Wine 101, Explained Gently for Sleep | SleepWise 🍷

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Good evening and welcome back to
Sleep.

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Wise to night.
We drift into the long, quiet

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story of wine, not as something
to pour or pare or impress

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anyone with, but as one of the
oldest companions human beings

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have ever cultivated.
A drink that has travelled

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alongside us through harvests
and empires, through monasteries

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and merchant ships, through
firelight and candle and now the

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soft glow of a bedside lamp.
If you enjoy these slow

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journeys, you can follow sleep
wise and share it with someone

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who might like to fall asleep
while learning something new.

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And now, with the night settling
around us, let us begin gently.

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Wine begins in the simplest
telling, with a grape and a

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little patience.
A piece of fruit, a wild yeast

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resting on its skin, a forgotten
vessel in a cool corner of the

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world.
Given time, the sugar inside the

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grape become something else, and
the first wines of human history

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begin to appear.
The chemistry is small and

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ordinary.
Yeast consumes sugar and

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releases alcohol and carbon
dioxide.

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The same reaction happens in
fallen fruit, on forest floors

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and in the warm hollow of a
broken vine.

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Long before there were vintners,
there were almost certainly

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accidents.
A clay pot of crushed grapes

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left a little too long a taste,
a pause, a curiosity, and then,

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slowly, an intention.
What makes wine remarkable is

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not the chemistry alone, but
what people did with it once

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they noticed.
They began to choose to save

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certain seeds, to plant certain
hillsides, to ferment in

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vessels.
They understood Wine became one

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of the first agricultural arts
woven into harvest, ritual,

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trade and memory.
By the time written history

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arrives, wine is already old.
It appears in the tombs of

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Pharaohs and the songs of poets,
poured in temples and traded in

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amphorae.
Across the Mediterranean,

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civilizations rise and fall
around it.

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Yet the vine continues returning
each spring, asking only for

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sunlight and patience and a
slope to grow upon.

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Tonight we will follow that long
thread.

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We will visit the hillsides
where wine first emerged.

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Watch it spread along trade
routes and into monasteries and

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see how it crossed oceans into
new continents.

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We will walk gently through how
wine is made, why certain places

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produce certain flavors, and
what people mean when they speak

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of terjoir, of tannin, of body
and finish.

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None of it requires study to
night.

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None of it asks anything of you
except to listen, because at its

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heart, wine is not really about
expertise.

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It is about time, the time a
vine takes to root a grape to

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ripen a fermentation to finish a
wine, to age a region to learn

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its own soil.
And before any of that could

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begin, before the great regions
of France or Italy or Spain had

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even imagined themselves, the
very first vines had to be

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found, tended and trusted by
people whose names we will never

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know.
The oldest evidence of wine

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making yet discovered comes not
from France or Italy, but from a

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small country tucked between the
Black Sea and the Caucasus

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Mountains in what is now the
Republic of Georgia.

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Archaeologists have found clay
vessels bearing chemical traces

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of wine that are roughly 8000
years old.

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Long before written language,
before Pharaohs or philosophers,

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people in this corner of the
world were already pressing

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grapes and watching them
transform.

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The vessels are called kvevri,
large egg shaped jars of fired

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clay, often as tall as a person.
They were buried up to their

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necks in the cool earth, which
kept the temperature steady

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through the seasons.
Inside those buried jars,

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crushed grapes fermented
quietly, sometimes for months,

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watched over by families who had
inherited the practice from

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generations long since gone.
The same method is still

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practiced in Georgian villages
today, in regions like Kakati,

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where families continue to
harvest, crush and bury kuvevri

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much as their ancestors did.
The Grapevine itself, the one we

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still rely on for nearly all
fine wine, almost certainly

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originated near this region.
Botanists call it Vitis

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vinifera.
Genetic studies trace its

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domestication to a broad arc of
land stretching from the

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southern Caucasus through
eastern Turkey and northern

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Iran.
It is easy to imagine how it

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happened.
Wild grapes grew in clusters

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along forest edges, dropping
into hollows where rain

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collected.
The skins broke.

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The yeast already living on
those skins met the sugar

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inside, and by the time anyone
came back to look, the puddle

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had changed.
From the Caucasus.

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The practice slowly spread.
Archaeological sites in ancient

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Mesopotamia and the Zagros
Mountains show signs of early

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wine making.
Stone tablets from the Sumerians

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mention wine as a luxury
reserved for the wealthy and the

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priests.
Beer was the common drink of the

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people, but wine carried
something rarer, a sense of

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occasion and offering.
In ancient Egypt, wine took on

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still greater meaning.
Pharaohs were buried with sealed

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jars of it, carefully labeled
with the year, the vineyard and

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the wine maker.
These were among the earliest

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wine labels in history, written
in hieroglyphs on the shoulder

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of each amphora.
Some bore the equivalent of

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vintage statements, indicating
that even 4000 years ago, people

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understood that some years were
better than others.

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The wine itself would have
tasted nothing like what we know

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today.
It was often sweetened with

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honey, flavored with herbs and
resins, sometimes strained

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through cloth.
But the underlying impulse was

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familiar, the same as ours, to
take the fruit of a difficult

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season and turn it into
something that could last.

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And so the practice travelled
outward, carried in jars and on

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ships, moving toward the warm
hills where it would meet a

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civilization that would shape it
forever.

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When wine arrived in the Greek
world, it found a civilization

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ready to give it language.
The Greeks did not invent wine,

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but they wove it into
philosophy, theatre, religion

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and daily life so deeply that
the vine became inseparable from

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how they imagined the good life.
They drank wine at gatherings

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called symposia, where it was
poured carefully, mixed with

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water, and served as
conversation moved between

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politics, poetry and the nature
of love.

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The God Dionysus, who presided
over wine, was not merely a

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deity of drunkenness.
He represented transformation

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itself, the strange power of a
liquid that could change mood,

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dissolve formality and bring
strangers into something like

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friendship.
Greek colonists carried the vine

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across the Mediterranean.
They planted it in southern

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Italy, in Sicily, in what is now
southern France, in coastal

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Spain, and along the shores of
the Black Sea.

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Wherever they founded the city,
they planted vineyards alongside

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olive Groves and wheat fields.
But the civilization that would

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shape European wine most
decisively was Rome.

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The Romans inherited Greek
viticulture and then expanded it

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on a scale the world had not
seen.

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As the empire grew, so did its
appetite for wine.

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By the height of Roman power,
vineyards stretched from the

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Iberian Peninsula to the Rhine,
from North Africa to Britain.

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Roman writers produced detailed
manuals on viticulture.

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Authors like Columella and Pliny
the Elder wrote pages on soil

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pruning, vessel choice, and the
timing of harvest.

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Much of what they observed
remains valid today.

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The Romans were also the first
to systematically classify wine

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by region.
They recognized that wine from

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certain hillsides tasted
reliably different from wine

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grown elsewhere, even when the
same grape was planted.

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A wine called Filernian,
produced on slopes north of

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Naples, became legendary across
the empire, sometimes aged for

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decades and reserved for the
wealthiest tables.

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What Rome contributed, perhaps
more than any other

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civilization, was
infrastructure.

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Roman roads carried wine and
heavy clay amphorae across vast

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distances, and Roman shipping
moved it through every port on

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the Mediterranean.
Wherever the legions went,

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vineyards followed, and many of
Europe's most famous wine

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regions today, including
Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley and

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the Mosul, were first planted
under Roman influence.

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The Romans drank wine
constantly.

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Soldiers received daily rations
of it.

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The wealthy drank aged versions,
and almost everyone considered

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it safer than water In cities
where wells were often suspect.

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Wine was food, medicine,
currency and ritual woven into

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the rhythm of ordinary days.
And yet empires do not last.

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As Rome's grip on Europe began
to loosen, the vineyards it had

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planted faced an uncertain
future, dependent on whoever

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might inherit the slopes after
the legions had gone home.

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When Rome fell, much of Europe
entered a long uncertainty.

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Roads decayed, trade routes
shrank, and many of the great

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Roman vineyards were abandoned.
The wine of antiquity, traded in

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amphorae across an empire, gave
way to something quieter, made

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for the village, the household
and above all, the church.

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It was Christian monasteries,
more than kings or merchants,

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that carried European wine
making through the medieval

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centuries.
Wine was essential to the

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celebration of Mass, and monks
needed a steady, reliable

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supply.
As monastic orders spread across

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France, Germany, Italy, and
Spain, they cleared forests,

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drained marshes, and planted
vines on slopes no one else had

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bothered to tend.
The monks had something most

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others lacked, which was time.
A peasant family could not

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afford to wait decades to learn
whether 1 Hillside produced

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better wine than another.
But a monastery, with its slow

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rhythms of prayer and labor,
could keep records across

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generations.
Nowhere was this more important

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than in Burgundy.
The Cistercian and Benedictine

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monks who settled there began to
study their land with

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extraordinary patience.
They walked the slopes, tasted

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the soil, noted which vines
flourished in which pockets of

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earth, and over centuries mapped
the hillsides into a fine mosaic

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of small plots.
The word for this idea

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eventually became terroir, a
French term with no perfect

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English translation.
It suggests that wine carries

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the memory of where it grew, the
soil's minerals, the angle of

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the slope, the way morning light
falls, the drainage of

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rainwater. 2 vineyards a few
meters apart can produce wines

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that taste noticeably different,
and the monks of Burgundy were

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among the 1st to take that
seriously.

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They were so meticulous that
some of the plots they

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identified nearly 1000 years ago
are still recognized as superior

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today.
The map of the Cote d'Or,

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Burgundy's most famous strip of
vineyards, owes much of its

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structure to monastic
observation across long, quiet

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centuries.
Elsewhere in Europe, similar

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work continued in Champagne.
Monks tended vineyards that

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would later become famous for
sparkling wine.

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Along the Rhine and Mosul,
religious orders planted

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Riesling on steep slate slopes,
while abbeys in Italy and Spain

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preserved local grapes that
might otherwise have

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disappeared.
Outside the monasteries, wine

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remained part of ordinary
medieval life.

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It was poured at weddings,
blessed at festivals, taxed by

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rulers and used as medicine when
little else seemed to help.

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00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:50,800
The great Atlantic trade between
Bordeaux and England flourished

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00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:56,200
during these centuries,
supplying English nobles with

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the light Reds they called
claret.

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Slowly, the foundation was being
laid for the wine regions we

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know today.
The slopes had been mapped.

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00:17:09,599 --> 00:17:15,240
The grapes had been chosen, and
the patterns of trade had begun

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to settle into the rhythms that
would one day cross oceans.

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For most of human history, wine
had been a Mediterranean and

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European story.
The vine grew where the Romans

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had planted it, in a band of
temperate hills running from

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Portugal to the Caucasus.
But beginning in the 15th and

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16th centuries, as European
ships began to cross greater

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stretches of ocean, the vine
began to travel farther than it

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ever had before.
Spanish missionaries carried

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grapevines to the Americas,
planting them in Mexico, Peru,

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Chile and Argentina.
They needed wine for mass, and

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shipping it across the Atlantic
was expensive and slow.

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Within decades, vineyards
stretched across the Highlands

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of what would become Latin
America.

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In some places, the vines
flourished beyond anyone's

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expectations.
The dry, sunny climate of

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central Chile, protected by the
Andes on one side and the

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Pacific on the other, turned out
to be remarkably well suited to

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viticulture.
Argentina's high altitude

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00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:49,400
plains, particularly around
Mendoza, offered similar

231
00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:54,080
promise, and both countries
would eventually become major

232
00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:58,680
wine producers.
Farther S Dutch settlers in the

233
00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:04,760
17th century brought vines to
the Cape of Good Hope in what is

234
00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:09,720
now South Africa.
The area around Stellenbosch and

235
00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:15,760
Constantia would become famous
for its sweet dessert wines,

236
00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:19,600
exported even to the courts of
Europe.

237
00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:24,280
In North America, the story was
more complicated.

238
00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:29,760
European settlers in the eastern
colonies found native grapevines

239
00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:34,880
growing wild, but their wines
tasted strange and often

240
00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:40,120
unpleasant.
The familiar fetus vinifera that

241
00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:45,200
the colonists planted struggled
to survive, falling victim to

242
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:50,360
local pests and diseases.
It was on the western coast that

243
00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:53,240
European vines finally took
hold.

244
00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:59,240
Spanish missionaries moving N
from Mexico planted vineyards

245
00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,920
along the California coast in
the 1700s.

246
00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:10,280
By the mid 1800s, settlers and
immigrants had begun planting in

247
00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:15,000
Sonoma and Napa, sensing that
the climate there might rival

248
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:20,320
anything in Europe.
Australia received vines in the

249
00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:27,200
late 1700s, brought by the 1st
European ships from South Africa

250
00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:31,000
and Europe.
The country's earliest

251
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,800
commercial vineyards took root
in New South Wales and the

252
00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:41,760
Hunter Valley then spread to SA,
where regions like the Barossa

253
00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:45,680
Valley would eventually produce
some of the world's most

254
00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:50,480
distinctive wines.
New Zealand was a later arrival,

255
00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:56,040
with vines planted seriously
only in the 1800s.

256
00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:03,000
In the 20th century, the cool
maritime climate of regions like

257
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:09,320
Marlboro would prove ideal for
certain white grapes, producing

258
00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:13,000
wines that would surprise the
world.

259
00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:18,320
In each of these places, wine
had to learn the land all over

260
00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:22,000
again.
The European grape varieties had

261
00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,720
spent centuries adjusting to
their original soils and

262
00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,680
climates.
And now they were being asked to

263
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:35,040
begin again, sometimes thousands
of miles from home.

264
00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:41,840
And in the meantime, back in
Europe, a tiny insect was

265
00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:47,760
preparing to change everything.
Before we follow that tiny

266
00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:52,880
insect into the vineyards of
Europe, it helps to pause and

267
00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:58,560
consider the vine itself.
Of all the grape species that

268
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:03,880
grow on Earth, only one is
responsible for nearly every

269
00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:10,760
wine you have ever tasted.
Its name is Vitis vinifera, the

270
00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:14,640
wine barren grape.
There are dozens of other Vitis

271
00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,480
species scattered across the
world.

272
00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:23,720
North America alone is home to
several, including Vitis

273
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:29,480
labrusca, the wild grape of the
eastern forests, and Vitis

274
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:34,280
riparia, the river grape that
climbs along stream beds.

275
00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:40,480
These species produce fruit, but
their flavors are usually too

276
00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,640
musky or unfamiliar for most
palates.

277
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,880
Vitis vinifera is different.
It produces grapes with the

278
00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:54,360
right balance of sugar, acid and
aromatic compounds to make wines

279
00:22:54,360 --> 00:22:58,400
that age, develop and reward
attention.

