Wine producing has been carried out in one way or another for many thousands of years with pottery jars discovered in Persia (modern day Iran) dating back to 5,500 BC showing evidence of grapes use in winemaking. In addition, jars from Jiahu in China dated to between 6000 and 7000 BC have also been discovered containing wine from wild grapes.

However whether we are talking about ancient or modern wine making, many of the same conditions apply and similar techniques are used because the chemistry of the grape is an everlasting quality.

With some exceptions the grapes used in wine making grow only only between latitudes 30-50 degrees North and 30-45 degrees South of the equator. As opposed to the majority of other crops, grapes do not require a particularly fertile soil and it is interesting to note that a thinner soil frequently produces a small crop but also frequently produces higher quality grapes.

Oddly enough, soils that are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients (conditions that are generally highly beneficial for the majority of plants) can produce grapes that are unsuitable for winemaking. Such grapes are however often very good for eating, but lack the desired quantities of minerals, sugars and acids for winemaking.

Without doubt, the best wines are produced on soils which would be thought of as poor quality for other agricultural purposes. The stellar wines from Bordeaux, for example, are made from grapes grown in gravelly soil, which overlies a base of chalk or clay. The crop here is sparse, but the quality of the grapes produced is high. In this case the pebbly earth allows for good drainage, which is essential as grapevines have to have adequate but not too much water, but these conditions force the roots to grow deep into the earth where they absorb a variety of complex minerals.

Vineyards are also commonly found along river valleys, with slopes providing plenty of sunshine. Vines in these cases are often of the European species vitis vinifera, from which a variety of well known wines are made, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot.

Viticulture, the name used for the practice of growing grapes for wine, is one of the most complicated agricultural undertakings today. A master vintner (today, sometimes known as an oenologist), must be an expert in a wide range of topics including fermentation, soil chemistry, climatology and several other ancient arts and modern sciences.

As well as categorization by variety, wines are also classified by vinification methods (still, sparkling, rosé, fortified, blush), by region (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace etc.), by vintage as well as by a dozen other methods.

As soon as the grower, chemist and manufacturer have done their job, the businessman then takes the stage and wine today is very big business. Wine sales in the United States alone run to something like 600 million gallons, representing over $20 billion in consumer spending. Perhaps not surprisingly France is the world leader when it comes to exports with 22% of world export volume, with Italy following close behind.

At the end of the day however, no matter how big a business wine producing is today, it remains very much a balance of art, science and business and winemaking is certainly not a business venture to be entered into by anyone of a timid nature.

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