When choosing alcohol for family gatherings or a romantic evening, it’s easy to get confused. You won't see any symbols on the label!
Producers offer a whole range of different wines:
- dining room;
- dry;
- fortified;
- dessert;
- semi-sweet;
- geographical.
And that is not all! Moreover, dessert may well be, for example, geographical. What does table wine mean? Is it possible to buy a bottle of semi-sweet table wine if the price looks very tempting? Or “table” is one classification, and “semi-sweet” is “from a different story”?
Table wines have a number of common features:
- produced by complete (or incomplete) fermentation of the wort;
- can be manufactured in any country;
- exempt from any requirements for sugar content, grade and type of raw materials used, and production technology.
These are natural drinks containing an alcohol content of no more than 14%.
Such wines are divided into:
- semi-dry;
- semi-sweet.
How is it different from usual?
There is no ordinary wine as such. Any alcohol-containing drink is subject to classification.
A bottle of dessert may catch your eye. It is possible that you will give preference to a vintage one - it can decorate a festive table.
But if you see the addition “table”, know that the manufacturer had the right to make the drink according to own recipe, so its taste may differ from what you expected. Wines with the same name, one of which is table wine, can be completely different.
Table and geographical - what's the difference?
Geographical wine appeared in the international classification only a few years ago. This inscription on the label means: the alcohol was produced in a certain country using certain grape varieties.
The dining room is a “box with a surprise”: winemakers have every right not to indicate in which country the harvest was harvested wine berries for a drink.
What is the difference from sweets?
Can table wine be sweet? Most likely, if you read such an inscription on the bottle, it is a fake: after all, these wines have different production technologies.
If the wort for table fermentation must be completely (or almost completely), then to prepare the sweet, the process is interrupted in the early stages and alcohol is added.
What are the differences between dry and sweet wines?
Dry after fermentation is complete naturally. This is a rather weak alcohol, its maximum strength is 11 revolutions. It contains a small percentage of sugar content, no more than 1.
Sweet wines are prepared with the addition of alcohol; they are slightly stronger than dry wines, and the proportion of sugar in them increases to 8% or more.
Dry ones do not last long, especially if opened. You can drink sweets little by little, spreading one bottle over several weeks.
Collectibles and vintage
The wine can be ordinary - that is, aged for less than a year, but more than 3 months, made from inexpensive grape varieties.
Collectibles will definitely be more expensive because they the aging period is at least one and a half years. Only a certain grape variety is used to make a specific vintage wine. A producer who declares that his wine is vintage, thereby guarantees compliance with manufacturing technology.
The most expensive wines - collectible. 6 years is the minimum aging period for such a drink. The number of bottles is usually limited, so this wine can cost a lot of money.
How to drink dessert table wines correctly?
If we adhere to the classification of wines accepted by international standards, then table wine can hardly be dessert wine - they are prepared using different technologies. Therefore, the rules for drinking these wines differ.
Table wines are often dry and semi-dry. Dining dishes - that is, they are served at the table, and therefore should not interrupt the taste of the main dishes. Their task is help digestion, stimulate appetite. These wines are heated before serving. They drink this wine with hot dishes: fish, meat, and sometimes soups.
Desserts are usually served with something sweet. Ice cream or cake will go well with the drink. Just make sure that the taste of the wine is brighter than the taste of the dessert. You can pour the wine into glasses after it has cooled slightly.
If, having picked up a bottle of wine, you learn from the accompanying inscription that it is table wine, this is not at all a reason to put the bottle back and look at another alcohol. Yes, this wine does not have strict standards. Yes, it is unknown on what land the grape harvest was harvested.
But your chances of purchasing a truly tasty and even healthy drink are high if you came to make a purchase at a large, trusted store. Such stores do not work with unscrupulous suppliers selling dubious products. Therefore, luck may well be on your side and you can taste a great drink for little money.
Do you like table wines? Please tell us about those that you think are worthy of attention. We will be happy to taste it!
Dividing alcohol into different categories is a necessity, thanks to which the consumer can determine the quality of the drink from the label. For example, when choosing, it is very important to know how table wine differs from geographical wine, whether there are differences in taste or quality between them, etc.
Of course, there are other varieties of this alcoholic drink, and its classification is different countries may differ slightly.