280
00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:05,240
Within this single species lie
somewhere between 5 and 10,000

281
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:10,800
named cultivars, each one a
slightly different version of

282
00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,520
the same plant.
These cultivars are what wine

283
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:20,640
drinkers call grape varieties.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir,

284
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:27,240
Chardonnay, Riesling,
Sangiovese, Tempronio, and every

285
00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:31,320
other name on a wine label
refers to a particular variety

286
00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:36,080
of Vitis vinifera.
Each one has its own ripening

287
00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,280
pattern, its own preferred
climate, its own flavor

288
00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,800
signature, its own quiet
personality.

289
00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:48,200
What is remarkable is that
nearly everyone of these

290
00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:52,280
varieties is genetically
identical to itself.

291
00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:58,400
Across the world, a Chardonnay
vine planted in Burgundy and a

292
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:02,680
Chardonnay vine planted in
California share the same

293
00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:07,600
essential genetic code.
They are, in a sense, clones

294
00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:13,160
propagated not by seeds but by
small cuttings grafted onto

295
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:16,680
rootstock.
This is why grape varieties

296
00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,840
remain so stable across
centuries.

297
00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:26,240
The Pinot noir of medieval
Burgundy is essentially the same

298
00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:31,040
plant as the Pinot noir of
modern Oregon, even though the

299
00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:37,800
wines may taste quite different.
The genetics travel the place

300
00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:42,000
changes the expression.
Yet despite this genetic

301
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,880
consistency, the vine is also
quietly responsive.

302
00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:52,000
It picks up cues from soil, sun,
water and temperature.

303
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:58,080
The same variety grown in a cool
valley and a warm slope, will

304
00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:03,360
ripen at different rates,
develop different aromas and

305
00:25:03,360 --> 00:25:07,840
produce wines that taste like
cousins rather than twins.

306
00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:14,280
A vine is not a fast plant.
It takes three to four years

307
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:20,240
before a newly planted vine
produces fruit worth using, and

308
00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:24,320
many growers believe a vine does
not begin to make its most

309
00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:29,680
expressive wine until it is 10
or 15 years old.

310
00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:35,440
Some vineyards in Europe contain
vines well over 100 years old,

311
00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:39,840
their gnarled trunks twisted by
decades of pruning.

312
00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:43,720
The plant is small, patient and
faithful.

313
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:50,200
It does not need rich soil and
often prefers poor, Stony ground

314
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,760
that forces its roots to dig
deep.

315
00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:58,360
Once it has settled into a
place, it can keep returning,

316
00:25:58,360 --> 00:26:02,880
year after year, for longer than
most human lives.

317
00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:08,400
To understand wine, then, is
partly to understand the rhythm

318
00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:14,080
of this single plant and the
long, slow year it walks

319
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:18,400
through.
The vine lives by the seasons

320
00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,880
more honestly than most of us
do.

321
00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:27,760
Its year has a shape roughly the
same wherever Vitus vinifera

322
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:32,520
grows, only mirrored between the
Northern and Southern

323
00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:36,800
Hemispheres.
To follow that shape is to

324
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,680
follow the rhythm that makes
every bottle possible.

325
00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,840
Winter is the vine's time of
quiet.

326
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:49,960
The leaves have fallen, the SAP
has retreated into the trunk and

327
00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:56,200
roots, and the plant looks
almost dead, though it is only

328
00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,720
resting during these cold
months.

329
00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:04,360
Vineyard workers move through
the rows with pruning shears,

330
00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,800
cutting away most of the
previous year's growth.

331
00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:12,440
Pruning is one of the great
quiet arts of viticulture.

332
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,640
A vine left unpruned will grow
wildly, producing too many

333
00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:22,080
bunches of grapes, none of which
will ripen properly.

334
00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:29,800
Skilled pruners shape each vine,
carefully deciding how many buds

335
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,880
will be allowed to develop into
shoots in the coming year.

336
00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:39,840
In early spring, as the soil
warms, the vine awakens and SAP

337
00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:45,000
begins to flow again.
The 1st sign of life is a soft

338
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,440
swelling at the tips of the
canes, followed by tiny green

339
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:55,720
points that emerge into the air.
This moment is called bud break,

340
00:27:56,360 --> 00:28:01,920
and it carries a quiet anxiety
because a sudden late frost can

341
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:07,720
damage the young shoots and
reduce the year's harvest before

342
00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:13,280
it has truly begun.
As spring deepens, the shoots

343
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:17,800
grow rapidly.
By late spring, small clusters

344
00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:21,240
of pale, almost invisible
flowers appear along the new

345
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:25,880
growth.
Flowering is brief, lasting only

346
00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:32,080
a week or two, and rain, wind or
cold during this window can

347
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:36,920
prevent proper pollination and
reduce the eventual yield.

348
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:43,080
If the flowering succeeds, tiny
green berries begin to form.

349
00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,400
Summer is the season of slow
growth.

350
00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:53,320
As the grapes swell, the leaves
spread, and the vine pours its

351
00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,040
energy into the developing
fruit.

352
00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,640
Vineyard workers move through
the rows, training the chutes

353
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:06,040
along wires, trimming excess
leaves, watching for disease.

354
00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:10,800
Then, in late summer comes one
of the most beautiful

355
00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:13,360
transformations in the vineyard
year.

356
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:19,200
The grapes begin to soften and
change color, red varieties

357
00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:23,800
shifting from green to deep
purple, white varieties taking

358
00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:31,160
on a golden translucent glow.
This stage is called veraison

359
00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:36,280
and it marks the beginning of
the grapes final ripening.

360
00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:41,520
From veraison onward, sugar
accumulates inside the berries

361
00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:47,280
while acidity gradually drops.
The growers walk the rows,

362
00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:52,200
tasting individual grapes and
measuring sugar levels in small

363
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,720
refractometers.
The decision of when to harvest

364
00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:01,800
is one of the most important a
wine maker will make all year,

365
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:07,600
since too early gives thin and
sour wine and too late gives

366
00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:12,960
flabby and overripe wine.
Harvest itself comes in late

367
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:17,320
summer or autumn, depending on
the climate and the variety.

368
00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:23,720
In some regions it is done by
machine, in others entirely by

369
00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:27,200
hand.
Either way, it is the

370
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:31,080
culmination of nearly a year of
patient watching.

371
00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:37,480
And then the vine begins to rest
again, preparing quietly for

372
00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:44,520
another long, faithful return.
If the vine has a year, the

373
00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:50,360
vineyard has a place in wine.
Place matters more than almost

374
00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:55,080
anywhere else in agriculture.
Two vineyards growing the same

375
00:30:55,080 --> 00:31:01,080
grape by the same methods in the
same year can produce wines so

376
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:05,640
different that even casual
drinkers can tell them apart.

377
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:11,480
This is the quiet truth behind
the word terroir.

378
00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:16,120
As the French use it.
Terroir gathers together

379
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:20,080
everything about a vineyard's
environment that shapes the

380
00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:23,920
wine.
It includes the soil, the slope

381
00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:28,680
and direction of the hillside,
the local climate, the patterns

382
00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:34,320
of rain and wind, even the
microscopic communities of yeast

383
00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:38,640
that live on the grape skins.
Soil is perhaps the most

384
00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:42,280
discussed element.
Different soils, drained

385
00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:46,600
differently, hold heat
differently and offer different

386
00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:52,000
minerals to the vine's roots.
Limestone, common in Burgundy

387
00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,600
and Champagne, gives a
particular flinty or saline

388
00:31:56,600 --> 00:32:03,720
quality to white wines, while
volcanic soils found in parts of

389
00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:10,360
Italy, Greece and Hungary can
give wines a smoky mineral edge.

390
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:14,800
In Bordeaux, the differences are
even more localized.

391
00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:20,320
The famous Left Bank of the
Gironde estuary sits on deep

392
00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:25,520
gravel, which drains well and
ripens Cabernet Sauvignon

393
00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:29,680
beautifully.
The right bank, only a few miles

394
00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:35,320
away, sits on clay and
limestone, which suits Merlot

395
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:39,600
better.
And this single geographical

396
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:43,760
accident shaped two of the most
distinct red wine traditions in

397
00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:47,200
the world.
Climate, of course, plays a

398
00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:51,480
defining role as well.
Cool climates produce grapes

399
00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:56,560
with higher acidity, lighter
color, and more delicate aromas,

400
00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:02,840
while warm climates ripen grapes
more fully, producing wines with

401
00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:09,440
a greater body, higher alcohol,
and richer flavors, as single

402
00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:15,360
grape variety planted in Germany
and again in Australia will

403
00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:20,800
taste as if it had different
ancestors entirely.

404
00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:27,400
Even within a single region,
microclimates matter, AS facing

405
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:32,280
slope in the Northern Hemisphere
captures more sun than a N

406
00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:38,720
Facing 1A vineyard near a river
may benefit from cooling mists

407
00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:44,080
in summer, while a hillside
above a fog line might enjoy

408
00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:47,640
gentler ripening than the valley
floor below.

409
00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:53,200
The slope itself shapes
drainage, sun exposure, and root

410
00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:57,280
depth.
Vines grown on steep slopes

411
00:33:57,280 --> 00:34:02,480
often struggle against the soil,
forcing their roots downward in

412
00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:06,680
search of water.
This struggle, paradoxically,

413
00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:11,120
tends to produce more
concentrated, more interesting

414
00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:14,239
wines.
There is also a human dimension

415
00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:18,320
to terroir, though
traditionalists sometimes prefer

416
00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:23,400
to keep it separate.
The grape varieties planted, the

417
00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:28,560
pruning techniques refined, the
cellar practices passed down

418
00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:33,239
through generations all become
part of what a region tastes

419
00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:37,199
like.
Place and people grow into each

420
00:34:37,199 --> 00:34:43,480
other over time.
To say a wine has terroir is not

421
00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:48,719
a mystical claim.
It is simply an observation that

422
00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:53,560
the place where a grape grew can
be tasted in the glass.

423
00:34:53,560 --> 00:35:01,200
Not always loudly, sometimes
only has a whisper, but it is

424
00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,640
there.
And once the grapes are picked,

425
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:09,080
the next quiet transformation
begins.

426
00:35:10,720 --> 00:35:15,200
In the mid 1800s, something
began to go wrong in the

427
00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:18,920
vineyards of France.
Vines that had thrived for

428
00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:24,440
generations started to weaken,
their leaves yellowing, their

429
00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:30,240
growth slowing and then halting.
Within a few years, entire

430
00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:34,800
vineyards were dying, and no one
could understand why.

431
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:39,160
The 'cause, when finally
identified, turned out to be

432
00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:45,800
almost too small to see.
A tiny insect called Phylloxera

433
00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:51,280
vastatrix, no larger than a
grain of sand, was feeding on

434
00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:57,840
the roots of European vines.
It punctured the roots, drained

435
00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:01,800
their SAP and left the vines to
die.

436
00:36:02,240 --> 00:36:07,200
The insect was native to North
America, where local wild grape

437
00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:12,280
species had evolved alongside it
and built up natural resistance.

438
00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:18,920
Vitis vinifera, the European
grape, had no such defenses.

439
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:24,880
When phylloxera arrived in
Europe in the 1860s, almost

440
00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:29,320
certainly hidden on imported
plant material, it found

441
00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:34,640
vineyard after vineyard of
helpless, defenseless vines.

442
00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:40,200
What followed was one of the
worst agricultural disasters in

443
00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:44,680
European history.
Over the next several decades,

444
00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:50,400
philoxera spread across France,
then Italy, Spain, Germany,

445
00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:56,680
Portugal and beyond.
By some estimates, 2/3 of

446
00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:59,600
European vineyards were
destroyed or had to be

447
00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:04,440
replanted, and many families
abandoned land their ancestors

448
00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:09,560
had tended for centuries.
For a time, no one knew what to

449
00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:12,760
do.
Growers tried flooding their

450
00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:18,280
vineyards, injecting toxic
chemicals into the soil and

451
00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:23,760
replanting with hybrid grapes.
Nothing worked well enough or

452
00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:28,640
tasted right enough to save the
great traditions of European

453
00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:32,160
wine.
The solution, when it came, was

454
00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:37,280
both ingenious and humble.
If American vine roots were

455
00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:42,480
resistant to phylloxera, then
perhaps European vines could be

456
00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:47,560
grafted onto American roots.
The top of the plant, the part

457
00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:53,800
that produced grapes, would
remain Vitis vinifera, while the

458
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:59,080
roots, the part the insect
attacked, would be a sturdy

459
00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:03,600
American species.
The idea was controversial.

460
00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:09,080
Some traditionalists believed
grafting would change the flavor

461
00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:13,640
of the wine forever, that the
soul of European viticulture

462
00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:18,280
would be lost.
But the experiment worked, and

463
00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:23,120
slowly, painfully, the great
vineyards of Europe were

464
00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:27,560
replanted root by root, vine by
vine.

465
00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:33,280
This is why, even today, nearly
every Grapevine grown for wine

466
00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:37,920
in the world rests on root stock
of American origin.

467
00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:44,400
The Pinot Noir of Burgundy, the
Sanjiovesi of Tuscany, the

468
00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:50,320
Tempronillo of Rioja all grow
from European tops grafted on to

469
00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:54,520
American bottoms.
The only exceptions are a few

470
00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:59,320
isolated regions where the
insect never arrived, such as

471
00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:03,960
parts of Chile and certain sandy
OR volcanic soils.

472
00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:09,720
The phylloxera crisis reshaped
the wine world in ways that go

473
00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:15,200
beyond rootstock.
Many minor grape varieties did

474
00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:20,360
not survive the replanting, and
vineyards were rebuilt with the

475
00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:25,960
most reliable, most marketable
varieties, narrowing the genetic

476
00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:30,280
diversity of European wine.
Some traditions were lost

477
00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:36,040
entirely, and yet the vine
endured, as it always has.

478
00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:41,080
Once the grapes have been
picked, a transformation begins

479
00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:45,520
that is older than any winery,
older than any written recipe,

480
00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:51,040
older than any tradition.
It is the same transformation

481
00:39:51,240 --> 00:39:57,600
that probably gave humanity its
first taste of wine all those

482
00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:03,080
thousands of years ago.
It is called fermentation.

483
00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:08,200
At its heart, fermentation is a
small miracle of chemistry.

484
00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:14,440
Yeast, a single celled Organism
consumes the sugar inside a

485
00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:20,520
grape and releases two things in
return, alcohol and carbon

486
00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:25,160
dioxide.
The carbon dioxide escapes as

487
00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:30,040
gentle bubbles while the alcohol
stays behind in the juice.

488
00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:35,080
The yeast that does this work
has been present all along.

489
00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:40,920
It lives naturally on the skin
of the grape, on the surface of

490
00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:46,960
leaves, on the wood of barrels,
on the walls of old Cellars.

