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92-481: The system is based on both the hypothesis and observations that grapevines do not grow if the temperature is below 50 °F (10 °C). Each day during the growing season are assigned growing degree-days according to the amount that the day's average temperature exceeds this threshold. This is assumed under the system to be April 1 through October 31 in the Northern Hemisphere, October 1 through April 30 in

184-748: A 12th-century document found in the Cairo Geniza . In Iran, a sour grape vinegar is used for making Shirazi salad . Winemaking from red and white grape flesh and skins produces substantial quantities of organic residues, collectively called pomace (also "marc"), which includes crushed skins, seeds, stems, and leaves generally used as compost . Grape pomace – some 10–30% of the total mass of grapes crushed – contains various phytochemicals , such as unfermented sugars, alcohol, polyphenols , tannins , anthocyanins , and numerous other compounds, some of which are harvested and extracted for commercial applications (a process sometimes called "valorization" of

276-458: A Region IV (whereas the table above shows one station in Napa, St. Helena as being a Region IV). Other significant differences exist depending on the time period of the data and formula used for calculating growing degree-days. First, to be comparable growing degree-day numbers from various sources need to come from the same time period. Due to both a variable climate and climate change , a comparison of

368-847: A Winkler Region III as do much of the Northern Rhône , Rioja , Umbria , and the Margaret River . Region IV includes portions of the Napa Valley , Stellenbosch , Corsica , Tuscany , and Alentejo where the warmer climates allow for the ripening of later varieties such as Cabernet sauvignon , Sangiovese , and Syrah . The warmest areas are found in Region V and include areas in the central valley of California , inland Australia and wine producing regions in Morocco , Madeira , Apulia , and Jerez . There are numerous issues and limitations associated with

460-473: A day for women and two for men, may confer health benefits. Alcohol itself may have protective effects on the cardiovascular system. The consumption of grapes and raisins presents a potential health threat to dogs. Their toxicity to dogs can cause the animal to develop acute kidney failure (the sudden development of kidney failure) with anuria (a lack of urine production) and may be fatal. Christians have traditionally used wine during worship services as

552-485: A five-year period is not directly comparable to a 30-year period. How data are averaged (i.e., hourly, daily, or monthly) is also very important. While weather stations today can average data to an hour, a minutes or even seconds, historical data used to calculate growing degree-days has been done mostly on daily or monthly averages (the table above was done using monthly climatological normals). Shorter term averaging to minutes, or more commonly hourly, arguably better reflects

644-431: A lower bound to Region I of 1500 °F units (850 °C units) and an upper bound to Region V of 4900 °F units (2700 °C units). Additional research in other wine regions found that Region I was best divided into a Region Ia (very early ripening varieties, mostly hybrid grapes) and Region Ib (early ripening varieties, mostly V. Vinifera ). The Winkler Index is also widely used in many other growing regions in

736-503: A means of remembering the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for the remission of sins . Christians who oppose the partaking of alcoholic beverages sometimes use grape juice as the "cup" or "wine" in the Lord's Supper . The Catholic Church continues to use wine in the celebration of the Eucharist because it is part of the tradition passed down through the ages starting with Jesus Christ at

828-568: A moderate amount of vitamin K (14% of the Daily Value ), with no other micronutrients in significant amounts. Most domesticated grapes come from cultivars of Vitis vinifera , a grapevine native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia. Minor amounts of fruit and wine come from American and Asian species such as: According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 75,866 square kilometers of

920-535: A multitude of products such as jams, juices, vinegars and oils. Commercially cultivated grapes are classified as either table or wine grapes. These categories are based on their intended method of consumption: grapes that are eaten raw (table grapes), or grapes that are used to make wine (wine grapes). Table grape cultivars normally have large, seedless fruit and thin skins. Wine grapes are smaller (in comparison to table grapes), usually contains seeds, and have thicker skins (a desirable characteristic in making wine). Most of

1012-462: A name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany 's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige. The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar , and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate . The area

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1104-774: A range of hybrid grapes and some very early ripening V. Vinifera . Region Ib is slightly warmer, can ripen early varieties such as Chardonnay , Pinot noir , Sauvignon blanc or Riesling with characteristic locations within the Rhine and Mosel valleys, Burgundy and the Loire Valley , or the Willamette Valley in Oregon as good examples. Region II includes cooler locations within areas such as Bordeaux , Coonawarra , and Valle de Curicó in Chile . Warmer areas in these wine regions fall in