What is table wine
The first thing you need to understand is what kind of drink in the world of winemakers is meant by table wine. This is a light drink that has a low strength due to the small amount of sugar in its composition. It is usually served with meals, because this wine goes well with main dishes.
Traditionally, in most wine-producing countries, table wines are divided into:
- dry;
- semi-dry;
- semi-sweet.
Another difference between table wine and regular wine is less control over the grapes for their production. Those. Any berries can be used to make wine, and the bottle label usually does not indicate where they were grown, in which country or territory. The year of wine production is also not indicated.
But this does not mean at all that alcoholic drinks in this category are of low quality. The manufacturer himself monitors his products, namely the taste of alcohol. Therefore, some table wines are quite expensive.
Dessert wine
What is the difference between table wine and dessert wine? Basically, alcoholic drinks in this category are served with desserts (as you might guess from the name). For example, they go well with ice cream, cakes or fruit. The only condition for such serving is that the dessert should not be sweeter than the wine itself, otherwise the latter will just be compote.
Dessert wines have a higher percentage of alcohol, which is formed due to the way the drink is prepared. After all, in order to achieve a certain sweetness of wine, it is necessary to stop the fermentation of the wort. They do it different ways, one of them is adding strong alcohol to it.
Also, for greater natural sweetness, special sugary grape varieties are used.
Dessert wine can be:
- sweet;
- semi-sweet;
- liqueur.
How to drink dessert and table wines
There is a difference in presentation between dessert and table wine. To reveal the bouquet of taste and aroma, it is advisable to warm up table wines before serving so that their temperature is slightly higher than room temperature. For dessert wines Cooling to 13-16 degrees is recommended.
Very important . Their special shape allows you to correctly direct the drink to the area of the tongue that most subtly senses its entire bouquet of aroma and taste. Gourmets believe that the wrong glass can distort the taste of the drink.
You can get lost in the existing diversity, because some wine producers have gone so far as to recommend glasses for a specific type of drink. Of course, the average consumer only needs to have a few types of glasses.
For example, glasses in the shape of a tulip or a ball are suitable for red wine, but more elongated ones for white wine. The largest glasses are used for red wine, slightly smaller glasses for white wine, and even smaller glasses for dessert wine.
The difference between table wine and a geographical name is that you can always find out from the label on the bottle in which area the grapes grew, in some cases they even indicate the year of harvest. Such wines are sometimes also called local.
It should be noted that most often alcoholic drinks in this category are produced from one grape variety, without mixing it with others. All this affects the taste of the wine.
But lately some geographical wines produced using a different technology called sepazhnoy. Finished product does not lose its bright taste, but gourmets still prefer drinks made from one grape variety.
Local wines are stored for a very long time, revealing their taste over time, giving new notes. That is why geographical wines are very often vintage and collectible. After all, most of them are produced using unique proprietary methods, which is why they attract the attention of collectors.
Collection and vintage wines
The most important thing is selected grapes during production, unique technologies and a long period of aging of the wine. Vintage wine is aged for at least one and a half years if it is a dry table wine, and at least two years if it is a strong dessert wine.
For each brand of this alcoholic drink, which may later become a vintage drink, a certain production technology has been established; a certain grape variety is used for it. All this must be recorded on the label.
Vintage wine can become a collector's item if, after bottling, it has been aged for at least three years. Among wine connoisseurs, the most popular drinks in this category are those that have been aged for at least ten years in bottles. You can determine the aging period by the sediment at the bottom of the bottle, which forms over the years.
The best preserved wines are those that have large percentage alcohol and sugar. But, for example, “half wines” are preserved very poorly, since the fermentation process in them is artificially stopped, but not by adding alcohol to the composition (as is the case with sweet wines).
Now it is very easy to understand how table wine differs from geographical wine in taste, aging and other characteristics. Choosing good wine, remember that the full taste of the drink can only be felt when making the right choice glasses and dishes for him. Gourmets consider it blasphemy to drink any high-quality wine in one gulp without experiencing its entire bouquet.
Winemaking is a special industry Food Industry. The current classification of wines can provide an explanation of how table wine differs from dessert wine, natural from special, still from sparkling, etc.
