Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting grape juice. In common usage it usually refers to grape wine, but the term is also used for fermented beverages made from other fruits and for traditional products sometimes called “rice wine”. ^[1]

Overview

Most wine is made by converting sugars in grape must (crushed grape juice and solids) into ethanol and carbon dioxide through yeast-driven alcoholic fermentation. Winemakers then manage extraction, aging, and stabilization to produce a beverage with a particular style and shelf life. ^[2][3]

Styles

Common style families include:

• Red, white, and rose wines (largely distinguished by the use and duration of grape-skin contact during processing). ^[2]
• Sparkling wines (typically incorporating dissolved carbon dioxide from a secondary fermentation). ^[2]
• Sweet wines (with higher residual sugar due to interrupted fermentation, added sweetening, or concentration of grape sugars). ^[2]
• Fortified wines (with added distilled spirits). ^[1]

Production (high level)

While practices vary by region and producer, many wines are made through a sequence like:

1. Harvesting grapes and preparing must.
2. Alcoholic fermentation (often with temperature control).
3. Pressing (for whites typically before fermentation; for reds often after maceration/fermentation).
4. Maturation/aging (e.g., stainless steel, oak, bottle).
5. Clarification and stabilization (e.g., racking, fining, filtration, tartrate/protein stability management).
6. Bottling and distribution.

These steps are adapted to the desired style and to manage oxidation, microbial stability, and sensory outcomes. ^[2][3]

Grapes, viticulture, and terroir

Wine is most commonly made from Vitis vinifera grape varieties, though hybrids and other Vitis species are also used in some regions. Grape variety, climate, and vineyard management strongly influence typical wine styles. ^[4]

The concept of “terroir” is used to describe how a place’s environmental conditions (and, in some uses, human practices and local tradition) relate to a wine’s character; the term mixes measurable factors with more interpretive cultural framing. ^[1][2]

Chemistry and sensory (very brief)

Key components that shape how wine tastes and smells include ethanol, organic acids, residual sugars, phenolic compounds (including tannins), and many aroma-active compounds produced during fermentation and aging. Winemaking choices (e.g., maceration, malolactic fermentation, and oak contact) can shift these components and sensory perception. ^[2][3]

Global production and trade

Wine is produced and traded globally. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) publishes consolidated statistics and periodic reports covering vineyard area, production volumes, consumption, and trade. Because these figures change year to year, numeric claims should be interpreted in the context of the specific reporting year. ^[5][6]

Health and safety

Alcohol consumption is associated with substantial global health burden, and public health agencies summarize evidence-based policy options to reduce harmful use. ^[7]

The IARC Monographs classify alcoholic beverages and ethanol in alcoholic beverages as Group 1 carcinogens (carcinogenic to humans). ^[8][9]

Practical guidance (basic)

General practices that can improve the odds of a good experience include:

• Store wine away from heat spikes, strong light, and excessive oxygen exposure.
• Serve at temperatures appropriate to style (many whites and sparkling wines colder than most reds).
• Treat decanting as a probabilistic tool (it may help some wines by separating sediment or changing aroma release, but it is not universally beneficial).

Specific recommendations depend on the wine style, closure, age, and storage conditions. ^[1][2]

Value judgments (human agency)

Wine is culturally and economically important in many societies, but it is also a delivery mechanism for ethanol, which can contribute to addiction, impaired judgment, and long-term disease. From a human agency perspective, accurate risk information and practical tools for moderating use (or abstaining) increase people’s real options, and policy choices that reduce harm without coercion can expand agency at population scale. The specific balance of benefits and harms depends on context, patterns of consumption, and available support systems. ^[7]