1196-456: A relatively high phenolic content among dark grapes. In muscadine skins, ellagic acid , myricetin , quercetin , kaempferol , and trans-resveratrol are major phenolics. The flavonols syringetin , syringetin 3-O-galactoside, laricitrin and laricitrin 3-O-galactoside are also found in purple grape but absent in white grape. Muscadine grape seeds contain about twice the total polyphenol content of skins. Grape seed oil from crushed seeds

1288-626: A seeded variety as the female parent or rescue embryos early in development using tissue culture techniques. There are several sources of the seedlessness trait, and essentially all commercial cultivators get it from one of three sources: Thompson Seedless , Russian Seedless , and Black Monukka , all being cultivars of Vitis vinifera . There are currently more than a dozen varieties of seedless grapes. Several, such as Einset Seedless, Benjamin Gunnels's Prime seedless grapes, Reliance, and Venus, have been specifically cultivated for hardiness and quality in

1380-423: A ten-year period from the 1970s and the 2000s would be inappropriate as the variation and trends over time would make them incomparable. A sufficient time period is suggested to allow the averaging to smooth out some of the variability. The standard time period in use is the climatological normal period of 30 years, however if 30 years of data is not available then at the minimum five years should be used. However

1472-646: Is a separate Bereich is that it, in contrast to the other 99% of Mosel's vineyard area, is located in the state of Saarland , and therefore is supervised by this state's government. All of Moseltor is located within the borders of Perl . The wines of the Upper Mosel, especially along the Saar and Ruwer tributaries, are characterized by their low alcohol content in the 6-9% range with intense fruity notes and high acidity. An obscure local poet once described them as 'Sonnenfeuer, Sternengold, Kühlen Mondlichtschein' - The fire of

1564-720: Is believed that viticulture was brought to this area by the Romans who planted vineyards along the Mosel and the Rhine in order to have a local source of wine for their garrisons . The cost of transporting wine up from the Italian Peninsula or across the Vosges Mountains and the Roman vineyards in Gaul was very high and impractical. The Romans considered creating a canal between the Saône and

1656-704: Is believed that the most widely planted variety is Sultana , also known as Thompson Seedless, with at least 3,600 km (880,000 acres) dedicated to it. The second most common variety is Airén . Other popular varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon , Sauvignon blanc , Cabernet Franc , Merlot , Grenache , Tempranillo , Riesling , and Chardonnay . Commercially cultivated grapes can usually be classified as either table or wine grapes, based on their intended method of consumption: eaten raw (table grapes) or used to make wine (wine grapes). The sweetness of grapes depends on when they are harvested, as they do not continue to ripen once picked. While almost all of them belong to

1748-451: Is centered on the city of Trier. The Middle Mosel or Mittelmosel is the main wine growing region and includes the villages of Bernkastel and Piesport . The Middle Mosel begins at the village of Zell and extends south to just north of the village of Schweich . The slate-based soil here is said to have one of the most recognizable terroir with the wines, especially Riesling, displaying slatey mineral notes. The Lower Mosel includes

1840-470: Is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe. It

1932-491: Is generally described as the homeland of grapes and the cultivation of this plant began there 6,000–8,000 years ago. Yeast , one of the earliest domesticated microorganisms , occurs naturally on the skins of grapes, leading to the discovery of alcoholic drinks such as wine. The earliest archeological evidence for a dominant position of wine-making in human culture dates from 8,000 years ago in Georgia . The oldest known winery,

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2024-468: Is home to some of the steepest vineyards in the Mosel planted on soil composed of blue devonian slate, red slate and quartzite . Many of the vineyards of the lower Mosel are terraced, which has led many producers to adopt the name Terrassenmosel, which sounds nicer than Untermosel in German. This district produces a higher proportion of dry wines than the rest of the region. A well known vineyard from this area

2116-518: Is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65 ° degrees incline , the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm , and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont . The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape , but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to