Brief history of the development of winemaking
The origin story begins with the ancient world. Scientists claim that the first glass of the drink appeared thousands of years ago. The ancient Romans and Greeks managed to make a significant contribution to the development of wine culture. The drink was consumed to a greater extent in the southern regions where grapes grew. Until the mid-19th century, humanity had no idea that wine fermentation occurs due to the presence of yeast bacteria in the product. In 1957, a French microbiologist and chemist proved this discovery.
Making wine begins with harvesting.
If the ancient inhabitants established winemaking based on their own experience, then in the 20th century the art of winemaking began to rely on scientific achievements. Berries began to be collected not only by hand, but also with the help of machinery. Improved modifications of presses began to appear, and the method of filtering semi-finished products changed. Winemakers learned and began to use Better conditions wine storage
Since the beginning of the 20th century, production standards have emerged. France became the first state to distribute this document in its regions. The second half of the last century became a favorable time for the active development of wine production, improving their quality and popularity.
The wide range of wines produced in the world has a certain classification that will help any interested person understand this product. The raw materials that are put into use divide wines into grape, berry, fruit, vegetable and multi-component (multi-varietal) wines.
Grape drinks are prepared from the juice of grapes with added sugar. The production process eliminates the addition of grape wine other products. Fruit spirits are most often made from apples or pears. Melons, watermelons, maple and birch sap, rhubarb and rose petals give the wines their plant name. Multi-varietal products are prepared by combining a variety of different varieties grape berries. Such wines are divided into blends and sepages.
The variety of wine depends on the color of the grapes.
The opinion has taken root among qualified winemaking specialists that real wine can only be made from the best grape varieties. In addition, wines are distinguished by color. Fermentation and grape variety divide the final product into red, rosé and white drinks.
The classification based on sugar and alcohol content determined the following positions: table wines, fortified and sparkling. The duration of exposure divided the described product into branded and ordinary products. The technology for making any wine determines its product group: table, strong and aromatized.
In turn, table solar drinks differ in sugar content and are divided into semi-sweet and dry, with residual sugar content. Fortified and flavored wines can be strong and dessert.
Return to contents
Differences between table and dessert wines
Dry table wines are produced by complete fermentation of grape must. The alcohol content in this product is 9-14%. It is important to note that alcohol is formed only from the fermentation process of sugar. The amount of alcohol in the product divides it into dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet. Table dry is recognized useful product, which is served to the table with meat and fish dishes. Among the best table wines it is worth noting Georgian wines Kakheti region. Table wines are named after the raw materials or the region where the grapes were grown. Table wine can be white, rose and red. Color alcoholic drink acquires from initially selected raw materials. Most table wines have delicate taste And pleasant sourness. It is recommended to drink red table wines slightly warmed up, i.e. higher room temperature. With this heating, the wine reveals its bouquet brighter.
To prepare dessert wines, grapes with high sugar content are selected.
To increase the concentration of sugar, they try to dry the grapes before putting them into production, thereby increasing the sweetness. Dessert wine can contain 12-17% alcohol. If table alcoholic drinks are produced mainly as varietal drinks, then dessert ones are served in a blended version. Professionals suggest serving them with fruit, ice cream or confectionery delights. Before drinking, the wine is cooled to 13-16 degrees. This group includes Muscat, Tokay, Cahors, Malaga, etc. wines. The sugar content divides this product into sweet, semi-sweet and liqueur wines.
A special feature for the production of dessert wines is that before fermentation the wort is infused on pulp for 1-2 days. Fermentation is often stopped by alcoholization.
The main characteristics by which table wines should differ from dessert wines are: taste qualities and fortress.
Table wine is an alcoholic drink that received its name due to its daily presence on the tables of residents of wine-growing regions. Drinking this drink brings not only pleasure, but also health benefits. It has a delicious taste and intoxicating aroma.
Red wine is best made from wine grape varieties.
Types of drink
Table wine is obtained as a result of fermentation of wort or pulp. It is also called natural wine, since to obtain it, in addition to the necessary components, nothing extra is added (alcohol, sugar). Depending on the production technology chosen, wine is divided into dry, semi-sweet and semi-dry. The first is obtained as a result of complete fermentation of wine materials, and the latter 2 are obtained through partial fermentation.
Different wines tend to contain a certain amount of sugar. In semi-sweet, the amount of sugar varies from 3 to 8 g per 100 cm 3, in semi-dry - from 1 to 2.5 g, and dry wine contains no more than 0.3 g of sugar. Semi-sweet and semi-dry wines are valued for their moderate alcohol content, variety of flavors, mild aroma, and correct acidity. Some of the most worthy semi-sweet wines in the world are:
Wine fermentation occurs when air enters the bottle freely.
