With all the wine produced where are all the grape vines to grow all those grapes? Even in my rural area of northwest Wisconsin, there are three wineries that I am aware of in this county. How many grapes does it take to make a case of bottled wine?
On average it will take 85 to 90 pounds of fresh grapes which is about two and a half lug boxes. Those 90 pounds of grapes will make about 25 bottles of wine or 2 cases. Grapes are grown in every state in the U.S. Including Alaska which has a greenhouse vineyard that grows Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and others. As you know, many countries around the world grow grapes and produce wine.
Wine Grape vs. Table Grape
When ripe, a wine grape will be sweeter, softer and much juicier than a table grape. They will also usually have a thicker, chewier skin and more noticeable seeds. When you look at all the grape varieties there are, it’s a little overwhelming. There are so many varieties and even so many different colors. I’ve seen white, green, red, purple, black, and even some in between those.
From all those varieties most of the wines produced can be classified as either red or white. A little information you may not know: white wine can be made from either white or red grapes. The significant difference is that it is fermented without the skins when using a red grape.
It’s All in the Name, OR IS IT?
Most wines from Australia, New Zealand, North America, South Africa, South America, and others use the variety of grape used as the name of their wine. For example, an Argentina Malbec is made with Malbec grapes, and a California Chardonnay is made with Chardonnay grapes.
European winemakers, however, believe the land their grapes grow on is the essential quality of their wine. They also think that their area is better than all other regions where grapes are grown. Because of this, they name their wines after the region where the grapes were grown. Here are a couple of examples: a wine made in the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy, with Sangiovese grapes is known as Chianti, and wine produced in the Chablis region of Burgundy, France, with Chardonnay grapes is called a Chablis. They leave it up to the consumer to know which grapes are grown in a particular region.
So why does this matter? A chardonnay produced in California compared to one made in Australia compared to one made in Burgandy, France, are all going to have a different taste. You will probably prefer one better than the others. You can also try wines from different places in the world to give you variety.
Wine in the U.S.A.
In March of 2018, there were 7,762 wineries in the United States. The top wine producing state is California, with more than 80% of the production. The other top producing states are Washington, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The ten most popular wine grapes in the U.S. are 1. Chardonnay (w), 2. Cabernet Sauvignon (r), 3. Pinot Noir (r), 4. Merlot (r), 5. Zinfandel (r), 6. Syrah (r), 7. Pinot Gris (w), 8. French Colombard (w), 9. Sauvignon Blanc (w), Rubired (a hybrid with pigmented instead of clear juice).
When you have your next glass of wine, think about the grapes that went into it.
Enjoy, Liam