491
00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:52,160
When the grapes are crushed and
their juice is released, the

492
00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:57,520
yeast already there meets the
sugar already there, and the

493
00:40:57,520 --> 00:41:03,480
conversation begins.
For most of human history, this

494
00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:09,360
was how all wine was made, with
wild yeasts on wild grapes doing

495
00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:14,160
their quiet work in clay vessels
or wooden vats.

496
00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:20,000
Today, many wine makers still
rely on these native yeasts,

497
00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:23,160
believing they carry the
character of the place.

498
00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:28,520
Others prefer to add cultivated
yeast strains chosen for their

499
00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:33,680
reliability and for the flavors
they tend to produce.

500
00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:37,360
The fermentation itself begins
slowly.

501
00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:42,720
For the first day or two, very
little seems to happen, but then

502
00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:47,320
the surface of the juice begins
to bubble softly, then more

503
00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:53,240
vigorously, until the entire VAT
is alive with movement and

504
00:41:53,240 --> 00:41:57,880
sound.
Cellars during harvest can feel

505
00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:00,600
almost as though they are
breathing.

506
00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:04,200
The temperature of fermentation
matters greatly.

507
00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:09,880
Too hot and the yeast will
produce harsh flavors or die

508
00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:15,280
before its work is done.
Too cold and the fermentation

509
00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:19,920
will stall.
Most modern wineries control

510
00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:24,200
temperature carefully, using
cooling jackets on stainless

511
00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:30,000
steel tanks or the natural
coolness of old stone Cellars.

512
00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:34,520
Primary fermentation usually
takes one to three weeks,

513
00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:36,920
depending on the wine being
made.

514
00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:42,560
The yeast consumes the sugar
steadily, converting it into

515
00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:47,840
alcohol, until either the sugar
runs out or the alcohol level

516
00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:51,800
becomes too high for the yeast
to survive.

517
00:42:52,720 --> 00:42:58,560
At that point, the wild dance of
fermentation grows quiet.

518
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:03,600
Many red wines and some whites
also undergo a second

519
00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:07,880
transformation called malolactic
fermentation.

520
00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:13,480
This is not yeast at work, but
bacteria, which convert the

521
00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:18,360
sharper malic acid found in
grapes into the softer lactic

522
00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:22,760
acid found in milk.
The result is a rounder,

523
00:43:23,160 --> 00:43:29,080
creamier wine, less crisp but
often more complex.

524
00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:34,800
By the end of fermentation, the
juice that began as sweet grape

525
00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:39,240
liquid has become something
altogether different.

526
00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:45,200
It is now wine in its young and
unfinished form.

527
00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:50,920
The alcohol is present, the
structure is there, but the

528
00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:56,040
flavors are still raw, and the
wine still has much to learn.

529
00:43:56,400 --> 00:44:02,640
What happens next depends on the
kind of wine being made and the

530
00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:07,720
choices made by the people who
tended Red wine begins with a

531
00:44:07,720 --> 00:44:11,120
quiet observation.
The juice inside a grape,

532
00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:16,760
whether the grape is red or
white, is almost always pale and

533
00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:20,280
cutting open.
A Cabernet Sauvignon Berry

534
00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:23,640
reveals clear, slightly yellow
liquid.

535
00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:29,600
The color of red wine, then,
must come from somewhere else,

536
00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:37,080
and that somewhere is the skin.
This is the central truth of red

537
00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:41,240
wine making.
To produce red wine, the juice

538
00:44:41,240 --> 00:44:45,880
must spend time in contact with
the skins, drawing out their

539
00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:51,000
color, their flavor, and the
substances that give red wine

540
00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:54,560
its structure.
This process is called

541
00:44:54,760 --> 00:45:00,320
maceration, and it shapes nearly
every aspect of the wine that

542
00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:03,960
follows.
After harvest, red grapes are

543
00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:09,480
typically distemed and lightly
crushed, breaking the skins to

544
00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:13,080
release the juice.
The resulting mixture, called

545
00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:17,240
must, is poured into a
fermentation vessel of stainless

546
00:45:17,240 --> 00:45:23,080
steel, concrete, oak, or, in
some traditions, clay.

547
00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:29,360
The skins, the juice and any
remaining pulp now sit together,

548
00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:35,080
beginning their slow exchange.
As fermentation begins,

549
00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:41,320
something interesting happens.
The carbon dioxide released by

550
00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:46,320
the yeast pushes the skins to
the surface, where they form a

551
00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:49,680
thick floating layer called the
cap.

552
00:45:50,520 --> 00:45:55,960
If left alone, the cap would dry
out and stop contributing color

553
00:45:55,960 --> 00:46:02,040
and flavor to the wine below.
Wine makers solve this in one of

554
00:46:02,040 --> 00:46:06,440
two traditional ways.
They either press the cap back

555
00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:12,160
down into the juice by hand, a
technique called punch down, or

556
00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:15,760
they pump juice from the bottom
of the tank up and over the cap,

557
00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:21,440
called pump over.
Both methods keep the skins wet

558
00:46:21,640 --> 00:46:25,480
and the extraction working
steadily through fermentation.

559
00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:29,080
What the skins offer the wine is
twofold.

560
00:46:29,480 --> 00:46:33,120
The first is color, which comes
from compounds called

561
00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:37,680
anthocyanins, found in the
skin's outer layers.

562
00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:43,840
The second is tannin, a family
of compounds that gives red wine

563
00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:48,480
its grip, its structure, its
capacity to age.

564
00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:54,120
Maceration typically lasts from
a few days to several weeks,

565
00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:58,960
depending on the wine.
Lighter Reds like Pinot Noir or

566
00:46:58,960 --> 00:47:04,800
Beaujolais may have only brief
skin contact, while heavier Reds

567
00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:09,880
like Cabernet Sauvignon or
Nebiolo may stay on their skins

568
00:47:09,880 --> 00:47:15,600
for weeks, drawing out as much
depth and tannin as possible.

569
00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:20,920
When the wine maker decides the
extraction is complete, the wine

570
00:47:20,920 --> 00:47:25,520
is drawn off from the skins, a
step called racking.

571
00:47:26,440 --> 00:47:31,080
The remaining solid material,
now soaked through, is gently

572
00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:34,040
pressed to release the last of
the liquid.

573
00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:38,720
This pressed wine is often
blended back or sometimes set

574
00:47:38,720 --> 00:47:42,640
aside, depending on the style
being made.

575
00:47:43,080 --> 00:47:46,760
The young red wine is then moved
to vessels for aging.

576
00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:52,000
Many fine Reds spend months or
years in oak barrels, which

577
00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:57,800
soften the tannins, add subtle
flavors of vanilla, spice or

578
00:47:57,800 --> 00:48:03,320
cedar, and allow tiny amounts of
oxygen to interact with the

579
00:48:03,320 --> 00:48:06,920
wine.
Others rest in stainless steel

580
00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:09,960
or concrete, preserving brighter
fruit.

581
00:48:10,400 --> 00:48:14,960
By the time the wine is bottled,
the dark juice from the press

582
00:48:15,200 --> 00:48:21,280
has begun to find its shape.
The grape skins, the yeast and

583
00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:25,560
the patient hands of the wine
maker have done their work.

584
00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:30,640
White wine takes a different
path, beginning with a different

585
00:48:30,640 --> 00:48:34,440
choice.
Where red wine making depends on

586
00:48:34,440 --> 00:48:40,240
long contact with the skins,
white wine making aims to remove

587
00:48:40,240 --> 00:48:45,240
them quickly, before they can
give too much color or weight to

588
00:48:45,240 --> 00:48:49,800
the wine.
The goal is something lighter,

589
00:48:50,400 --> 00:48:54,760
brighter, more delicate.
White wine can be made from

590
00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:58,640
white grapes, but it can also be
made from red ones.

591
00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:04,520
Since the juice of nearly every
grape is pale, what matters is

592
00:49:04,520 --> 00:49:08,760
keeping that pale juice separate
from the colored skins as soon

593
00:49:08,760 --> 00:49:12,760
as possible.
This is the central difference

594
00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:15,920
between white and red wine
making.

595
00:49:16,200 --> 00:49:20,200
After harvest, white grapes are
usually pressed almost

596
00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:24,240
immediately.
Sometimes the grapes go straight

597
00:49:24,240 --> 00:49:29,240
into the press without being
crushed first, a method called

598
00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:34,440
whole cluster pressing, which
produces the gentlest juice.

599
00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:42,200
The skins, stems and seeds are
separated and discarded, leaving

600
00:49:42,200 --> 00:49:47,600
only the clear liquid behind.
This juice is then allowed to

601
00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:54,560
settle, often in a cool tank, so
that any solids drift to the

602
00:49:54,560 --> 00:49:58,400
bottom.
The clearer juice is drawn off

603
00:49:58,400 --> 00:50:02,840
the top and moved to a
fermentation vessel.

604
00:50:03,920 --> 00:50:10,680
This careful settling step helps
produce a cleaner, more refined

605
00:50:10,680 --> 00:50:13,840
wine.
Fermentation for white wine is

606
00:50:13,840 --> 00:50:17,240
usually slower and cooler than
for red.

607
00:50:18,200 --> 00:50:22,880
Cooler temperatures preserve the
delicate, aromatic compounds

608
00:50:22,880 --> 00:50:26,080
that give white wines their
distinctive perfumes.

609
00:50:26,600 --> 00:50:32,480
The citrus, the green apple, the
white flowers, the stone fruit.

610
00:50:33,480 --> 00:50:39,080
A white wine fermented too warm
loses these subtleties, quickly

611
00:50:39,680 --> 00:50:43,760
replaced by heavier, less
refined flavors.

612
00:50:44,080 --> 00:50:48,680
Stainless steel is a common
choice for fermenting white

613
00:50:48,680 --> 00:50:52,280
wine.
The metal contributes no flavor

614
00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:56,600
of its own, allowing the pure
character of the grape to come

615
00:50:56,600 --> 00:51:00,560
through.
Some white wines, however, are

616
00:51:00,560 --> 00:51:06,880
fermented in oak barrels, which
add a richer texture and notes

617
00:51:06,880 --> 00:51:13,080
of butter, vanilla or toast,
particularly common in classic

618
00:51:13,080 --> 00:51:17,720
Chardonnay styles.
After fermentation, many white

619
00:51:17,720 --> 00:51:22,840
wines are aged on their leaves,
the spent yeast cells that

620
00:51:22,840 --> 00:51:24,720
settle to the bottom of the
vessel.

621
00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:30,440
The wine maker may gently stir
these leaves back into the wine,

622
00:51:31,000 --> 00:51:37,400
a process called botanage, which
adds creaminess and a subtle

623
00:51:37,400 --> 00:51:43,080
savoury quality, often described
as a freshly baked bread aroma.

624
00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:47,720
The choice of malolactic
fermentation also matters

625
00:51:47,720 --> 00:51:53,240
greatly for white wines.
A Chardonnay that undergoes full

626
00:51:53,240 --> 00:51:59,000
malolactic fermentation becomes
rounder and creamier, while one

627
00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:02,840
that does not retains a crisp,
apple bright character.

628
00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:07,840
The same grape, fermented in
different ways, can produce

629
00:52:07,840 --> 00:52:12,160
wines that taste like entirely
different drinks.

630
00:52:12,480 --> 00:52:17,160
When the wine is ready, it is
often filtered and stabilized to

631
00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:22,320
ensure clarity in the bottle.
Some wine makers, however,

632
00:52:22,640 --> 00:52:27,920
prefer minimal intervention,
allowing the wine a slight haze

633
00:52:28,160 --> 00:52:32,880
in exchange for greater texture
and character.

634
00:52:33,280 --> 00:52:38,160
The range of white wine is vast.
From the crisp brightness of a

635
00:52:38,160 --> 00:52:44,840
Sauvignon Blanc to the deep
golden richness of an aged

636
00:52:44,840 --> 00:52:49,400
Chardonnay.
Each one tells a different story

637
00:52:49,400 --> 00:52:53,480
of how grape and wine maker
chose to meet.

638
00:52:54,040 --> 00:52:59,440
Beyond red and white lie a
family of other wines, each made

639
00:52:59,440 --> 00:53:05,680
by a slightly different method.
Sparkling wines, roses, and

640
00:53:06,040 --> 00:53:12,400
fortified wines all begin with
the same basic transformation,

641
00:53:13,080 --> 00:53:16,480
but each takes a different turn
afterward.

642
00:53:16,760 --> 00:53:22,360
Sparkling wine is, in essence,
wine with carbon dioxide trapped

643
00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:26,640
inside it.
The classic method developed in

644
00:53:26,640 --> 00:53:32,080
the Champagne region of France
begins with a still base wine,

645
00:53:32,720 --> 00:53:37,760
often a blend of Chardonnay,
Pinot Noir, and Pinot Muunier.

646
00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:42,760
This wine is bottled with a
small addition of sugar and

647
00:53:42,760 --> 00:53:47,280
fresh yeast, then sealed Inside
the sealed bottle.

648
00:53:47,640 --> 00:53:51,080
The new yeast begins a second
fermentation.

649
00:53:52,040 --> 00:53:56,920
The carbon dioxide it releases
dissolves into the wine,

650
00:53:57,560 --> 00:54:01,640
building pressure.
After months or years, the

651
00:54:01,640 --> 00:54:05,400
bottle is opened just long
enough to remove the spent

652
00:54:05,440 --> 00:54:09,240
yeast, then sealed again for the
final time.

653
00:54:09,640 --> 00:54:14,680
This is called the traditional
method, and it produces the

654
00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:20,600
finest sparkling wines in the
world, including Champagne and

655
00:54:20,600 --> 00:54:25,200
Spanish Cava.
There is also a faster method

656
00:54:25,400 --> 00:54:30,240
used for Prosecco and many
simpler sparkling wines, in

657
00:54:30,240 --> 00:54:35,840
which the second fermentation
happens in a large tank rather

658
00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:40,760
than in individual bottles.
These wines are lighter,

659
00:54:40,880 --> 00:54:45,520
fruitier, and meant to be drunk.
Young Rose is the gentlest

660
00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:49,600
cousin in this family.
Its color comes from brief

661
00:54:49,600 --> 00:54:55,040
contact between red grape skins
and their juice, just enough to

662
00:54:55,040 --> 00:55:00,040
draw out a pale pink hue, but
not enough to extract heavy

663
00:55:00,040 --> 00:55:04,360
tannin.
The skins may stay in contact

664
00:55:04,360 --> 00:55:09,280
for only a few hours, after
which they are removed and the

665
00:55:09,280 --> 00:55:15,720
wine continues like a white.
Another method, called saignet,

666
00:55:16,440 --> 00:55:20,680
involves bleeding off a portion
of juice from a red wine

667
00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:25,240
fermentation early on.
This concentrates the remaining

668
00:55:25,240 --> 00:55:31,040
red wine and produces a pink
wine as a kind of byproduct.