2208-479: Is likely strongly cultivar specific. Various research worldwide has pointed to base temperatures ranging from 39 to 45 °F (4 to 7 °C), but there has been little confirmation of these thresholds across numerous wine regions and for a wider range of varieties. At the other end of the formula, the calculation for growing degree-days used in viticulture and wine production does not normally use an upper cut-off. Conceptually an upper cut-off would be applied if

2300-482: Is primarily lesser sites previously planted with "low quality" varieties that have been abandoned in this process; during the 20-year period from 1988 to 2008, plantings of Müller-Thurgau decreased by 55% and those of Elbling by 49%. However, in 2007 and 2008, the negative trend in total plantations has been broken, and the Mosel vineyard surface has seen a small increase of 59 hectares (150 acres) in two years. The projected Mosel High Bridge will cross and affect some of

2392-405: Is that the wine produced from these sites are typically of a lower quality than Riesling wines which in turn has a depressing economic effect on the prices of all Mosel wines. While consumers have benefited with top quality Riesling wines being underpriced in comparison with some of the world's other great wines from places like Bordeaux , Burgundy and California , the economic hardship created by

2484-452: Is the Juffermauer located near Treis-Karden , whose name means "Virgin-Wall" in the local Franconian dialect/language. This is the central district of the region. One of the most notable vineyards in this area is known as Doctorberg , and its wines as Bernkasteler Doctor . An apocryphal story of how the vineyard got its name originated in the late Middle Ages when a local archbishop

2576-692: Is used in cosmeceuticals and skincare products. Grape seed oil, including tocopherols ( vitamin E ) and high contents of phytosterols and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid , oleic acid , and alpha-linolenic acid . Resveratrol, a stilbene compound, is found in widely varying amounts among grape varieties, primarily in their skins and seeds. Muscadine grapes have about one hundred times higher concentration of stilbenes than pulp. Fresh grape skin contains about 50 to 100 micrograms of resveratrol per gram. Comparing diets among Western countries, researchers have discovered that, although French people tend to eat higher levels of animal fat,

2668-818: Is used officially in California and was based on the general ripening capabilities and wine styles that can be achieved in the climate due to heat accumulation (growing degree-days). The general ripening capabilities include hybrid grape varieties through early season, mid-season, and late season ripening V. Vinifera and even table grapes in the warmest areas of Region V. The general wine styles include lighter, more subtle wines with lower alcohol and brighter fruit aromas and flavors, including Champagne and other sparkling wines, found in cooler climates (Regions Ia, Ib, II and lower III) to bolder, bigger wines often with higher alcohol and lush, darker fruit aromas and flavors that are found in warmer climates (Region III, IV and V). Region V

2760-631: The Areni-1 winery , was found in Armenia and dated back to around 4000 BC. By the 9th century AD, the city of Shiraz was known to produce some of the finest wines in the Middle East. Thus it has been proposed that Syrah red wine is named after Shiraz , a city in Persia where the grape was used to make Shirazi wine . Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics record the cultivation of purple grapes, and history attests to

2852-536: The Last Supper , where Catholics believe the consecrated bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus Christ, a dogma known as transubstantiation . Wine is used (not grape juice) both due to its strong Scriptural roots, and also to follow the tradition set by the early Christian Church. The Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church (1983), Canon 924 says that the wine used must be natural, made from grapes of

Winkler index - Misplaced Pages Continue

2944-598: The United States , such as Oregon and Washington , along with Canada , South America, Australia , New Zealand , South Africa , and Europe. However, it is less widely used in Europe where the Huglin index is favored. The Huglin index uses a similar formula but gives more weight to maximum temperatures and uses an adjustment for longer day lengths found at higher latitudes. It is also functionally similar to growing season average temperatures (simple average of temperatures across

3036-465: The wine industry, grape juice that contains 7–23% of pulp, skins, stems and seeds is often referred to as " must ". In North America, the most common grape juice is purple and made from Concord grapes , while white grape juice is commonly made from Niagara grapes , both of which are varieties of native American grapes, a different species from European wine grapes. In California, Sultana (known there as Thompson Seedless) grapes are sometimes diverted from

3128-538: The 19th century, Ephraim Bull of Concord, Massachusetts , cultivated seeds from wild Vitis labrusca vines to create the Concord grape , which would become an important agricultural crop in the United States. Grapes are a type of fruit that grow in clusters of 15 to 300 and can be crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green, orange, and pink. "White" grapes are actually green in color and are evolutionarily derived from

