Wine (disambiguation) facts for kids

Wine is a special drink made from grapes. It has been enjoyed by people for thousands of years and is often served with meals or at celebrations. While it's made from fruit, it's a drink mainly for adults.

What is Wine?

Wine is a drink created when grape juice goes through a natural process called fermentation. During this process, tiny living things called yeast eat the sugars in the grape juice. This changes the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. The type of grapes used, where they grow, and how the wine is made all give different wines their unique taste and color.

How is Wine Made?

Making wine is a careful process that involves several steps:

• Harvesting Grapes: First, ripe grapes are picked from vineyards. The timing of the harvest is very important for the taste of the wine.
• Crushing: The grapes are then crushed to release their juice. For red wine, the grape skins are kept with the juice, giving it color. For white wine, the skins are usually removed.
• Fermentation: Yeast is added to the grape juice, or sometimes natural yeast already on the grapes starts the process. This is where the sugar in the juice slowly turns into alcohol.
• Aging: After fermentation, the wine is often aged. This can happen in large tanks, wooden barrels, or even in bottles. Aging helps the wine develop more complex flavors and aromas.
• Bottling: Finally, the wine is put into bottles, ready to be enjoyed.

Different Kinds of Wine

There are many different kinds of wine, each with its own look and taste:

• Red Wine: Made from dark-skinned grapes, with the skins included during fermentation to give it a red color.
• White Wine: Made from light-skinned grapes, or sometimes dark-skinned grapes with the skins removed.
• Rosé Wine: Has a pink color because the grape skins are left in contact with the juice for only a short time.
• Sparkling Wine: Like champagne, these wines have bubbles because of extra carbon dioxide gas.

A Short History of Wine

People have been making wine for a very long time, possibly for over 8,000 years! The earliest signs of winemaking have been found in places like Georgia and Iran. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all made and enjoyed wine. It was often an important part of their culture, used in religious ceremonies, celebrations, and even as a medicine. As people traveled, they took winemaking skills and grapevines with them, spreading wine around the world.

Where Wine is Made Today

Today, wine is made in many countries across the globe. Some of the most famous wine-producing regions include:

• France: Known for regions like Bordeaux and Champagne.
• Italy: Famous for wines from Tuscany and Piedmont.
• Spain: Home to popular wines like Rioja.
• United States: California is a very important wine region, especially Napa Valley.
• Australia, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa: These countries also produce a lot of delicious wine.