669
00:55:32,040 --> 00:55:36,560
The result is often deeper in
color and richer in flavor than

670
00:55:36,560 --> 00:55:39,760
roses made by direct skin
contact.

671
00:55:40,080 --> 00:55:44,120
Fortified wines take a different
path altogether.

672
00:55:44,800 --> 00:55:48,680
They are wines to which a
neutral grape spirit has been

673
00:55:48,680 --> 00:55:52,160
added during or after
fermentation.

674
00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:58,720
The added alcohol raises the
wine's strength to roughly 20%,

675
00:55:59,360 --> 00:56:04,720
well above ordinary table wine,
which gives these wines their

676
00:56:04,720 --> 00:56:09,200
long keeping power.
The timing of fortification

677
00:56:09,200 --> 00:56:14,480
determines the wine's character.
If the spirit is added part way

678
00:56:14,480 --> 00:56:20,080
through fermentation, the yeast
dies before consuming all the

679
00:56:20,080 --> 00:56:26,520
sugar, leaving a sweeter wine.
This is how port is made in the

680
00:56:26,520 --> 00:56:31,800
steep vineyards of Portugal's
Duro Valley, producing a wine

681
00:56:31,800 --> 00:56:37,200
rich, sweet and dark.
If the wine is fully fermented

682
00:56:37,200 --> 00:56:42,040
before fortification, the result
is drier, as in Sherry from

683
00:56:42,040 --> 00:56:46,120
southern Spain.
Sherry develops further through

684
00:56:46,200 --> 00:56:51,240
unique aging practices,
sometimes under a protective

685
00:56:51,240 --> 00:56:56,960
layer of yeast called floor,
sometimes through deliberate

686
00:56:56,960 --> 00:57:02,080
exposure to oxygen.
Madeira, from the Atlantic

687
00:57:02,080 --> 00:57:07,040
island of the same name, is
heated during aging, giving it

688
00:57:07,040 --> 00:57:09,880
an unusual and remarkable
resilience.

689
00:57:10,240 --> 00:57:15,600
Each of these styles began as a
practical solution to a problem,

690
00:57:15,720 --> 00:57:20,240
and each has become a tradition
of its own.

691
00:57:20,640 --> 00:57:25,760
Every wine, no matter how
complex, can be understood

692
00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:29,120
through 4 basic elements working
together.

693
00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:34,760
They are present in every glass
ever poured, whether the wine is

694
00:57:34,760 --> 00:57:38,800
a delicate Riesling or a
powerful Cabernet.

695
00:57:39,600 --> 00:57:43,760
To understand them is to
understand what your mouth is

696
00:57:43,840 --> 00:57:47,240
actually doing when you taste
wine.

697
00:57:47,640 --> 00:57:53,600
The first pillar is acid.
Acid gives wine its brightness,

698
00:57:53,720 --> 00:57:58,800
its sense of life, the sharp
edge that makes the mouth water,

699
00:57:59,360 --> 00:58:03,800
the way fresh lemon juice keeps
food from feeling heavy and

700
00:58:03,800 --> 00:58:08,320
dull.
Cool climate wines tend to have

701
00:58:08,320 --> 00:58:13,400
more acid, since grapes preserve
more of it when they ripen

702
00:58:13,440 --> 00:58:17,600
slowly.
Acidity is also what allows wine

703
00:58:17,760 --> 00:58:22,360
to age.
A wine with low acid loses its

704
00:58:22,360 --> 00:58:27,880
structure quickly, while one
with bright acid can develop and

705
00:58:27,880 --> 00:58:33,440
improve for decades.
This is one reason great German

706
00:58:33,440 --> 00:58:38,360
rieslings can survive a century
or more in the bottle, kept

707
00:58:38,360 --> 00:58:41,200
alive by their crisp, electric
edge.

708
00:58:41,560 --> 00:58:47,080
The second pillar is tannin, the
compound that gives red wine its

709
00:58:47,080 --> 00:58:51,040
grip.
Tannin comes from grape skins,

710
00:58:51,040 --> 00:58:56,520
seeds and stems, and also from
oak barrels, and you feel it

711
00:58:56,520 --> 00:59:01,840
more than you taste it, a slight
drying sensation across the gums

712
00:59:01,840 --> 00:59:06,560
and tongue, similar to the
feeling of strong black tea.

713
00:59:07,440 --> 00:59:12,800
Tannin gives wine its
architecture, the bones beneath

714
00:59:12,800 --> 00:59:17,320
its flavor.
Young red wines often taste firm

715
00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:21,440
or even astringent because of
their tannins.

716
00:59:22,440 --> 00:59:28,480
With time, those tannins soften,
bind together into longer chains

717
00:59:29,040 --> 00:59:35,480
and lose their sharpness.
A well aged red wine has tannins

718
00:59:35,480 --> 00:59:39,760
that feel like fine sand,
present but no longer

719
00:59:39,760 --> 00:59:43,440
aggressive.
The third pillar is sugar.

720
00:59:44,160 --> 00:59:48,880
Though most table wines are
technically dry, during

721
00:59:48,880 --> 00:59:53,480
fermentation, nearly all the
natural grape sugar is converted

722
00:59:53,480 --> 00:59:57,760
into alcohol.
Yet small amounts of sugar may

723
00:59:57,760 --> 01:00:02,880
remain, and even a tiny quantity
can shift a wine's preserved

724
01:00:02,880 --> 01:00:08,280
character, rounding off the
edges and softening the acid.

725
01:00:08,640 --> 01:00:13,800
Sweet wines made by stopping
fermentation before all the

726
01:00:13,800 --> 01:00:17,800
sugar is consumed, occupy their
own territory.

727
01:00:18,040 --> 01:00:22,480
They range from off dry whites
to rich dessert wines like

728
01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:27,760
Saturn, where botritis affected
grapes concentrate sugars to

729
01:00:27,920 --> 01:00:34,000
remarkable levels.
Sweetness is not a flaw, only a

730
01:00:34,000 --> 01:00:39,040
deliberate choice.
The 4th pillar is alcohol, which

731
01:00:39,040 --> 01:00:42,240
contributes more than just
intoxication.

732
01:00:43,320 --> 01:00:48,640
Alcohol gives wine its body, its
sense of weight and warmth.

733
01:00:48,640 --> 01:00:54,480
On the palate, a wine with low
alcohol feels light and

734
01:00:54,480 --> 01:01:00,040
refreshing, while one with high
alcohol feels rich, even

735
01:01:00,040 --> 01:01:05,200
slightly hot in the throat.
These 4 pillars exist in

736
01:01:05,200 --> 01:01:10,160
constant conversation.
A wine with high alcohol needs

737
01:01:10,160 --> 01:01:14,520
sufficient acid and tannin to
balance it, while a wine with

738
01:01:14,520 --> 01:01:19,240
crisp acid needs somebody to
keep it from feeling thin.

739
01:01:20,280 --> 01:01:24,840
The art of wine making, and the
art of grape growing before it

740
01:01:25,200 --> 01:01:31,040
is the long, patient effort of
bringing these elements into

741
01:01:31,040 --> 01:01:34,600
harmony.
When a wine feels right, it is

742
01:01:34,600 --> 01:01:37,920
because these four are in
proportion.

743
01:01:38,160 --> 01:01:41,200
Nothing dominates, nothing is
missing.

744
01:01:41,520 --> 01:01:47,200
If structure is what wine feels
like in the mouth, then aroma is

745
01:01:47,200 --> 01:01:52,240
what wine smells like in the
glass, and it is often where the

746
01:01:52,240 --> 01:01:57,280
deepest pleasure lives.
The human nose can distinguish

747
01:01:57,280 --> 01:02:02,960
thousands of distinct scents,
and a complex wine may carry

748
01:02:02,960 --> 01:02:08,960
hundreds of them, layered like
notes in a slow piece of music.

749
01:02:09,400 --> 01:02:14,240
These aromas arise from
compounds so small and volatile

750
01:02:14,680 --> 01:02:19,200
that they evaporate into the air
the moment a wine is poured.

751
01:02:20,160 --> 01:02:24,400
Some come directly from the
grape itself, others from

752
01:02:24,400 --> 01:02:29,240
fermentation, and still others
from the slow chemistry of

753
01:02:29,240 --> 01:02:33,560
aging.
Each layer tells part of the

754
01:02:33,560 --> 01:02:36,480
wine story.
The first layer is called

755
01:02:36,480 --> 01:02:40,120
primary aromas, and they come
from the grape.

756
01:02:40,800 --> 01:02:46,200
These are the fruit, flour, and
herb scents that announce a

757
01:02:46,200 --> 01:02:51,440
wine's variety.
A Sauvignon Blanc may smell of

758
01:02:51,440 --> 01:02:56,360
cut grass and gooseberry, a
Riesling of green apple and

759
01:02:56,360 --> 01:03:02,560
lime, a Cabernet Sauvignon of
black currant and cedar, a pinot

760
01:03:02,560 --> 01:03:07,360
noir of cherry and rose petal.
Different grapes produce

761
01:03:07,360 --> 01:03:12,800
different primary aromas because
they contain different aromatic

762
01:03:12,800 --> 01:03:17,200
compounds.
Some, like Muscat or Gewurst

763
01:03:17,200 --> 01:03:23,000
tremina, are intensely perfumed
even in the vineyard, the air

764
01:03:23,000 --> 01:03:26,520
around the vines fragrant during
harvest.

765
01:03:27,440 --> 01:03:32,560
Others reveal their character
only after fermentation, when

766
01:03:32,560 --> 01:03:35,200
their aromas are coaxed into the
air.

767
01:03:35,600 --> 01:03:40,920
The second layer is called
secondary aromas, and they come

768
01:03:40,920 --> 01:03:44,920
from fermentation.
These are subtler scents

769
01:03:44,920 --> 01:03:49,680
introduced by yeast, by bacteria
during malolactic fermentation,

770
01:03:50,160 --> 01:03:54,320
and by extended contact with the
Lees.

771
01:03:55,120 --> 01:04:00,200
Notes of bread dough, yogurt,
butter or biscuit often belong

772
01:04:00,200 --> 01:04:05,240
to this layer, particularly in
white wines aged on their

773
01:04:05,240 --> 01:04:08,440
leaves.
The third layer is called

774
01:04:08,560 --> 01:04:12,040
tertiary aromas, and they appear
with time.

775
01:04:12,720 --> 01:04:18,080
As a wine ages, its primary
fruit aromas slowly fade and are

776
01:04:18,080 --> 01:04:23,080
replaced by something quieter,
more complex, more savoury.

777
01:04:23,920 --> 01:04:28,760
Aged Reds may take on leather,
dried herbs, tobacco, forest

778
01:04:28,760 --> 01:04:33,720
floor or truffle, while aged
whites may develop honey,

779
01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:40,960
almond, beeswax or toasted nuts.
Oak adds its own family of

780
01:04:40,960 --> 01:04:44,360
aromas.
New oak barrels contribute

781
01:04:44,720 --> 01:04:52,160
vanilla, baking spice, smoke,
coconut or toast, depending on

782
01:04:52,160 --> 01:04:55,080
the wood and how heavily it was
charred.

783
01:04:56,080 --> 01:05:01,040
Older barrels add less aroma but
still allow the wine to breathe

784
01:05:01,040 --> 01:05:05,240
gently through their pores,
helping flavors integrate.

785
01:05:05,640 --> 01:05:10,120
This is part of why wine experts
swirl their glasses before

786
01:05:10,120 --> 01:05:14,320
smelling.
The motion releases more of the

787
01:05:14,320 --> 01:05:19,840
volatile compounds into the air
above the wine where the nose

788
01:05:20,040 --> 01:05:24,000
can catch them.
Temperature matters as well,

789
01:05:24,240 --> 01:05:28,080
since wines too cold release
fewer aromas.

790
01:05:28,400 --> 01:05:34,440
While wines too warm may smell
overwhelming or alcoholic.

791
01:05:34,800 --> 01:05:39,000
Smelling wine is one of its
quietest pleasures.

792
01:05:39,720 --> 01:05:44,760
Even before the 1st sip, the
glass tells you something about

793
01:05:44,760 --> 01:05:49,920
the season the grapes saw, the
cellar where the wine rested,

794
01:05:50,400 --> 01:05:55,880
the hands that tended it.
The nose, in a sense, reaches

795
01:05:55,880 --> 01:06:01,160
back through every stage of the
wine's life, and in the slow

796
01:06:01,160 --> 01:06:06,760
chemistry of time, those aromas
continue to change.

797
01:06:07,080 --> 01:06:09,680
Most wine is meant to be drunk
young.

798
01:06:10,440 --> 01:06:14,760
Despite the popular image of
dusty bottles and candlelit

799
01:06:14,760 --> 01:06:20,000
Cellars, the great majority of
wines made each year are

800
01:06:20,000 --> 01:06:25,400
produced for early enjoyment,
tasting their best within a year

801
01:06:25,400 --> 01:06:29,840
or two of release.
After that, their fresh fruit

802
01:06:30,040 --> 01:06:33,680
and bright acidity begin to
fade.

803
01:06:34,040 --> 01:06:38,280
Only a small portion of the
world's wine is built to age.

804
01:06:38,720 --> 01:06:42,960
These are usually wines with
strong structure, substantial

805
01:06:42,960 --> 01:06:48,720
tannin and acid, and enough
complexity to remain interesting

806
01:06:48,960 --> 01:06:52,080
as their character slowly
changes.

807
01:06:53,280 --> 01:06:59,240
A truly age worthy wine does not
simply survive time, it is

808
01:06:59,240 --> 01:07:02,880
improved by it.
What happens chemically during

809
01:07:02,880 --> 01:07:08,200
aging is subtle and slow
tannins, which begin in young

810
01:07:08,200 --> 01:07:12,760
wine as small molecules
gradually linked together into

811
01:07:12,760 --> 01:07:15,960
longer chains that feel softer
on the palate.

812
01:07:16,800 --> 01:07:20,960
Eventually they grow heavy
enough to fall out of the wine

813
01:07:20,960 --> 01:07:27,480
as sediment, which is why old
red wines deposit a fine residue

814
01:07:27,840 --> 01:07:31,760
at the bottom of the bottle.
Color shifts as well.

815
01:07:32,360 --> 01:07:37,560
Young red wines tend to be deep
purple, sometimes nearly black,

816
01:07:38,120 --> 01:07:43,520
and as they age they fade to
garnet, then brick, then

817
01:07:43,520 --> 01:07:46,960
sometimes the soft brown of an
old library.