3220-729: The Destil , in Burgen and Kochem one half of the city and many vineyards more along the Mosel. In order to create more suitable land for vineyards, vineyard owners in the 16th century used explosives to break up the vertical spurs of rock along the rivers. Towards the end of the 17th century, the Kunda began to be identified more with wine made from the Riesling grape. The St. Maximin's Abbey in Trier owned 74 vineyards and by 1695 had over 100,000 Riesling vines. Today

3312-547: The EU to use the term "dried vine fruit" in official documents. A raisin is any dried grape. While raisin is a French loanword , the word in French refers to the fresh fruit; grappe (from which the English grape is derived) refers to the bunch (as in une grappe de raisins ). A raisin in French is called raisin sec ("dry grape"). A currant is a dried Zante Black Corinth grape,

3404-455: The Mosel region are traditionally packaged in a long green colored "hock style" wine bottle . Historically the green color distinguished Mosel wines from the brown bottles of the Rheinhessen . Plantings of Müller-Thurgau accounts for more the 20% of the Mosel wine production and is typically used for basic quaffing wine or sweet wine. The Elbing grape accounts for a little more than 9% of

3496-474: The Mosel than in flatter terrain such as the Médoc . Grapevines are individually staked to the ground without connecting wires so that vineyard workers can tend the plants going horizontally across the vineyard rather than vertically , which would be more treacherous and tiring. Safety is a priority for many Mosel vineyard owners with the area having a documented history of fatalities among workers while tending

3588-563: The Mosel would see. By the 1850s, wine-makers in the Mosel had discovered the benefits of chaptalization in helping to compensate for bad weather vintages and under ripened grapes. Another significant boom came a couple decades later when the British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone lowered the duties on light wine which opened up the British market to lower cost Mosel wines. This increased prosperity had

3680-463: The Rhine before ultimately deciding to plant vines in the area. Trier (founded 16 BC) was a major Roman outpost and it is likely that the first Mosel vineyards were planted in the surrounding hillsides sometime in the 2nd century. Viticulture was certainly flourishing in the area by the 4th century when the Roman poet Ausonius wrote a poem about the beauty of the land at harvest time. The Mosel wine of

3772-577: The Riesling grape will even ripen at all. A positive characteristic of the Riesling grape is that despite less than perfect ripeness it can still create a wine of finesse and elegance that would escape most other grape varieties . In place of Riesling, the easier cultivated Müller-Thurgau grape (14.7%) and other Riesling crossings like Kerner (4.6%) were planted in large quantities on the sites that were not suitable for Riesling, and which in many cases had been previously used for other agricultural purposes. A negative consequence of these large-scale plantings

Winkler index - Misplaced Pages Continue

3864-420: The Roman period was described as light bodied and "austere". It was said to be an easier drinking wine than that of other Roman areas. In the winter time, the wine was heated in a kettle and drunk like a tea (a practice that still has some tradition among modern vineyard workers who drink it like coffee , often with a little sugar added). In warmer vintages the wine was noticeably more fruity and sweet . This

3956-475: The Southern Hemisphere. One degree day per degree Fahrenheit over 50 °F, or with SI units, degrees Celsius over 10 °C is used. All days during the growing season are then added up, all negative values are set to zero, with the sum of the growing degree-days used to determine the region's classification in the original Winkler index as follows: The system was originally developed for and

4048-576: The Sun, the gold of the stars, and cool moonlight. The wines of the Middle Mosel are considered the most complete examples of German wines with some of the finest examples being able to age gracefully for 50–100 years. Mosel Rieslings rely on a strong presence of tartaric acid to balance the grape's sugar and to help impart its fruity notes. A characteristic of all Mosel wines is their normally high acidity and transparency of clearly defined flavors. The wines of

4140-531: The United States), but the word is now applied to raisins made from either white grapes or red grapes that are bleached to resemble the traditional sultana. Grape juice is obtained from crushing and blending grapes into a liquid. The juice is often sold in stores or fermented and made into wine , brandy , or vinegar . Grape juice that has been pasteurized, removing any naturally occurring yeast, will not ferment if kept sterile, and thus contains no alcohol. In

