While wine is made only from grapes there are a variety of complex tastes in even the most simple and young wine. Ever wonder where this cornucopia of smells and tastes comes from? These flavors and subtle smells are not additions to the wine separate from the grapes but rather are part of the grapes’ physiological makeup that are muted or enhanced by the terrain they were grown in or the fermentation process. In fact there are hundreds of esters, which are the compounds that are modified and released during fermentation depending on the process used and the type of yeast. These aromatic compounds are also found in things like vanilla, cinnamon, and other herbs, fruits and flowers with distinctive smells. These esters can be easily discerned a lot of the time, like the peppery compound that zinfandel a distinctive wine and rose wines such a fruity and juicy experience.
Grapes are truly amazing for having these compounds in them and so easily manipulated by the simple act of fermentation that three bottle wine carriers hardly seem enough. To sample the sheer variety of wine out there in the world it could easily require a lifetime of sampling; or of reading reviews but that is not nearly as tasty.
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