818
01:07:47,560 --> 01:07:52,400
White wines move in the opposite
direction, deepening from pale

819
01:07:52,400 --> 01:07:57,040
gold to amber.
As they grow older, aromas

820
01:07:57,040 --> 01:08:00,800
change too.
The bright primary fruit of

821
01:08:00,800 --> 01:08:06,560
youth gives way to the savory,
layered tertiary notes, their

822
01:08:06,560 --> 01:08:12,480
connoisseur's prize.
A young Bordeaux may smell of

823
01:08:12,480 --> 01:08:17,840
black currant and cedar, while a
30 year old bottle may smell of

824
01:08:17,840 --> 01:08:22,080
leather, tobacco and damp forest
floor.

825
01:08:22,439 --> 01:08:25,399
Aging happens in two different
ways.

826
01:08:25,960 --> 01:08:31,279
Some wines age in barrel, where
small amounts of oxygen seep

827
01:08:31,279 --> 01:08:35,920
through the wood and accelerate
certain reactions, while others

828
01:08:36,359 --> 01:08:41,680
age and bottle, where almost no
oxygen reaches the wine.

829
01:08:42,359 --> 01:08:48,439
Most fine wines experience both.
Storage matters greatly.

830
01:08:48,840 --> 01:08:55,800
Wine prefers a cool, steady
temperature around 12 to 15��C,

831
01:08:56,000 --> 01:09:00,040
with reasonable humidity to keep
the cork from drying out.

832
01:09:00,880 --> 01:09:06,359
It also prefers darkness and
stillness, since heat, light,

833
01:09:06,840 --> 01:09:12,040
vibration, and temperature
swings can all damage a wine

834
01:09:12,040 --> 01:09:15,200
over time.
Not every wine will improve

835
01:09:15,200 --> 01:09:19,439
forever.
Each has a window when it is at

836
01:09:19,439 --> 01:09:24,920
its best, a kind of plateau
after which it begins to

837
01:09:24,920 --> 01:09:29,040
decline.
The window varies enormously

838
01:09:29,520 --> 01:09:34,359
from a few years for most wines
to several decades for the

839
01:09:34,359 --> 01:09:39,880
finest Bordeaux, Burgundy,
Barolo or German Riesling.

840
01:09:40,240 --> 01:09:43,880
Knowing when to open a bottle is
one of wine's enduring

841
01:09:43,880 --> 01:09:48,000
uncertainties.
Open it too young and the wine

842
01:09:48,000 --> 01:09:53,520
may be tight and unyielding.
Open it too late, and the fruit

843
01:09:53,720 --> 01:09:58,520
may have faded entirely.
The middle moment, when

844
01:09:58,520 --> 01:10:03,320
structure and complexity are in
balance, is sometimes called a

845
01:10:03,720 --> 01:10:09,040
wine's peak, though few wines
announced that moment clearly.

846
01:10:09,440 --> 01:10:14,920
Decanting can help reveal a
wine's character, especially

847
01:10:14,920 --> 01:10:19,840
with older bottles where
sediment must be left behind.

848
01:10:20,920 --> 01:10:26,520
Pouring slowly through a clean
vessel separates wine from

849
01:10:26,520 --> 01:10:30,440
sediment and gives it a moment
to breathe.

850
01:10:30,880 --> 01:10:36,560
And so the wine waits quietly
until the right moment comes.

851
01:10:36,880 --> 01:10:41,480
Of all the grapes used to make
wine, a small number have come

852
01:10:41,480 --> 01:10:43,920
to dominate the world's
vineyards.

853
01:10:44,760 --> 01:10:49,880
These are the so-called noble
varieties, grapes that travel

854
01:10:49,880 --> 01:10:55,800
well, ripened consistently, and
produce wines that age and

855
01:10:55,800 --> 01:10:59,520
improve.
Among the most famous are two

856
01:10:59,520 --> 01:11:04,000
Reds from Bordeaux, often
growing side by side and often

857
01:11:04,000 --> 01:11:08,760
blended together.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

858
01:11:09,120 --> 01:11:13,920
Cabernet Sauvignon is the more
famous of the two, partly

859
01:11:13,920 --> 01:11:16,560
because of its strength of
character.

860
01:11:17,560 --> 01:11:21,600
Genetic studies have shown that
the grape emerged in the 17th

861
01:11:21,600 --> 01:11:28,360
century in Bordeaux as a natural
cross between Cabernet Franc and

862
01:11:28,360 --> 01:11:34,560
Sauvignon Blanc.
The result was a small, dark,

863
01:11:35,040 --> 01:11:39,440
thick skinned Berry with
remarkable structure.

864
01:11:39,840 --> 01:11:44,440
The wines made from Cabernet
Sauvignon share a recognizable

865
01:11:44,440 --> 01:11:47,640
signature.
They are deeply colored, firmly

866
01:11:47,640 --> 01:11:52,800
tannic, with aromas of
blackcurrant, cedar, graphite

867
01:11:53,200 --> 01:11:56,000
and sometimes mint or bell
pepper.

868
01:11:56,960 --> 01:12:01,760
Their flavors carry well through
long aging, and a great

869
01:12:01,760 --> 01:12:07,520
Cabernet, at 30 years old, can
still feel composed and

870
01:12:08,000 --> 01:12:12,480
dignified.
Merlot, by contrast, is the

871
01:12:12,480 --> 01:12:17,840
softer, rounder sibling.
Its berries are larger, its

872
01:12:17,840 --> 01:12:21,640
skins thinner, its tannins
gentler.

873
01:12:22,200 --> 01:12:26,600
It ripens earlier than Cabernet
Sauvignon and tends to produce

874
01:12:26,600 --> 01:12:32,480
wines that are approachable,
younger, with plummy fruit, dark

875
01:12:32,480 --> 01:12:35,720
chocolate and a velvety
smoothness.

876
01:12:36,120 --> 01:12:41,120
For centuries, these two grapes
have shared the vineyards of

877
01:12:41,120 --> 01:12:44,800
Bordeaux.
On the Left Bank of the Gironde

878
01:12:44,800 --> 01:12:51,040
estuary, where deep gravel soils
favor Cabernet, the great wines

879
01:12:51,040 --> 01:12:56,560
are built around Cabernet
Sauvignon, with Merlot added to

880
01:12:56,560 --> 01:13:00,840
soften it.
On the right bank, where clay

881
01:13:00,840 --> 01:13:05,120
soils hold water better, Merlot
takes the lead.

882
01:13:05,560 --> 01:13:09,040
This blending is one of the
secrets of Bordeaux.

883
01:13:09,600 --> 01:13:14,160
Cabernet provides structure,
longevity and depth, while

884
01:13:14,160 --> 01:13:19,720
Merlot provides flesh, warmth
and accessibility.

885
01:13:20,360 --> 01:13:24,480
Together, they often produce
wines that neither could make

886
01:13:24,480 --> 01:13:29,920
alone, balancing power with
grace and structure with

887
01:13:29,920 --> 01:13:33,160
softness.
When these grapes left Europe,

888
01:13:33,480 --> 01:13:39,120
they travelled remarkably well.
Cabernet Sauvignon in particular

889
01:13:39,120 --> 01:13:45,080
found new homes in Napa Valley
in Tuscany, alongside the Super

890
01:13:45,080 --> 01:13:50,840
Tuscan movement in Kunawara in
Australia and in the warm

891
01:13:50,840 --> 01:13:55,600
valleys of Chile.
In each place, it adapts to

892
01:13:55,600 --> 01:13:59,560
local conditions while keeping
its essential character.

893
01:13:59,960 --> 01:14:06,840
Merlot, too, found wide success,
particularly in California,

894
01:14:07,240 --> 01:14:10,800
Washington state and northern
Italy.

895
01:14:11,440 --> 01:14:15,560
It remains the most widely
planted grape in Bordeaux

896
01:14:15,560 --> 01:14:21,280
itself, producing wines from the
everyday to the legendary,

897
01:14:21,840 --> 01:14:26,600
including some of the most
expensive bottles ever sold.

898
01:14:26,960 --> 01:14:32,040
Together, Cabernet and Merlot
account for an enormous share of

899
01:14:32,040 --> 01:14:34,720
the world's fine red wine
production.

900
01:14:35,760 --> 01:14:43,040
They are versatile, adaptable
and consistently rewarding, a

901
01:14:43,040 --> 01:14:47,000
kind of common language
understood by drinkers across

902
01:14:47,000 --> 01:14:51,560
continents.
And yet alongside them, another

903
01:14:51,560 --> 01:14:54,840
red grape walks a quieter, more
difficult path.

904
01:14:55,440 --> 01:15:00,560
It is rarer, more fragile and
more demanding, but in the right

905
01:15:00,560 --> 01:15:05,960
hands it produces some of the
most beautiful wines in the

906
01:15:05,960 --> 01:15:09,520
world.
Pinot noir is sometimes called

907
01:15:09,520 --> 01:15:14,720
the heartbreak grape.
It is fragile, fickle and

908
01:15:14,720 --> 01:15:18,760
difficult to grow well, with
thin skins that make it

909
01:15:19,000 --> 01:15:23,400
vulnerable to rot, sunburn and
rain at the wrong moment.

910
01:15:24,240 --> 01:15:29,600
It buds early, ripens
unpredictably and produces less

911
01:15:29,600 --> 01:15:35,360
fruit than most grapes, so even
successful harvests are smaller.

912
01:15:35,720 --> 01:15:40,480
And yet, when it succeeds, pinot
noir produces some of the most

913
01:15:40,480 --> 01:15:45,240
haunting wines in the world.
Where Cabernet impresses with

914
01:15:45,240 --> 01:15:48,920
power and structure, pinot noir
whispers.

915
01:15:49,760 --> 01:15:55,800
Its color is paler than most
Reds, sometimes barely deeper

916
01:15:55,960 --> 01:16:01,800
than a dark rose, and its aromas
are perfumed rather than

917
01:16:01,800 --> 01:16:05,800
weighty.
The grape's spiritual home is

918
01:16:05,800 --> 01:16:10,720
Burgundy in eastern France,
where it has been cultivated for

919
01:16:10,720 --> 01:16:16,200
at least 1000 years.
The Cistercian and Benedictine

920
01:16:16,200 --> 01:16:21,240
monks who mapped the slopes of
the coat door were observing

921
01:16:21,240 --> 01:16:26,400
Pinot noir more than any other
grape in their long study of

922
01:16:26,400 --> 01:16:31,400
terroir.
The wines of Burgundy, divided

923
01:16:31,400 --> 01:16:35,560
into hundreds of small
vineyards, are nearly all made

924
01:16:35,560 --> 01:16:39,200
from this variety.
What makes Burgundy so

925
01:16:39,200 --> 01:16:43,880
remarkable is that the same
grape grown on vineyards,

926
01:16:43,880 --> 01:16:48,480
sometimes only a few meters
apart, can produce wines of

927
01:16:48,480 --> 01:16:54,280
startlingly different character.
One slope yields elegance and

928
01:16:54,280 --> 01:16:59,920
finesse, while the neighboring
slope of slightly different soil

929
01:16:59,920 --> 01:17:04,440
and exposure yields a wine of
more depth and weight.

930
01:17:05,200 --> 01:17:10,160
No grape responds more
sensitively to place.

931
01:17:10,600 --> 01:17:17,040
The classic aromas of Pinot noir
include cherry, Raspberry, rose,

932
01:17:17,040 --> 01:17:23,080
petal and dried herbs, with
deeper notes of mushroom, forest

933
01:17:23,080 --> 01:17:26,960
floor and damp earth that
develop with age.

934
01:17:27,880 --> 01:17:32,920
A great old Burgundy can smell
almost meditative, layered with

935
01:17:32,920 --> 01:17:37,160
complexity that unfolds slowly
in the glass.

936
01:17:37,560 --> 01:17:43,000
Pinot noir was long considered
impossible to grow well outside

937
01:17:43,000 --> 01:17:47,120
Burgundy.
For decades, attempts elsewhere

938
01:17:47,360 --> 01:17:52,680
produced wines that were either
too heavy or too thin, missing

939
01:17:52,680 --> 01:17:54,920
the delicate magic of the
original.

940
01:17:55,720 --> 01:18:00,160
Over the past several decades,
that has changed.

941
01:18:00,560 --> 01:18:05,080
In Oregon's Willamette Valley,
with its cool climate and

942
01:18:05,080 --> 01:18:09,600
volcanic soils, pinot noir found
a second home.

943
01:18:10,400 --> 01:18:15,080
The wines made there are
different from Burgundy, perhaps

944
01:18:15,080 --> 01:18:21,960
fruitier and less austere, but
unmistakably of high quality.

945
01:18:22,840 --> 01:18:26,320
Oregon has become one of the
most respected Pinot Noir

946
01:18:26,320 --> 01:18:30,320
regions in the world.
New Zealand, particularly the

947
01:18:30,320 --> 01:18:35,960
regions of Martinborough and
Central Otago, has also produced

948
01:18:36,120 --> 01:18:42,080
remarkable Pinot noirs.
The cool maritime climate suits

949
01:18:42,080 --> 01:18:47,080
the grape well, and the wines
often combine bright fruit with

950
01:18:47,080 --> 01:18:51,640
the structure to age.
Germany, too, in regions like

951
01:18:51,640 --> 01:18:58,400
Baden and the Ahar Valley, makes
elegant Pinot noir known there

952
01:18:58,400 --> 01:19:03,480
as Spat Bagunda.
In California, the cool coastal

953
01:19:03,480 --> 01:19:08,800
areas of Sonoma, the Russian
River Valley and Anderson Valley

954
01:19:09,280 --> 01:19:14,600
have all become respected
sources, particularly where

955
01:19:14,600 --> 01:19:20,440
ocean fog moderates the warmth.
Even in Australia and Chile,

956
01:19:20,960 --> 01:19:25,520
growers continue to search for
the right corner of land where

957
01:19:25,520 --> 01:19:28,160
this difficult grape might
flourish.

958
01:19:28,600 --> 01:19:32,160
Pinot Noir rewards patience and
humility.

959
01:19:32,680 --> 01:19:36,320
It cannot be forced, only
coaxed.

960
01:19:36,760 --> 01:19:42,080
Beyond Cabernet, Merlot and
Pinot Noir lie a handful of

961
01:19:42,080 --> 01:19:46,280
other red grapes that have
shaped entire wine traditions of

962
01:19:46,280 --> 01:19:50,240
their own.
Each one carries the character

963
01:19:50,240 --> 01:19:55,560
of a particular place, yet each
has also travelled, finding new

964
01:19:55,560 --> 01:20:01,240
homes far from where it began.
Their stories are as much about

965
01:20:01,240 --> 01:20:07,200
migration as about flavor.
Sierra is the great red of

966
01:20:07,200 --> 01:20:12,120
France's northern Rhone Valley,
where it produces wines of

967
01:20:12,120 --> 01:20:14,880
extraordinary depth and
complexity.