4232-703: The Winkler index including the Huglin Index, the Biologically Effective Degree-Day Index, and the Multicriteria Climatic Classification system (Geoviticulture MCC). These indices attempt to account for day length and solar, frost, and drought variability that can be found in different locations. Each have been used in various research settings, but have some limitations to the general user in that some variables needed to calculate

4324-528: The ancient Greeks , Cypriots , Phoenicians , and Romans growing purple grapes both for eating and wine production. The growing of grapes would later spread to other regions in Europe, as well as North Africa, and eventually in North America . In 2005, a team of archaeologists concluded that Chalcolithic wine jars discovered in Cyprus in the 1930s dated back to 3500 BC, making them the oldest of their kind in

4416-424: The area's production and is often used as a low-cost riesling alternative in the production of sparkling Sekt . The Mosel is also well known for its Eiswein production with the area's characteristic high acidity coupled with the sweetness produced by the concentration of the sugars in the frozen grapes. The most cultivated grape varieties, by area in 2008, were: There are two major wine growers' associations in

4508-492: The aroma in wine is from the skin. Wine grapes tend to have a high sugar content. They are harvested at peak sugar levels (approximately 24% sugar by weight.) In comparison, commercially produced "100% grape juice" made from table grapes are normally around 15% sugar by weight. In most of Europe and North America, dried grapes are referred to as "raisins" or the local equivalent. In the UK, three different varieties are recognized, forcing

4600-588: The climates of California were defined for relatively large areas using only one or two climate stations. This macroscale approach will invariably not capture the microscale influences that are an important aspect of growing any crop. To address these issues research has been increasingly using spatial climate data to better depict within region and even within vineyard differences in climate and therefore ripening and wine style potential. To create spatially appropriate climate data, numerous stations and/or sensors are used to collect data which can then be interpolated over

4692-409: The corn growing degree-day method in their software. The corn growing degree-day method uses both a base temperature adjustment and an upper threshold, neither of which are common in viticulture and wine production use, and can confound any comparison with published data using the simple average method. Furthermore, more complex climate indices have been introduced to address perceived shortcomings in

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4784-500: The end of the work day. Since these vineyards receive the most exposure to the sun, many of the wines produced from these vineyards are richer and more full-bodied than wine produced from other vineyards. In a similar way to many of Burgundy's Grand Cru vineyards , the Sonnenuhr vineyards are highly parceled with multiple owners of individual plots or rows of vines. The Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard alone has more than 200 owners. Located to

4876-414: The entire German wine industry) has dedicated itself to reversing the reputation it gained during these years and focus on the quality of the area's dry wines. The Mosel wine region has northernly continental climate that is marked by cool temperatures. The best producing vineyard sites are located along the Mosel river and its tributary where the heat from the sun can be maximized by reflection up from

4968-538: The flowering plant genus Vitis . Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters . The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,000 years ago, and the fruit has been used as human food throughout its history. Eaten fresh or in dried form (as raisins , currants and sultanas ), grapes also hold cultural significance in many parts of the world, particularly for their role in winemaking . Other grape-derived products include various types of jam , juice , vinegar and oil. The Middle East

5060-547: The grapes can develop enough sugar to produce floral and honeyed notes. This wine district is composed of a thin strip of land along the Luxembourg border. The region starts just north of Igel and continues south to the village of Palzem where it meets the Moseltor district. Elbling, Müller-Thurgau, and Auxerrois Blanc are some of the region largest plantings. Obermosel and Moseltor contain very few notable vineyards compared to

5152-608: The incidence of heart disease remains low in France. This phenomenon has been termed the French paradox and is thought to occur due to the protective benefits of regularly consuming red wine, among other dietary practices. Alcohol consumption in moderation may be cardioprotective by its minor anticoagulant effect and vasodilation . Although adoption of wine consumption is generally not recommended by health authorities, some research indicates moderate consumption, such as one glass of red wine

5244-415: The indices are not readily available from all weather/climate stations and/or to the general public. Overall each of these issues needs to be carefully considered when comparing growing degree-day values from published data in magazines, books, scientific articles, and even from growers in the same region. Grapes A grape is a fruit , botanically a berry , of the deciduous woody vines of

