HOW WINE IS MADE
From grape to glass, the ancient process of making one of the world’s most popular beverages
WORDSSCOTT DUTFIELD
Wine has been made for around 8,000 years, ever since the ancient Georgians realised that grape juice left underground during the winter would transform into a head-spinning elixir. Now, around 22 billion litres of wine are consumed each year across the globe. There are 60 different grapevines that grow the fruit for wine, the majority coming from a single species called Vitis vinifera. Although most wine – red and white – comes from this species, genetic variations in the plant can produce different flavours and colours of wine. There are around 1,500 variations of Vitis vinifera grown around the world. Many of the world’s wines are named after these grape variations. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon was created by crossbreeding Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.