968
01:20:15,640 --> 01:20:20,080
In its homeland, on the steep
granite slopes around Hermitage

969
01:20:20,440 --> 01:20:26,760
and Cote Roti, Sira yields dark,
brooding wines with aromas of

970
01:20:26,760 --> 01:20:31,600
black pepper, smoked meat,
violets and BlackBerry.

971
01:20:32,520 --> 01:20:37,960
These are wines built for slow
contemplation, often aged for

972
01:20:37,960 --> 01:20:41,640
decades.
The same grape planted in

973
01:20:41,640 --> 01:20:46,400
Australia becomes a different
creature there.

974
01:20:46,400 --> 01:20:52,080
It is called Shiraz, and the
wines made from it, particularly

975
01:20:52,480 --> 01:20:57,400
in the Barossa Valley and
McLaren Vale, are richer, riper,

976
01:20:57,880 --> 01:21:02,880
leaning toward chocolate,
BlackBerry jam and warm spice.

977
01:21:03,880 --> 01:21:09,160
The grape is the same, but the
climate has changed its language

978
01:21:09,440 --> 01:21:13,720
entirely.
San Jovese is the soul of

979
01:21:13,720 --> 01:21:17,800
central Italy.
It is the principal grape of

980
01:21:17,800 --> 01:21:22,960
Tuscany, the foundation of
Chianti, Brunello de Montalcino

981
01:21:23,520 --> 01:21:26,440
and Vino Nobile de Monte
Pulciano.

982
01:21:27,520 --> 01:21:32,200
San Giovese produces wines that
are bright with acidity, savoury

983
01:21:32,320 --> 01:21:37,160
rather than sweet, often tasting
of sour cherry, dried herbs,

984
01:21:37,160 --> 01:21:42,400
leather and tomato leaf.
Sangiovese has not travelled as

985
01:21:42,400 --> 01:21:47,680
successfully as some of its
peers, perhaps because it

986
01:21:47,680 --> 01:21:52,520
depends so closely on the dry,
sun warmed hillsides of Italy.

987
01:21:53,160 --> 01:21:57,680
Where it does succeed, it
produces wines deeply suited to

988
01:21:57,720 --> 01:22:03,520
Italian food, designed to be
drunk slowly across long meals

989
01:22:04,040 --> 01:22:06,840
threaded through conversation
and bread.

990
01:22:07,280 --> 01:22:12,880
Tempranillo is Spain's noble
grape, particularly in Rioja and

991
01:22:12,880 --> 01:22:16,720
Ribera del Duero.
It produces medium bodied red

992
01:22:16,720 --> 01:22:23,840
wines with aromas of red cherry,
dried fig, vanilla and tobacco,

993
01:22:24,400 --> 01:22:28,480
often shaped by extended aging
in American oak.

994
01:22:29,360 --> 01:22:33,000
The Spanish tradition of aging
wine for many years before

995
01:22:33,000 --> 01:22:39,400
release means tempranillo is
often already mature when it

996
01:22:39,400 --> 01:22:43,760
reaches the market.
In Argentina, an unexpected

997
01:22:43,760 --> 01:22:49,320
grape became a national symbol.
Malbec, originally a minor

998
01:22:49,320 --> 01:22:54,040
variety in Bordeaux and the more
important grape of Cahores in

999
01:22:54,040 --> 01:22:59,400
southwest France, found
extraordinary success in the

1000
01:22:59,400 --> 01:23:02,080
high altitude vineyards of
Mendoza.

1001
01:23:02,800 --> 01:23:07,840
Beneath the Andes, Malbec
produces deep purple wines of

1002
01:23:07,840 --> 01:23:14,600
plum, Violet and dark chocolate.
These grapes, along with

1003
01:23:14,600 --> 01:23:20,360
Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot noir,
account for most of the world's

1004
01:23:20,360 --> 01:23:24,840
serious red wine.
Yet there are countless others

1005
01:23:24,840 --> 01:23:29,200
worth knowing, including the
spicy Grenache of southern

1006
01:23:29,200 --> 01:23:35,960
France and Spain, the structured
Nebiolo of Piedmont, the savory

1007
01:23:35,960 --> 01:23:41,200
Carmenaire of Chile, the elegant
Cabernet franc of the Loire.

1008
01:23:41,600 --> 01:23:47,080
The world of red wine is wider
than any single drinker can ever

1009
01:23:47,080 --> 01:23:52,080
fully explore.
Each region quietly insists on

1010
01:23:52,080 --> 01:23:58,200
its own traditions, its own
grapes, its own way of meeting

1011
01:23:58,200 --> 01:24:01,720
the year.
And alongside all of these Reds,

1012
01:24:02,120 --> 01:24:07,040
an equally vast family of whites
has its own story to tell.

1013
01:24:07,360 --> 01:24:11,640
Of all the white grapes in the
world, Chardonnay is perhaps the

1014
01:24:11,640 --> 01:24:15,520
most familiar.
It is planted on every wine

1015
01:24:15,520 --> 01:24:20,520
producing continent, drunk by
more people than any other dry

1016
01:24:20,520 --> 01:24:25,560
white wine, and used in
countless styles, from crisp and

1017
01:24:25,560 --> 01:24:32,760
steely to round and buttery.
Behind that familiarity is one

1018
01:24:32,760 --> 01:24:36,480
of the most quietly remarkable
grapes in wine making.

1019
01:24:36,880 --> 01:24:40,960
Chardonnay began.
Like Pinot noir in Burgundy.

1020
01:24:41,720 --> 01:24:46,280
The two grapes share much of
their ancestry, and they often

1021
01:24:46,280 --> 01:24:52,040
grow on neighboring slopes.
Genetic studies have shown that

1022
01:24:52,040 --> 01:24:57,440
Chardonnay emerged as a natural
cross between Pinot noir and an

1023
01:24:57,480 --> 01:25:03,440
old grape called guaye Blanc, a
humble variety once grown across

1024
01:25:03,440 --> 01:25:06,440
medieval France.
What makes Chardonnay

1025
01:25:06,440 --> 01:25:09,760
extraordinary is its
receptiveness.

1026
01:25:10,560 --> 01:25:15,960
The grape has only a moderate
aroma profile of its own, so it

1027
01:25:15,960 --> 01:25:20,440
takes on the character of where
it grows and how it is made.

1028
01:25:21,240 --> 01:25:27,160
A Chardonnay from coulis Chablis
tastes of green apple, lemon and

1029
01:25:27,160 --> 01:25:33,280
whetstone, while a Chardonnay
from warm California can taste

1030
01:25:33,280 --> 01:25:36,920
of pineapple, ripe pear, and
honeysuckle.

1031
01:25:37,280 --> 01:25:42,080
This adaptability has made
Chardonnay a wine maker's grape.

1032
01:25:42,680 --> 01:25:46,920
The choices made in the cellar
shape its final character as

1033
01:25:46,920 --> 01:25:51,520
much as the vineyard does.
Fermenting in stainless steel

1034
01:25:51,880 --> 01:25:58,200
produces a lean, bright wine,
while fermenting in oak barrels

1035
01:25:58,200 --> 01:26:03,880
adds richness, texture, and
notes of vanilla, butter or

1036
01:26:03,880 --> 01:26:07,560
toast.
In Burgundy, Chardonnay reaches

1037
01:26:07,560 --> 01:26:12,160
its most refined expression.
The great white wines of

1038
01:26:12,400 --> 01:26:18,600
Morseau, Poulinie, Montrachet
and Chassain Montrachet are made

1039
01:26:18,600 --> 01:26:24,040
entirely from this grape, aged
carefully in oak and capable of

1040
01:26:24,040 --> 01:26:28,400
evolving for decades.
Chablis, in the cool

1041
01:26:28,400 --> 01:26:32,400
northernmost part of Burgundy,
makes a different style,

1042
01:26:32,600 --> 01:26:36,360
sharper, more austere, often
unoaked.

1043
01:26:36,760 --> 01:26:40,360
Champagne, too, relies heavily
on Chardonnay.

1044
01:26:40,960 --> 01:26:44,840
The grape is one of three
principal varieties used in

1045
01:26:44,840 --> 01:26:50,560
classic Champagne blends, and
certain wines labeled Blanc de

1046
01:26:50,560 --> 01:26:54,600
blancs are made entirely from
Chardonnay.

1047
01:26:55,480 --> 01:27:00,040
These are typically the most
delicate and elegant style, with

1048
01:27:00,040 --> 01:27:06,040
crisp acidity and fine bubbles.
Outside Europe, Chardonnay has

1049
01:27:06,040 --> 01:27:10,560
thrived almost everywhere.
Napa Valley and Sonoma in

1050
01:27:10,560 --> 01:27:15,920
California produce rich, oaked
chardonnays that help define the

1051
01:27:15,920 --> 01:27:20,520
modern style.
Australia and New Zealand make

1052
01:27:20,520 --> 01:27:27,520
both lean and broader styles,
while South Africa, Chile and

1053
01:27:27,520 --> 01:27:32,440
Argentina have all developed
distinctive expressions.

1054
01:27:32,760 --> 01:27:38,080
For a time in the late 20th
century, Chardonnay became

1055
01:27:38,080 --> 01:27:43,080
almost too popular.
Many producers made oaky,

1056
01:27:43,080 --> 01:27:47,120
buttery wines that overwhelmed
the grape subtlety.

1057
01:27:47,720 --> 01:27:53,480
A backlash followed, sometimes
called the ABC movement standing

1058
01:27:53,480 --> 01:27:59,320
for anything but Chardonnay, and
many drinkers turned away.

1059
01:27:59,720 --> 01:28:03,720
But Chardonnay has quietly
recovered.

1060
01:28:04,840 --> 01:28:11,000
Today, the best examples balance
fruit, oak, and acidity with

1061
01:28:11,000 --> 01:28:17,520
restraint, and the grape is once
again admired for its complexity

1062
01:28:17,920 --> 01:28:22,240
and range.
A great Chardonnay can rival

1063
01:28:22,240 --> 01:28:27,280
nearly any white wine in the
world, and alongside it, several

1064
01:28:27,280 --> 01:28:31,480
other white grapes carry their
own kind of magic, often more

1065
01:28:31,480 --> 01:28:37,840
aromatic, more openly perfumed.
If Chardonnay is the chameleon

1066
01:28:37,840 --> 01:28:42,880
of white wine, other grapes wear
their identity more openly.

1067
01:28:43,680 --> 01:28:48,240
The aromatic whites announce
themselves before the 1st sip,

1068
01:28:48,760 --> 01:28:52,720
filling the room with perfume
from the moment the bottle is

1069
01:28:52,720 --> 01:28:55,840
opened.
Two stand out for their

1070
01:28:55,840 --> 01:29:00,720
distinctive personalities,
Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.

1071
01:29:01,040 --> 01:29:05,280
Sauvignon Blanc is a grape of
bright herbaceous character.

1072
01:29:05,960 --> 01:29:11,600
Its aromas often suggest cut
grass, green pepper, gooseberry,

1073
01:29:11,680 --> 01:29:17,680
lime, passion fruit and
sometimes a faint hint of fresh

1074
01:29:17,680 --> 01:29:21,280
cat.
The exact bouquet depends on

1075
01:29:21,280 --> 01:29:24,640
where it grows, but its
sharpness, its sense of

1076
01:29:24,640 --> 01:29:27,720
freshness, is almost always
present.

1077
01:29:28,080 --> 01:29:32,200
The grape's classical home is
the Loire Valley in central

1078
01:29:32,200 --> 01:29:37,800
France, particularly in the
appellations of Sancerre and

1079
01:29:37,800 --> 01:29:42,320
Pouilly Fume.
There, on chalky and flinty

1080
01:29:42,320 --> 01:29:48,960
soils, Sauvignon Blanc produces
wines of Stony elegance, lean

1081
01:29:48,960 --> 01:29:54,240
and bright, with notes of citrus
and a smoky mineral edge,

1082
01:29:54,520 --> 01:30:00,600
sometimes called gunflint.
In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc

1083
01:30:00,600 --> 01:30:05,560
plays a different role.
Blended with Semillion to make

1084
01:30:05,560 --> 01:30:11,280
both crisp, dry whites and the
great sweet wines of Soterne,

1085
01:30:12,000 --> 01:30:17,600
where grapes affected by noble
rot concentrate their sugars to

1086
01:30:17,640 --> 01:30:22,040
extraordinary levels.
These are some of the longest

1087
01:30:22,040 --> 01:30:26,280
lived white wines in the world.
But the modern story of

1088
01:30:26,280 --> 01:30:30,600
Sauvignon Blanc belongs largely
to New Zealand.

1089
01:30:31,600 --> 01:30:36,240
Beginning in the late 20th
century, growers in Marlborough

1090
01:30:36,440 --> 01:30:40,640
discovered that their cool
maritime climate produced an

1091
01:30:40,640 --> 01:30:45,800
intensely aromatic style with
tropical fruit and crisp

1092
01:30:45,800 --> 01:30:50,040
acidity.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

1093
01:30:50,560 --> 01:30:54,960
became a global phenomenon
within a generation.

1094
01:30:55,360 --> 01:30:58,760
Riesling is a different creature
entirely.

1095
01:30:59,320 --> 01:31:04,920
Where Sauvignon Blanc shouts,
Riesling sings a high, clear

1096
01:31:04,920 --> 01:31:09,680
note of grape and place.
It thrives in cool climates,

1097
01:31:09,960 --> 01:31:16,080
particularly Germany, Alsace in
France, Austria and the Clare

1098
01:31:16,080 --> 01:31:20,280
and Eden valleys of Australia,
with its homeland on the steep

1099
01:31:20,280 --> 01:31:25,200
slate slopes of Germany's Mosul
and Rhine, Riesling can be made

1100
01:31:25,200 --> 01:31:28,320
dry or sweet, or anywhere in
between.

1101
01:31:29,120 --> 01:31:34,320
Its aromas often include lime
green, apple, white Peach, honey

1102
01:31:34,440 --> 01:31:40,080
and Jasmine, sometimes with a
striking note that aged Riesling

1103
01:31:40,080 --> 01:31:45,000
develops, often described as
petrol or kerosene.

1104
01:31:45,800 --> 01:31:51,760
This sounds strange, but in a
great old Riesling it is a sign

1105
01:31:51,760 --> 01:31:58,440
of complexity rather than fault.
What makes Riesling remarkable

1106
01:31:58,840 --> 01:32:04,280
is its capacity to age.
A great German Riesling from a

1107
01:32:04,280 --> 01:32:10,400
top vineyard can develop for 50
years or more, slowly trading

1108
01:32:10,400 --> 01:32:16,040
its youthful fruit for layers of
honey, beeswax and minerality,

1109
01:32:16,840 --> 01:32:21,840
its high acid and aromatic
intensity protected through the

1110
01:32:21,840 --> 01:32:24,960
decades.
Beyond Sauvignon Blanc and

1111
01:32:24,960 --> 01:32:28,320
Riesling lie other aromatic
whites worth knowing.

