Wine 101: Wine, Explained Well

A step-by-step journey through every stage of red winemaking, from the vineyard to the bottle and everything in between. Introduction Red wine has been produced for…

A deep examination of how phenolic maturity shapes wine quality, from vineyard development to harvest decisions and cellar consequences. Introduction Every harvest decision comes down to…

Soil affects wine through the water, warmth and nutrients it gives the vine. The grapes do not take on the taste of the minerals in the soil. This guide covers nine soil types, from limestone and clay to slate and volcanic rock, and the wines grown on each.

Sulfites are sulfur dioxide and its salts, used in wine as a preservative against oxidation and unwanted microbes. Every wine contains some, because yeast produces sulfites during fermentation, so sulfite-free wine does not exist. EU law caps total sulfur dioxide at 150 mg/l for dry red and 200 mg/l for dry white and rosé; US law caps it at 350 ppm for every style, and requires a “contains sulfites” declaration above 10 ppm. Sulfite sensitivity is real but presents as asthma, not as a headache.

Organic wine is made from certified organic grapes and vinified under organic rules that limit additives and sulfites. In the US, a wine labeled organic has no added sulfites, and one labeled made with organic grapes can have up to 100 parts per million. In the EU, organic wine can contain added sulfites, at lower limits than conventional wine.

Natural wine is made from organically or biodynamically farmed grapes and fermented with native yeast, with nothing added in the cellar except, at most, a small dose of sulfites. No law defines it.

Vegan wine is wine made without animal products. In practice that means no animal-derived fining agents, such as gelatin, isinglass, casein or egg white. A vegan wine is fined with plant or mineral products, or not fined at all. Neither the US nor the EU has a legal definition of vegan wine.

Biodynamic wine is wine made from grapes farmed biodynamically, a farming method based on lectures Rudolf Steiner gave in 1924. Growers treat the farm as one living organism and use nine preparations made from cow manure, quartz and plants. Private certifiers, mainly Demeter and Biodyvin, set the rules for the vineyard and the cellar.

Rosé is wine made from red grapes whose skins stay in the juice for a short time, often a few hours. How it is made, what EU law says and how to serve it.

Wine aromas offer insights into the wine’s varietal character, production methods, and maturation process. These aromas are classified into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary, each…

French Wine Classifications: A Primer France employs a complex system of classifications to describe the roles and processes within its wine industry. These terms can define…

Négociant wines make great wine more accessible—uniting skilled sourcing, transparent labeling, and low-intervention cellar work. This guide explains how négociants operate, where they excel, and how…