5336-453: The landscape due to known interactions with elevation, aspect, slope, and distance to the coast or other water bodies using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Instead of depicting a region as all one Winkler region ( Napa Valley AVA being a Region III for example), spatial data summaries show the Napa Valley having a full range of Winkler regions, 12% a Region II, 56% a Region III, and 30%

5428-699: The most delicate and perfumed expressions of German wines. Like the Ruwer region, wine from the Saar district (along the lower course of the Saar River , in Rhineland-Palatinate ) is particularly dependent on the overall quality of the vintage typically only 4 years out of every 10 producing a worthwhile set of wines. The wines that do come out of these warm vintages are noted for their apple-like freshness and steely mineral notes. The most ideal vintages allow harvest to take place between late October and mid November when

5520-416: The most famous vineyards prompting international wine critics and oenologists to oppose its construction. Within the Mosel region, there are the following six districts ( Bereiche ) and 19 collective vineyard designations ( Großlagen ), plus 524 single vineyard ( Einzellagen ) designations. Four of the six districts are situated on the river Mosel, and one each on rivers Saar and Ruwer. The Cochem district

5612-470: The name being a corruption of the French raisin de Corinthe ( Corinth grape). The names of the black and red currant, now more usually blackcurrant and redcurrant , two berries unrelated to grapes, are derived from this use. Some other fruits of similar appearance are also so named, for example, Australian currant, native currant, Indian currant. A sultana was originally a raisin made from Sultana grapes of Turkish origin (known as Thompson Seedless in

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5704-415: The net effect of encouraging more quantity in production rather than quality. Many areas that were not ideal for Riesling were soon planted with the easier to grow Müller-Thurgau and other Riesling crossings. In the 20th century, a North American taste for sweet wines saw the prominence of Liebfraumilch and brands like Blue Nun dominate the German import wine market. In recent times, the Mosel (as well as

5796-463: The other districts of the region. The Moseltor area is the most southern area of the Mosel region, and is located together with the Obermosel along the Luxembourg border. The Elbling grape is the most commonly planted here producing a thin, rustic wine with high acidity. Sparkling wine production is growing in this area. The reason why tiny Moseltor with its around 110 hectares (270 acres) of vineyards

5888-436: The plant system stopped being photosynthetically active at some point due to heat stress from high temperatures. While this may be proven for some crops, there is not a universal number for an upper threshold for grapes so the majority of the published data for comparison purposes in viticulture and wine production does not limit maximum temperatures. This issue is problematic because many weather stations today have integrated

5980-574: The pomace). Anthocyanins tend to be the main polyphenolics in purple grapes, whereas flavan-3-ols (i.e. catechins ) are the more abundant class of polyphenols in white varieties. Total phenolic content is higher in purple varieties due almost entirely to anthocyanin density in purple grape skin compared to absence of anthocyanins in white grape skin. Phenolic content of grape skin varies with cultivar , soil composition, climate, geographic origin, and cultivation practices or exposure to diseases, such as fungal infections. Muscadine grapes contain

6072-535: The prices has caused some of the smaller Mosel vineyards to go out of business. In 2008, the Mosel vineyards covered 9,034 hectares (22,320 acres), making it the fifth-largest of Germany's 13 wine regions. White grape varieties cover 91 percent of the region's total vineyard surface. The trend in total vineyard area has until recently been slightly negative over a longer period of time, down from 12,760 hectares (31,500 acres) in 1988 to 9,533 hectares (23,560 acres) in 2003 and to 8,975 hectares (22,180 acres) in 2006. It

6164-582: The production, among others. In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder ( Pinot noir ), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German wine-growing regions and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol , crisp and high in acidity , and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil

6256-633: The purple grape. Mutations in two regulatory genes of white grapes turn off production of anthocyanins , which are responsible for the color of purple grapes. Anthocyanins and other pigment chemicals of the larger family of polyphenols in purple grapes are responsible for the varying shades of purple in red wines. Grapes are typically an ellipsoid shape resembling a prolate spheroid . Raw grapes are 81% water, 18% carbohydrates , 1% protein , and have negligible fat (table). A 100-gram ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 -ounce) reference amount of raw grapes supplies 288 kilojoules (69 kilocalories) of food energy and

