Guest Columnist
Viticulture, one of those words we never hear about, is a branch of horticulture. More specifically it’s the study of everything about grapes. While wine is usually down on the list when one thinks of alcoholic beverages, there’s a veritable plethora of information on the subject of which we should be aware.
For example, the U.S. is the #1 consumer of wines ahead of France, Germany, and Italy. This is somewhat blurred by the fact that on a per capita basis, we’re #34! As a producer of wines, the U.S. is ranked #4 and #5 in total vineyard acreage.
Wine is fermented grape juice. Yeast metabolizes the grape sugars to produce energy and ethanol. Ironically, one can make wine from almost anything, even jalapeno peppers! Both Oklahoma and Texas are wine producers. Oklahoma has some 52 wineries. Production was very high back in the 1920s, but the Dust Bowl and Prohibition destroyed much of that early production.
The first winery in North America was established in Texas back in 1629 and today the state annually produces some 35M gallons, making the state the country’s 5th largest wine producer.
When all this began is unknown, but a 7K year-old wine jar has been found, as well as a 6K year-old winery. Wine was domesticated in Central Eurasia by 4K BCE and domesticated throughout Europe by the 1st Century AD. Corks have been used since 3K BCE. Wine, by its very nature is safe to drink, as pathogens can’t survive in the acidic content.
Wines are often classified as white or red. Interestingly, if purple skins are peeled when processing begins, the juice will become a white wine. If, however, the skins are reintroduced, the wine can become a red!
By the way, “Skinny Girl” wine has the same calories as other wines!
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