- Auslese;
- Barzak;
- Chateau-Yquem;
- Ojaleshi;
- Khvanchkara;
- Spätlese.
Dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet wines are aged in barrels for varying periods of time. Drinks aged for one year are ordinary. They can be bottled and sold. If the wine is aged for another 1-2 years, then it is already considered vintage. When pouring it into containers, be sure to indicate the year of harvest. A wine that has been aged for many years is considered a collector's item. Over the years, the bottled drink acquires a special refined taste, sediment appears at the bottom, which helps eliminate toxins.
The drink can be varietal, if 1 grape variety was used for its production, or blended, that is, made from different varieties that form harmonious combination. Table wine comes in white, red and rose. The latter is distinguished by its color and taste characteristics.
The health benefits include improving digestion and stabilizing the acid balance in the human body. Drinking the drink in small portions helps enrich the body with essential minerals and acids.
Return to contents
Characteristics of table drinks
Many people do not understand table wines, so they find it difficult to make a choice when purchasing. However, due to their taste characteristics, the wines fit perfectly different dishes. The taste, aroma, color of the drink, and strength are determined not only by technology, but also by the grape variety, the characteristics of its cultivation, ripening time and other factors. White and rose wines are more similar in taste, since they are characterized by an identical degree of ripeness of the fruit. They have a fresh, sophisticated aroma and a light aftertaste. The alcohol content ranges from 10 to 12%, while red table wines have an alcohol content of 11-13%.
Dry white wines are distinguished by their diversity. Their taste varies from easy simple to a rich, unfolding bouquet with a refined aftertaste. They are young and seasoned. The change in taste characteristics is influenced not only by the process of obtaining the drink, but also by the area in which the grapes were grown, namely its climatic conditions and lighting. The degree of ripeness and grape variety can give the drink special muscat notes in taste, give a slight sourish tint and a delicate aroma.
For high-quality white wine, a rough taste is unacceptable. An ordinary drink has a varietal or velvety, floral aroma. The taste is delicate with a barely noticeable sour tint. If the drink is vintage, then it is characterized by an ethereal tone of aging and a pleasant aftertaste. The correct color for this drink is straw-yellow or yellow-green.
Return to contents
Red and pink
Grapes must be pitted.
Red table wine is considered very healthy. Unlike other wines, it contains many microelements and vitamins necessary for the body, which give strength and health. The production of red table wine involves the use of only red grape varieties. The astringency and rich aroma of the drink are given by substances contained in the skin, seeds and ridges.
Over the years, the drink acquires a very pleasant, lighter aroma, a refined and refined flavor bouquet. Aging softens the astringency and bitterness that is inherent in the young drink. High-quality aged red wines have a characteristic onion or brown color. If the drink is young, then its color has shades of dark ruby or garnet.
White wines can be made not only from white grape varieties (Aligote, Sauvignon, Chardonnay), but also from red ones. The main thing is to use only grape juice without skin, seeds or ridges. Since the juice is almost colorless, the drink will have the correct shade. The white grape varieties used for production are grown in areas with a warm temperate climate, where the air temperature in the hot months ranges from 18 to 27 °C. This will make the wine good. The provinces of France, some regions of Austria, Italy, Moldova, Ukraine, and Hungary are perfect for growing.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Saperavi are the best varieties for the production of dry red wine. They are grown in warm temperate climates with an average temperature of 20°C. During fruit ripening, the weather should be dry. The standards for rosé wine are French drinks such as rosé Bordeaux, Bordeaux Clairette and Burgundy rosé. They were first produced in France by infusing wine material for 6-24 hours. The color of rose wine can be different: light pink, light red, orange-yellowish, pale ruby with a slight creamy tint. A drink with a bright pink or raspberry tone is considered valuable.
Rose wine can be produced in different ways. For example, by blending using a special technology or short-term fermentation of red grape varieties, or according to the principle of making red wine, but from incompletely ripened fruits.
“Stolovoe” itself already implies that this wine is served at the table as a light drink that will go well with food. Its difference is that no sugar is added to it, which is why it has a low content of about 12-14%. This wine has a pleasant taste and aroma.
