide on what to get for what feels like an eternity?
Wine clubs are one way to expand your wine-tasting experience and knowledge; they give us the chance to try anything from affordable wine to the highest quality of premium wine. Wine clubs are a useful tool to help you learn the difference between different types of wine.
We are big fans of wines, so we gathered 15 fun facts about wine!
Are you intrigued? The more you know about wine, the more fun it is to go to wine tastings and engage in conversation with those around you. Who doesn’t want to tell others fun facts about a universal topic such as wine? Be the one at the table who gives other people knowing about something they love too. Knowledge is power!
Let’s dive into 15 fun facts about wine that help you become a wine expert!
- Rose wine was the first wine ever created. This type of wine was made in about 7000 B.C. Red and white wines may be more common, but they didn’t come until a couple of thousand years after rose wine.
- Rose wine gets its pink color from soaking the grape skins in a heaping of crushed grapes. After a while of marinating, the pink color becomes more prominent. The longer it sits, the more color the wine obtains. The color doesn’t have much effect on the alcohol percentage of the wine. However, it does affect the boldness of the wine.
- Premium wine is split into four categories. The range falls between premium, popular premium, ultra-premium, and premium. The premium spectrum goes from affordable wine to the highest quality of wine. International wine usually falls within the premium one category; premium wine is aged much longer and is bottled with some of the most delicate details.
- To give you some history, the term “toasting” was invented by the Greeks. Before they clink their glasses, the Greeks believed to drop a small piece of toast in their glass to help absorb the sweetness of the wine. Americans then put their spin on the term and began to use it as an emotionally driven speech given at meaningful occasions such as weddings.
- Ever wonder why wine glasses have a different shape? The wine glasses are made with a stem for the reason that they should be used properly. The user should hold the glass by the stem to prevent changing the temperature of the wine.
- No matter the color of the wine, they are all stored at the same temperature but served at entirely different conditions. The reason wine is served at a particular temperature is to intensify the taste of the wines — kind of like why girls wear makeup to enhance their natural beauty.
- California is the world’s fourth-largest wine industry competitor; there are more than 1,200 wineries throughout the state. Some vineyards specialize in specific types of wine, such as pinot noir. Specializing in one particular kind of wine allows vines to create an original flavor.
- The barrels in the wine are aged and play a significant role in the flavoring process. Various types of wood impact the flavor of the fermentation of the grapes. The aging process varies between winemakers; some prefer aging several years, while others chose to age their wine only a few.
- In the event of wine tasting, most wineries tend to inform you that this term is inaccurately used. Sommeliers believe the smell is more important than the taste of the wine. The scent is a quality that vineyards strive for when in the process of aging wine. Most sommeliers pour wine from the barrel and only smell it. The smell helps identify the boldness of the wine.
- Drinking red wine is better for you than never drinking any at all. Red wine is useful to aid in the prevention of diabetes type two and help pregnant women in their third-trimester support Braxton Hicks contractions. It might sound crazy, but the antioxidants in red wine are favorable for your cardiovascular health as well. Now don’t get this confused with drinking lots of red wine. A significant amount of red wine can lead to many health risks, so do yourself a favor and enjoy a glass occasionally!
- Some red wines are better for you than others. Not all red wines are made the same, but some red wines are made with more antioxidants than others. Here are some clues to help better understand the difference between which wines are “better for you:” Dry wines considerably surpass sweet red wines. Also, you may look for the color difference; aged wine is typically lighter in color and smoother to drink. If the wine is younger, it appears to be darker in color. The last major factoring clue is alcohol percentage; this is usually found on the label. Wines with a higher alcohol percentage are damaging in terms of health.
- It is important to store wine on its side. What is commonly misconstrued with the saving of wine, is that most people believe the wine goes flat. However, it is untrue. The purpose behind lying the bottle on its side is so the cork doesn’t go dry. When the cork goes dry, it becomes impossible to open. No one in their right mind wants to be drinking bits of a cork!
- The term “cheers” began in the Middle Ages. The host of the event was the first one to take a drink before clinking the glasses together. This tactic was to ensure the guests knew the wine was okay to drink. In the Middle Ages, poisoning was a common tactic people used to rid a person of interest.
- Have you ever been curious as to the proper amount of wine to pour in your glass? Sommeliers suggest only to fill the glass a third of the way from the rim. The less wine that is in the glass allows more room for aromas to develop. If you are someone who enjoys bigger glasses of wine to avoid getting off the couch, we suggest you invest a giant glass! The bigger, the better, right?
- When going to a fancy restaurant, you may have had a thought or two as to why they bring your bottle in a bucket full of ice and water. The water in the bucket covers more surface area of the wine bottle; this allows the temperature drop in a shorter amount of time.