6348-498: The raisin or table market to produce white juice. Husrum , also known as verjuice , is a type of vinegar made from sour grapes in the Middle East. It is produced by crushing unripened grapes, collecting and salting the juice, simmering it to remove foam, and then storing it with a layer of olive oil to prevent contamination and oxidation. It is then used as an acidic ingredient in salads and stuffed vegetables. Unripened husrum grapes sent from Ashkelon to Egypt are mentioned in

6440-419: The region south of the city of Koblenz to the village of Alf near Zell. It is the most northern wine region of the Mosel and includes the area's confluence with the Rhine river. The steep river bank slopes that are scattered around the Mosel region are considered some of the most labor-intensive vineyards in the world. Mechanical harvesting is impractical and nearly seven times more man hours are needed in

6532-415: The region's cultivated vineyard surface in 2008, is widely considered the most prestigious and highest quality wine grape of the Mosel but it cannot be planted on every vineyard site due to difficulties the grape has in ripening in particularly cool climates. Factors such as altitude , aspect and sunlight exposure can have a pronounced effect not only one the resulting quality of the wine but also whether

6624-591: The region's wine, the Prussian government lowered the tariffs for the import of Mosel wines to other regions of the Prussian kingdom. The development of the Zollverein customs union even further benefited the Mosel by reducing the customs on their wines traveling to other regions of the German Confederation . A string of bad weather vintages in the late 1830s and early 1840s would dampen the extent of prosperity that

6716-452: The relatively cold climates of northeastern United States and southern Ontario . An offset to the improved eating quality of seedlessness is the loss of potential health benefits provided by the enriched phytochemical content of grape seeds (see Health claims , below). Grapes are eaten raw, dried (as raisins, currants and sultanas), or cooked. Also, depending on grape cultivar, grapes are used in winemaking. Grapes can be processed into

6808-461: The same species, Vitis vinifera , table and wine grapes have significant differences, brought about through selective breeding . Table grape cultivars tend to have large, seedless fruit (see below) with relatively thin skin. Wine grapes are smaller, usually seeded, and have relatively thick skins (a desirable characteristic in winemaking, since much of the aroma in wine comes from the skin). Wine grapes also tend to be very sweet: they are harvested at

6900-571: The seven month growing season ). The table below provides examples of the ripening and wine style concept used in the application of the Winkler Index for numerous wine regions globally. Region Ia are the coolest areas with known regions including Champagne , Central Otago , and Valais . Region Ia also includes numerous newer regions growing grapes and making wine including southern England , areas in northern Europe , Nova Scotia , and southern areas of Chile and Argentina . Region Ia areas ripen

6992-571: The southeast of Trier, this region includes the vineyards around Waldrach and Kasel . The region is home to many vineyards in Alleinbesitz ( monopole ). At Mertesdorf , there is a subterranean Roman aqueduct that connects the Grünhaus vineyard with the city of Trier. The quality of Ruwer wine is particularly dependent on the quality of the vintage with cool vintages marked by sharply acidic wines that quickly fade and warmer vintage producing some of

7084-448: The standard method of calculating growing degree-days in viticulture and is based on using a base temperature of 50 °F (10 °C) with no upper temperature cut-off. The first issue is that 50 °F (10 °C) is not likely the best base temperature even though it is the most commonly used value. Even the early research on this topic stressed that the base temperature threshold for accumulation for early versus late budding varieties

7176-443: The time when their juice is approximately 24% sugar by weight. By comparison, commercially produced "100% grape juice", made from table grapes, is usually around 15% sugar by weight. Seedless cultivars now make up the overwhelming majority of table grape plantings. Because grapevines are vegetatively propagated by cuttings, the lack of seeds does not present a problem for reproduction. It is an issue for breeders, who must either use

7268-526: The town center up to the area's vineyards. At the center was a community wine cellar where all the area's growers could store their wines. Probably most well known among the Winzerdörfer was the village of Bernkastel which was granted town rights in 1291. In 1435 when Count Johann IV of Katzenelnbogen planted Riesling in the nearby town of Rüsselsheim the first time he owned vineyards in Winningen like

7360-432: The true thermal effects on the crops, but will result in growing degree-day values that are lower than both daily and monthly. Monthly averaged data can be very problematic as it can underestimate heat accumulation during the first and last months of the growing season. Therefore, it is paramount that one know the time period that the growing degree-day values are calculated from so as to be comparable. The Winkler index uses

