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The Basics |
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Why Grapes? |
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Most wine drinkers or wine connoisseurs probably never even bother to think about this somewhat
obvious question. You might think that wine could only be created from grapes, which would
more easily explain things. But this is not the case. There are many other fruits that can
ferment and produce juice and alcohol, including apples, plums, peaches and pineapples. So
why can't these ingredients create wine?
The answer has been proven through the centuries as every base fruit imaginable was fermented
in an attempt to create great wine. Ultimately, winemakers discovered that only grapes contained
the right balance of natural sugar, acid and tannin to create a world-class drink. Although
winemakers can make tasty wine out of plums or peaches, it usually will require adding several
ingredients to get a good, drinkable balance and structure. This is not required for the
most part with grapes, making it perfect for the creation of wine.
If you're curious, you can find bottles of plum wine and apple wine at certain liquor stores
or online. Note that in most places the word wine alone can only be used to describe a product
of grapes, so these other wines will be described by the fruit used to make it, such as pineapple
wine.
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