Red and rose table wines differ in color. Often the area where the grapes were grown is not even indicated; it is simply designated as a trademark. The thing is that in the production of these wines, mass production technologies are used, and grapes and other raw materials are not sorted in the same way as is done with vintage wines.
Table wines are most often divided into:
- dry,
- semi-dry,
- semi-sweet, to which they add a small amount of Sahara.
In many countries, such wines are served at the table, since their small consumption does not harm, but only helps the body absorb food and relieve nervous tension. There are even sanatoriums that have a wine procedure, you can try it different types life-giving drink without harming your own health.
Knowing the classification of table wines, you can choose the type that suits your taste: most often, women like semi-sweet varieties, and men like dry ones.
Local wines
Local wines are a type of wine, but they are made from selected grape varieties that grow in a specific area. Moreover, the possibility of even mixing different batches of berries is often excluded, so that the integrity of the taste of the future drink is not violated. Naturally, with this approach, the label must indicate the geographical region, the area where the wine was made.
The label of local wine is allowed to indicate the year of the grape harvest, unlike table wine, which does not indicate the year or region of production.
Local wines should have a natural strength of approximately 10-12%. However, due to the mass production of wine and high commercial demand, local wines with geographical names are gradually losing their uniqueness. Today you can find what are commonly called sepazhnye. Such wines have bright taste and a rich bouquet, they are certainly tasty, but gourmets do not consider them “pure”, because they are made from several varieties of grapes.
By the way, local wines are very long term storage, during which they can change their taste and reveal new notes. This is what makes them special. In general, local wine can be called original, because it is produced in exceptional places, often using unique methods, and it is often collectible and vintage.
The technology for making a refreshing and invigorating drink by fermenting grape or fruit juices was known back in Ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome. The Romans called him "vineri" - "giver of strength." Modern name This drink is wine; it is produced in many countries of the world, including in the southern regions of Russia.
The secret of making wine and its benefits
Grape juice contains a lot of sugar, so if you leave it standing in an open container, microorganisms, in particular yeast, get into it and begin to actively multiply. Its spores cause a fermentation process, and due to the fact that the fungus feeds on sugar, the juice turns sour. When making wine, it is necessary to create the most favorable atmosphere for the fungus for its intensive reproduction and to ensure sufficient oxygen and heat for this. The fermentation process produces wine, and its types are the result of the use of various technologies - alcoholization, aging, adding sugar, etc.Wines contain many vitamins, in particular B1, B6, B12, PP, P and C, as well as folic (B9) and pantothenic (B5) acids, they help normalize metabolic processes in the body and provide normal functioning nervous system and organs of the gastrointestinal tract. It contains: phosphorus, nitrogenous, pectin substances, sugar, as well as mineral salts of iron, copper, zinc, etc. Wine, especially red wine, has a complex effect on, has bioenergetic and bactericidal properties, and the ability to remove heavy metals and radioactive substances.
To make port or Madeira, ordinary or vintage, up to 15 grape varieties can be used.
Wine classification
Each country traditionally engaged in winemaking: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Russia, etc., uses its own wine. Russian wines are divided into sparkling and still, the former contain carbon dioxide, the latter do not. In addition, there is a division of wines according to sugar content and:- canteens in which no sugar is added, their strength is 9-14°;
- dessert semi-sweet, containing 3-10% sugar, strength 9-15°;
- strong desserts, containing 3-13% sugar, with a strength of 17-20°;
- dessert sweets and liqueurs, containing 16-32% sugar, with a strength of 13-16°;
- effervescent, naturally and artificially carbonated.
Varietal wines are made only from one specific grape variety, while blended wines are made from several grape varieties.
There are different types of wines, etc., the lowest for ordinary wines, the highest for vintage and collection wines. Ordinary wines differ from vintage and collection wines in their aging period. Ordinary, white and wines include young unaged wines - bottled 3-12 months after the grapes are processed into juice. As a rule, these are cheap wines for which imported raw materials or mixed varieties can be used.
Vintage wines must be aged for at least 1.5 years, fortified and dessert wines for at least 2 years. They are made using special technologies and only of a certain variety used for the production of a particular brand of wine. Vintage wines have characteristic taste qualities. Collection wines include vintage wines of particularly high quality; they are additionally aged in barrels for at least 3 years.