7452-533: The use of growing degree-days. First, the Winkler index and its classification of climate regions by growing degree-days only describe one aspect of an area's climate—mean daily temperature. Many other important factors which contribute to a region's suitability for viticulture (and its terroir ) are excluded; among them sun exposure, latitude , precipitation , soil conditions, and the risk of extreme weather which might damage grapevines (e.g., winter freezes, spring and fall frosts, hail, etc.). As originally developed

7544-463: The vine, and not corrupt. Mosel (wine region) Mosel ( German: [ˈmoːzl̩] ) is one of 13 German wine regions ( Weinbaugebiete ) for quality wines ( Qualitätswein , formerly QbA and Prädikatswein ) , and takes its name from the Mosel River ( French : Moselle ; Luxembourgish : Musel ). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer , but changed to

7636-411: The vines. A benefit of the steep Mosel vineyards is that the incline allows for more direct sunlight to have contact with the vines. During the winter, rain often causes some soil erosion , especially of the vital slate chips that are needed for their heat retaining properties. Many vineyards will gather these eroded sediments and carry them back up the hillside. The Riesling grape, grown on 59.7% of

7728-567: The vineyard of Maximin Grünhaus is considered one of the best Riesling vineyards in all of Germany. In the 18th century, the Prince-elector of Trier, Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony , mandated that over a seven-year period every vine in the Mosel area was to be Riesling only. The rise of the House of Hanover in Great Britain saw a period of increase exportation of "moselle wine" to England. However,

7820-409: The water. South and southwest facing slopes are even more sought after because of the increased exposure to direct sunlight that can aid in ripening of the grapes. The soil of the area is dominated by porous slate which has ideal drainage for the regions heavy rainfall and good heat retaining properties. Many of the best vineyards have no topsoil at all, just broken slate. During the summer months

7912-399: The weather is warm but rarely hot with July's average temperatures around 64 °F (18 °C). The Mosel river dominates the geography of the region which is typically divided into three main sections. The Upper Mosel is the southernmost section located closest to the river's origins along the French and Luxembourg border. The region includes the Saar and Ruwer river tributaries and

8004-471: The wine's high price kept the wines mostly in the hands of the Royal court and English nobility rather than replacing claret in the village taverns. The 19th century saw an unprecedented era of prosperity for the Mosel wine industry under the rule of Prussia starting with the historic vintage of 1819. For the rest of the 1820s, there was a succession of outstanding weather and sterling wines produced. To promote

8096-434: The world are dedicated to grapes. Approximately 71% of world grape production is used for wine, 27% as fresh fruit, and 2% as dried fruit . A portion of grape production goes to producing grape juice to be reconstituted for fruits canned "with no added sugar " and "100% natural". The area dedicated to vineyards is increasing by about 2% per year. There are no reliable statistics that break down grape production by variety. It

8188-413: The world. Commandaria , a sweet dessert wine from Cyprus, is the oldest manufactured wine in the world with origins as far back as 2000 BC. In North America, native grapes belonging to various species of the genus Vitis proliferate in the wild across the continent and were a part of the diet of many Native Americans , but they were considered by early European colonists to be unsuitable for wine. In

8280-478: Was because the warmth allowed the grapes to more fully ripen and develop more sugars . During the cold autumn the fermentation process would not be fully complete because of the low temperature, thus leaving the wine with high levels of residual sugars . In the Middle Ages , villages sprung up that were centered on the region's wine industry. These "wine villages", known as "Winzerdörfer" , included paths from

8372-510: Was miraculously cured of a terminal illness by drinking wine made from the grapes of this vineyard. Other notable vineyards of the Mittelmosel include the Sundial (German Sonnenuhr ) vineyards; Brauneberg Juffer-Sonnenuhr, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. In the 19th century, large sundials were built in these vineyards so that the workers would know what time to break for lunch or

8464-515: Was stated as also having a tendency to be more suitable to higher production wines, Sherry and other fortified wines . One issue with the original work done by Amerine and Winkler was that it did not specify a lower class limit for Region I (originally 2500 or less) or an upper class limit for Region V (originally 4000 or greater). Subsequent research using high resolution spatial climate data identified these limits for California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho, along with Australia. The results provided

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