1112
01:32:28,880 --> 01:32:33,760
Govoort's Tremina from All Sauce
and northern Italy smells of

1113
01:32:34,040 --> 01:32:39,840
lyche, rose and ginger, while
Viognier from the northern Rhone

1114
01:32:40,080 --> 01:32:44,600
offers apricot, honeysuckle and
white flowers.

1115
01:32:45,360 --> 01:32:51,960
Albarino, from northwestern
Spain, suggests Peach, sea salt

1116
01:32:52,520 --> 01:32:56,080
and citrus.
Each of these grapes carries the

1117
01:32:56,080 --> 01:33:03,120
perfume of a particular place.
To pour a glass is to release

1118
01:33:03,120 --> 01:33:07,160
that place into the room.
Of all the wine regions in the

1119
01:33:07,160 --> 01:33:10,560
world, Bordeaux may be the most
famous.

1120
01:33:11,080 --> 01:33:16,600
Its reputation has been built
over centuries through legendary

1121
01:33:16,600 --> 01:33:23,760
estates, careful classification,
long Atlantic trade routes, and

1122
01:33:23,760 --> 01:33:28,040
wines that have shaped how the
world thinks about red wine.

1123
01:33:28,200 --> 01:33:33,200
To understand Bordeaux is to
understand much of fine wine.

1124
01:33:33,640 --> 01:33:38,120
The region sits in southwestern
France, where the Garonne and

1125
01:33:38,120 --> 01:33:43,600
Dordon rivers meet and become
the broader Gironde estuary.

1126
01:33:44,400 --> 01:33:49,120
This watery geography is central
to Bordeaux's character,

1127
01:33:49,520 --> 01:33:53,800
moderating the climate,
providing transport, and

1128
01:33:53,800 --> 01:33:57,040
dividing the region into two
distinct halves.

1129
01:33:57,560 --> 01:34:03,600
Each half has developed its own
grapes, its own soils and its

1130
01:34:03,640 --> 01:34:07,240
own traditions.
The Left Bank of the gerund,

1131
01:34:07,520 --> 01:34:14,760
including the Maidoc, Poiac, St.
Julien, Margot and Sant Estef,

1132
01:34:15,520 --> 01:34:21,040
sits on deep gravel soils washed
down from the Pyrenees over many

1133
01:34:21,040 --> 01:34:24,240
ages.
These soils drain well and ripen

1134
01:34:24,480 --> 01:34:29,720
Cabernet Sauvignon beautifully.
Left Bank wines are built around

1135
01:34:29,720 --> 01:34:35,840
Cabernet, supported by Merlot,
Cabernet Franc and small amounts

1136
01:34:35,840 --> 01:34:40,080
of Petit Verdeaux.
The Right Bank, including Sant

1137
01:34:40,080 --> 01:34:45,080
Emilio and Pomerol, sits on
cooler, heavier clay soils that

1138
01:34:45,080 --> 01:34:51,240
hold water and stay cool.
Here, Merlot takes the lead,

1139
01:34:51,680 --> 01:34:54,400
often supported by Cabernet
franc.

1140
01:34:55,520 --> 01:35:00,280
The wines tend to be softer,
plumbier and more approachable

1141
01:35:00,280 --> 01:35:04,760
in youth, though the very best
can age for many decades.

1142
01:35:05,160 --> 01:35:09,400
Bordeaux is organized around the
idea of the Chateau.

1143
01:35:09,960 --> 01:35:15,760
The word literally means castle,
but in wine it refers to an

1144
01:35:15,760 --> 01:35:21,000
estate that grows its own grapes
and makes its own wine with its

1145
01:35:21,000 --> 01:35:24,640
own buildings, vineyards and
identity.

1146
01:35:25,320 --> 01:35:30,360
Some Chateau are enormous,
others modest farms, but each

1147
01:35:30,360 --> 01:35:36,360
carries a name and a story.
In 1855, on the occasion of a

1148
01:35:36,360 --> 01:35:41,200
great exposition in Paris, the
wines of Bordeaux were ranked

1149
01:35:41,200 --> 01:35:46,400
into a formal classification.
The leading estates of the Medoc

1150
01:35:46,720 --> 01:35:53,440
were divided into 5 tiers called
Crus, with the top tier known as

1151
01:35:53,840 --> 01:36:00,080
Premia Crewe or First Growth.
This classification has remained

1152
01:36:00,080 --> 01:36:04,720
influential to this day.
The five first growths are

1153
01:36:04,720 --> 01:36:09,240
Chateau Lafitte Rothschild,
Chateau La Tour, Chateau

1154
01:36:09,240 --> 01:36:14,840
Margaux, Chateau Aubryon and
Chateau Mouton Rothschild.

1155
01:36:15,360 --> 01:36:22,800
This last added in 1973.
Their wines, when made well, are

1156
01:36:22,800 --> 01:36:27,560
among the most celebrated in the
world, sometimes aging

1157
01:36:27,560 --> 01:36:33,600
gracefully for over a century.
But Bordeaux is far more than

1158
01:36:33,600 --> 01:36:39,640
its top estates. 10s of
thousands of producers make wine

1159
01:36:39,640 --> 01:36:45,240
across the region, from Grand
Chateau to small family farms.

1160
01:36:46,280 --> 01:36:51,160
Many produce excellent wine at
modest prices, and the region

1161
01:36:51,160 --> 01:36:55,600
remains one of the great sources
of everyday claret.

1162
01:36:56,040 --> 01:36:59,720
Bordeaux's wines tend to share
certain qualities.

1163
01:37:00,240 --> 01:37:05,200
They are usually blends rather
than single variety wines

1164
01:37:05,760 --> 01:37:09,800
designed to balance the
strengths of multiple grapes.

1165
01:37:10,680 --> 01:37:15,520
They are built for aging, firm
and tannic and youth, but

1166
01:37:15,520 --> 01:37:20,960
evolving toward complexity and
elegance over decades.

1167
01:37:21,400 --> 01:37:26,720
And just east of Bordeaux, in
another corner of France, lies a

1168
01:37:26,720 --> 01:37:31,120
region of equal fame but very
different philosophy.

1169
01:37:31,600 --> 01:37:38,080
If Bordeaux is the wine region
of the Chateau, then Burgundy is

1170
01:37:38,080 --> 01:37:42,280
the wine region of the vineyard.
Where Bordeaux builds its

1171
01:37:42,280 --> 01:37:47,800
reputation around great estates
that own many hectares, Burgundy

1172
01:37:47,800 --> 01:37:53,640
builds its reputation around
individual parcels, sometimes as

1173
01:37:53,640 --> 01:37:59,560
small as a single acre, each
with its own name and character.

1174
01:37:59,960 --> 01:38:02,360
This difference shapes
everything.

1175
01:38:03,080 --> 01:38:07,920
Burgundy lies in eastern France
in a thin strip of vineyards

1176
01:38:08,040 --> 01:38:13,760
stretching S from Dijon.
The most famous portion is the

1177
01:38:13,760 --> 01:38:19,880
coat Door, the slope of gold
where the vineyards run along a

1178
01:38:19,880 --> 01:38:25,560
long, gentle escarpment facing
east and southeast, catching the

1179
01:38:25,560 --> 01:38:29,520
morning sun.
Almost all red Burgundy is made

1180
01:38:29,520 --> 01:38:34,360
from Pinot noir and almost all
white Burgundy from Chardonnay.

1181
01:38:35,160 --> 01:38:41,400
The variety is fixed.
What varies is the place a wine

1182
01:38:41,400 --> 01:38:45,800
from one named vineyard may
taste profoundly different from

1183
01:38:45,800 --> 01:38:52,520
a wine made by the same grape in
the same year, only a few 100

1184
01:38:52,520 --> 01:38:55,880
meters away.
The monks who first mapped these

1185
01:38:55,880 --> 01:39:01,200
slopes over many centuries
identified differences in soil,

1186
01:39:01,280 --> 01:39:05,760
drainage and exposure that
produced wines of distinct

1187
01:39:05,760 --> 01:39:09,680
character.
Their observations have been

1188
01:39:09,680 --> 01:39:15,560
preserved in a complex hierarchy
of appellations, the system by

1189
01:39:15,560 --> 01:39:21,360
which French wines are named.
Burgundy's hierarchy is one of

1190
01:39:21,360 --> 01:39:25,800
the most detailed in the world.
At the broadest level are

1191
01:39:25,800 --> 01:39:32,040
regional Appalachians, simply
labeled Bourgon, made from

1192
01:39:32,040 --> 01:39:34,360
grapes grown anywhere in the
region.

1193
01:39:35,080 --> 01:39:38,960
Above them are village
Appalachians, named after

1194
01:39:38,960 --> 01:39:45,840
villages like Pommard, Volnae or
Merseau, and above those are

1195
01:39:45,840 --> 01:39:50,800
premier crew vineyards,
considered superior plots within

1196
01:39:50,800 --> 01:39:55,240
a village.
At the very top are Grand crew

1197
01:39:55,240 --> 01:40:00,760
vineyards, the small handful of
named sites with the longest,

1198
01:40:01,200 --> 01:40:06,080
most distinguished histories.
The Grand crew list includes

1199
01:40:06,080 --> 01:40:10,760
legendary names.
Romanee Conti, perhaps the most

1200
01:40:10,760 --> 01:40:15,320
famous vineyard in the world,
covers less than two hectares.

1201
01:40:15,720 --> 01:40:21,360
And produces wines that fetch
extraordinary prices at auction.

1202
01:40:22,160 --> 01:40:28,760
Chamber Tans, Latash, Mousigny
and Le Montrachet each carry

1203
01:40:28,760 --> 01:40:33,840
centuries of reputation.
Burgundy's small scale has been

1204
01:40:33,840 --> 01:40:38,680
shaped by inheritance laws.
Following the French Revolution,

1205
01:40:39,040 --> 01:40:43,480
vineyard land was divided among
heirs across generations,

1206
01:40:44,040 --> 01:40:47,880
fragmenting plots into ever
smaller parcels.

1207
01:40:48,760 --> 01:40:53,680
Today, a single grand crew
vineyard may be divided among

1208
01:40:53,680 --> 01:40:57,720
dozens of owners, each with a
different style.

1209
01:40:57,960 --> 01:41:03,040
This means that, unlike in
Bordeaux, the name of the

1210
01:41:03,040 --> 01:41:08,680
vineyard alone is not enough.
The producer matters greatly,

1211
01:41:08,800 --> 01:41:12,560
since 2 wine makers tending
neighboring rows in the same

1212
01:41:12,560 --> 01:41:16,280
vineyard may make very different
wines.

1213
01:41:17,480 --> 01:41:22,440
Learning Burgundy is partly
learning which producers tend

1214
01:41:22,560 --> 01:41:26,320
which plots.
The wines themselves can be

1215
01:41:26,320 --> 01:41:30,440
transcendent.
Great Red Burgundy combines

1216
01:41:30,440 --> 01:41:35,920
power with elegance, fruit with
savouriness, fragrance with

1217
01:41:35,920 --> 01:41:39,920
structure.
Great White Burgundy can age for

1218
01:41:39,920 --> 01:41:45,680
decades, developing layers of
honey, almond and gentle

1219
01:41:45,680 --> 01:41:50,160
minerality.
To drink Burgundy carefully is

1220
01:41:50,160 --> 01:41:55,160
to drink a place, and through
that place the patient work of

1221
01:41:55,160 --> 01:42:00,720
generations who knew it before.
North of Burgundy lies one of

1222
01:42:00,720 --> 01:42:06,120
the most famous wine regions in
the world, though its wines are

1223
01:42:06,120 --> 01:42:12,560
not still but sparkling.
Champagne sits on chalky hills

1224
01:42:12,560 --> 01:42:18,600
about 150 kilometers northeast
of Paris, near the cool northern

1225
01:42:18,600 --> 01:42:23,040
limit of French viticulture.
The climate is challenging, the

1226
01:42:23,040 --> 01:42:27,360
soils thin, the wines
distinctive.

1227
01:42:27,720 --> 01:42:33,280
Champagne's chalk soils were
once an ancient sea bed made of

1228
01:42:33,280 --> 01:42:36,360
compressed shells of tiny sea
creatures.

1229
01:42:37,160 --> 01:42:42,200
These soils drain remarkably
well and reflect light on to the

1230
01:42:42,200 --> 01:42:47,080
vines, helping the grapes ripen
in a climate that would

1231
01:42:47,080 --> 01:42:52,200
otherwise be too cool.
They also provide the cool,

1232
01:42:52,200 --> 01:42:57,880
stable Cellars in which
Champagne ages, sometimes carved

1233
01:42:57,880 --> 01:43:02,560
as tunnels deep into the chalk.
Three grapes dominate the

1234
01:43:02,560 --> 01:43:05,440
region.
Chardonnay produces delicate,

1235
01:43:05,520 --> 01:43:11,080
elegant wines, often labeled
Blonde de Blanc, while Pinot

1236
01:43:11,080 --> 01:43:16,960
noir contributes structure, body
and the capacity to age.

1237
01:43:17,720 --> 01:43:22,280
Pinot Munier, the third grape,
brings a rounder, fruitier

1238
01:43:22,280 --> 01:43:27,240
quality, especially useful in
everyday Champagne blends.

1239
01:43:27,640 --> 01:43:32,400
The traditional method, called
methode champagnoise, was

1240
01:43:32,400 --> 01:43:34,680
largely developed in this
region.

1241
01:43:35,480 --> 01:43:39,320
Wines undergo a second
fermentation inside the sealed

1242
01:43:39,320 --> 01:43:44,920
bottle, trapping carbon dioxide
and creating the fine bubbles

1243
01:43:45,120 --> 01:43:51,600
for which Champagne is famous.
The process is slow, requiring

1244
01:43:51,600 --> 01:43:56,840
months or years of aging on the
spent yeast cells.

1245
01:43:57,160 --> 01:44:01,680
Champagne is organized around
great houses, many of which have

1246
01:44:01,680 --> 01:44:08,280
become global names.
Voe of Clicko, Krug, Paul, Roger

1247
01:44:08,480 --> 01:44:13,120
and Bollinger trace their
histories back to the 17 and

1248
01:44:13,120 --> 01:44:18,760
1800s.
Each house has its own style and

1249
01:44:18,760 --> 01:44:23,760
its own approach to maintaining
consistency from year to year

1250
01:44:23,760 --> 01:44:29,080
through careful blending.
Most Champagne is non vintage, a

1251
01:44:29,080 --> 01:44:32,960
blend of wines from multiple
years designed to express a

1252
01:44:32,960 --> 01:44:37,720
house style.
In exceptional years, a producer

1253
01:44:37,760 --> 01:44:43,400
may declare a vintage champagne
made entirely from grapes

1254
01:44:43,520 --> 01:44:48,120
harvested in a single year.
These wines are typically

1255
01:44:48,120 --> 01:44:52,320
richer, more complex, and built
to age.

1256
01:44:52,600 --> 01:44:56,400
Just South of Champagne
stretches one of France's

1257
01:44:56,400 --> 01:45:01,880
longest and most varied wine
regions, the Loire Valley.

1258
01:45:02,800 --> 01:45:07,160
The Loire River flows over 1000
kilometers from the central

1259
01:45:07,160 --> 01:45:11,840
mountains to the Atlantic, and
vineyards line much of its

1260
01:45:11,840 --> 01:45:16,000
course.
No single grape dominates here,

1261
01:45:16,680 --> 01:45:21,720
since each section of the river
has its own traditions.

1262
01:45:22,080 --> 01:45:27,800
In the upper Loire around Sans
Serre and Puli Fum, Sauvignon

1263
01:45:27,800 --> 01:45:31,280
Blanc produces wines of Stony
elegance.

1264
01:45:32,000 --> 01:45:38,840
Further W around Vouvret and
Somur, the great grape is Chen M

1265
01:45:38,840 --> 01:45:45,960
Blanc, capable of producing dry
off, dry, sweet and sparkling

1266
01:45:45,960 --> 01:45:51,360
wines of remarkable longevity.
In the western Loire, around

1267
01:45:51,400 --> 01:45:55,200
Anjou and Muscadet, other styles
emerge.

1268
01:45:55,920 --> 01:46:02,360
Muscadet, made from melon de
Bourgon, is a crisp sea fresh

1269
01:46:02,360 --> 01:46:06,840
white traditionally paired with
oysters from the Atlantic Coast.

1270
01:46:07,680 --> 01:46:14,280
Anjou produces both rose wines
and full bodied chenam blanks of

1271
01:46:14,280 --> 01:46:18,320
distinctive character.
Together, Champagne and the

1272
01:46:18,320 --> 01:46:24,280
Loire show how varied northern
French wine can be, even within

1273
01:46:24,280 --> 01:46:27,400
a relatively small stretch of
land.

1274
01:46:27,840 --> 01:46:31,080
Italy is a country shaped by
wine.

1275
01:46:31,760 --> 01:46:36,640
Every one of its 20 regions
produces wine, from the snowy

1276
01:46:36,640 --> 01:46:41,840
slopes of the Alps in the north
to the volcanic islands off the

1277
01:46:41,840 --> 01:46:46,560
southern coast.
No other country has as many

1278
01:46:46,560 --> 01:46:50,920
native grape varieties or as
many wines that taste

1279
01:46:50,960 --> 01:46:56,960
unmistakably of where they came
from. 2 regions in particular

1280
01:46:57,320 --> 01:47:02,000
have shaped Italy's
international reputation Tuscany

1281
01:47:02,360 --> 01:47:06,320
and Piedmont.
They lie in central and

1282
01:47:06,320 --> 01:47:11,080
northwestern Italy and produce
wines of very different

1283
01:47:11,080 --> 01:47:17,280
character, though both rely on
grapes deeply rooted in their

1284
01:47:17,280 --> 01:47:21,520
local soils.
Tuscany is the land of Saint

1285
01:47:21,520 --> 01:47:25,000
Giovese.
The grape is the foundation of

1286
01:47:25,040 --> 01:47:29,000
Chianti, made in the rolling
hills between Florence and

1287
01:47:29,000 --> 01:47:34,520
Siena, and of Brunello de
Montalcino, made further South

1288
01:47:34,520 --> 01:47:37,080
around the medieval town of
Montalcino.

1289
01:47:37,920 --> 01:47:43,440
Vino Nobile de Monte Pulciano
completes the trio, each

1290
01:47:43,480 --> 01:47:49,840
distinctive but all sharing San
Giovese's bright acidity and

1291
01:47:49,880 --> 01:47:56,280
savory, food friendly character.
For a long time, Tuscan wine was

1292
01:47:56,280 --> 01:48:00,920
bound by tradition, including
strict rules about which grapes

1293
01:48:00,920 --> 01:48:03,360
could be used in which
Appalachians.

1294
01:48:04,560 --> 01:48:10,800
In the 1970s and 80s, a group of
producers began making wines

1295
01:48:11,120 --> 01:48:16,440
outside these rules, often
blending San Giovese with

1296
01:48:16,440 --> 01:48:22,360
Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
These wines, called soup or

1297
01:48:22,360 --> 01:48:26,960
Tuscans, broke the old
categories in one international

1298
01:48:26,960 --> 01:48:30,520
claim.
Piedmont, in northwestern Italy,

1299
01:48:30,840 --> 01:48:34,960
sits beneath the Alps and
produces wines of an entirely

1300
01:48:34,960 --> 01:48:40,480
different character.
Its great red grape is Nebiolo,

1301
01:48:41,040 --> 01:48:45,440
a difficult variety that
produces wines of pale color but

1302
01:48:45,440 --> 01:48:50,720
ferocious tannin and astonishing
aromatic complexity.

1303
01:48:51,560 --> 01:48:56,240
Nebiolo can smell of roses, tar,
dried cherries, leather, and

1304
01:48:56,240 --> 01:49:01,320
truffles all at once. 2
Appellations define Piedmont's

1305
01:49:01,320 --> 01:49:05,880
reputation.
Barolo and Barbaresco Both are

1306
01:49:05,880 --> 01:49:11,040
made entirely from Nebiolo.
Both come from neighboring hills

1307
01:49:11,040 --> 01:49:15,920
in the Lange, and both produce
wines that require years of

1308
01:49:15,960 --> 01:49:19,400
aging before they reveal their
full character.

1309
01:49:20,600 --> 01:49:26,480
A great old Barolo is among the
most haunting wines in the

1310
01:49:26,480 --> 01:49:29,920
world.
Piedmont also produces lighter

1311
01:49:29,920 --> 01:49:35,960
Reds from grapes like Barbera
and Dolcetto, and a remarkable

1312
01:49:35,960 --> 01:49:40,440
white called Gavi made from
Cortese.

1313
01:49:41,640 --> 01:49:46,200
The region is varied, but
Nebiolo remains its truest

1314
01:49:46,200 --> 01:49:49,960
signature.
Veneto, in the northeast,

1315
01:49:50,440 --> 01:49:53,880
contributes some of Italy's most
popular wines.

1316
01:49:54,760 --> 01:49:59,720
Prosecco, the light, sparkling
wine made from the Glara grape,

1317
01:50:00,240 --> 01:50:02,800
comes from the hills north of
Venice.

1318
01:50:03,680 --> 01:50:08,720
Valpolicella, a medium bodied
red, and its powerful sibling

1319
01:50:08,720 --> 01:50:14,720
Amarone, made from grapes dried
until they concentrate, are also

1320
01:50:15,280 --> 01:50:19,960
Veneto productions.
Sicily, the great island off

1321
01:50:19,960 --> 01:50:24,800
Italy's southern coast, has
emerged in recent decades as one

1322
01:50:24,800 --> 01:50:27,880
of the country's most exciting
wine regions.

1323
01:50:28,920 --> 01:50:34,520
The volcanic slopes of Mount
Etna produce wines of remarkable

1324
01:50:34,520 --> 01:50:40,160
minerality, while Nero Davila,
the island's traditional red,

1325
01:50:40,720 --> 01:50:43,920
makes wines of deep fruit and
warmth.

1326
01:50:44,280 --> 01:50:47,200
And these are only the most
famous corners.

1327
01:50:47,400 --> 01:50:52,960
Every Italian region carries its
own grapes, its own ancient

1328
01:50:52,960 --> 01:50:56,720
methods, its own way of meeting
the year.

1329
01:50:57,080 --> 01:51:02,920
South of France lies the Iberian
Peninsula, where two countries

1330
01:51:02,920 --> 01:51:06,640
share a long, sun warmed history
of wine making.

1331
01:51:07,600 --> 01:51:12,560
Spain has more land under vine
than any other country, though

1332
01:51:12,560 --> 01:51:17,080
it produces somewhat less wine
than France or Italy.

1333
01:51:18,040 --> 01:51:23,360
Portugal, despite its smaller
size, has preserved one of the

1334
01:51:23,360 --> 01:51:28,920
most diverse collections of
native grape varieties anywhere.

1335
01:51:29,240 --> 01:51:35,240
Spain's most famous wine region
is Rioja, where Tempronillo

1336
01:51:35,240 --> 01:51:40,840
produces medium bodied Reds
traditionally aged for years in

1337
01:51:40,840 --> 01:51:46,600
American oak barrels.
The wines develop notes of red

1338
01:51:46,600 --> 01:51:52,280
cherry, vanilla, dried herbs and
leather, often arriving at the

1339
01:51:52,280 --> 01:51:55,880
market already mature and ready
to drink.

1340
01:51:56,240 --> 01:52:02,520
Further W lies Ribera del Duero
where Tempranillo takes on a

1341
01:52:02,520 --> 01:52:07,760
deeper, more powerful character.
The high altitude vineyards

1342
01:52:07,760 --> 01:52:12,760
along the Duero produce wines of
greater concentration with

1343
01:52:12,760 --> 01:52:18,360
darker fruit and firmer tannins.
The rocky slopes of Priorat

1344
01:52:18,800 --> 01:52:24,280
produce intense mineral laden
Reds from old Grenache and

1345
01:52:24,280 --> 01:52:28,800
Carignon vines.
Spain also makes one of the

1346
01:52:28,800 --> 01:52:34,400
world's most distinctive
aromatic whites, Albarino, from

1347
01:52:34,400 --> 01:52:40,000
the cool Rias Bassas region in
the northwest in Andalusia.

1348
01:52:40,480 --> 01:52:46,880
The fortified wines of Jerez,
known in English as Sherry, have

1349
01:52:46,880 --> 01:52:51,720
been produced for centuries
under hot Atlantic skies.

1350
01:52:52,080 --> 01:52:58,040
Portugal's most famous wine is
Port, the fortified sweet red

1351
01:52:58,440 --> 01:53:02,760
from the steep terraced
vineyards of the Duro Valley.

1352
01:53:03,640 --> 01:53:07,440
The same valley produces
excellent dry Reds from native

1353
01:53:07,440 --> 01:53:13,560
grapes like Turiga Nacional.
Further north, the rainy region

1354
01:53:13,560 --> 01:53:18,920
of Vinho Verde produces light,
slightly sparkling whites meant

1355
01:53:18,920 --> 01:53:22,600
to be drunk young.
The New World has been producing

1356
01:53:22,600 --> 01:53:27,160
distinctive wines of its own for
longer than many realize.

1357
01:53:28,000 --> 01:53:33,280
Napa Valley in Northern
California emerged in the late

1358
01:53:33,280 --> 01:53:38,960
20th century as one of the
world's most respected Cabernet

1359
01:53:38,960 --> 01:53:44,160
Sauvignon regions, with wines
that can rival Bordeaux.

1360
01:53:44,440 --> 01:53:49,640
Sonoma, just to the West, makes
a wider range of styles,

1361
01:53:50,000 --> 01:53:53,960
including superb Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir.

1362
01:53:54,280 --> 01:53:59,560
In Argentina, the high altitude
vineyards of Mendoza beneath the

1363
01:53:59,560 --> 01:54:05,440
Andes have made Malbec into
South America's signature wine.

1364
01:54:06,000 --> 01:54:11,000
The thin air, intense sun and
cool nights produce wines of

1365
01:54:11,320 --> 01:54:15,360
deep color, dark fruit and
softness.

1366
01:54:16,240 --> 01:54:20,080
Chile, on the other side of the
mountains, produces Cabernet

1367
01:54:20,080 --> 01:54:25,160
Sauvignon and the savory
Carmener of similar quality.

1368
01:54:25,520 --> 01:54:29,880
Australia's wine country is
famously diverse.

1369
01:54:30,560 --> 01:54:34,640
The Barossa Valley produces some
of the world's most powerful and

1370
01:54:34,640 --> 01:54:40,280
beloved shiras, while Kunawara
makes structured Cabernet

1371
01:54:40,280 --> 01:54:45,000
Sauvignon on its distinctive red
Terra Rosa soil.

1372
01:54:46,080 --> 01:54:50,040
The Hunter Valley produces a
style of semion that ages

1373
01:54:50,040 --> 01:54:54,320
remarkably well.
New Zealand has built its

1374
01:54:54,320 --> 01:54:59,720
reputation on Sauvignon Blanc
from Marlboro, but its cool

1375
01:54:59,720 --> 01:55:05,120
climate pinot noir from Central
Otago and Martinsboro has also

1376
01:55:05,120 --> 01:55:09,760
drawn acclaim.
South Africa makes excellent

1377
01:55:09,760 --> 01:55:15,000
chenin Blanc, pinotage and
Cabernet from the Cape region

1378
01:55:15,200 --> 01:55:19,120
near Stellenbosch.
The world of wine, once

1379
01:55:19,120 --> 01:55:24,000
concentrated in Europe, is now
woven through every continent

1380
01:55:24,080 --> 01:55:28,680
that grows vines.
A wine label is the bottle's

1381
01:55:28,680 --> 01:55:34,240
introduction, the brief story it
tells before being opened.

1382
01:55:35,120 --> 01:55:40,200
To someone unfamiliar with wine,
labels can feel like a foreign

1383
01:55:40,200 --> 01:55:45,680
language, full of unfamiliar
place names, antique scripts,

1384
01:55:46,000 --> 01:55:51,160
and confusing classifications.
Once a few patterns are

1385
01:55:51,160 --> 01:55:57,360
understood, the label becomes a
quiet guide to what lies inside.

1386
01:55:57,760 --> 01:56:02,800
The world of wine labels divides
broadly into two traditions.

1387
01:56:03,440 --> 01:56:08,960
Old World labels from countries
like France, Italy, Spain, and

1388
01:56:08,960 --> 01:56:14,240
Germany tend to emphasize the
place where the wine was made.

1389
01:56:15,000 --> 01:56:19,560
New World labels from places
like the United States,

1390
01:56:19,560 --> 01:56:25,280
Australia, Argentina, and South
Africa tend to emphasize the

1391
01:56:25,280 --> 01:56:29,840
grape variety.
A bottle labeled Chablis tells

1392
01:56:29,840 --> 01:56:35,320
you it comes from the Chablis
region of Burgundy, and the wine

1393
01:56:35,320 --> 01:56:42,080
inside will be Chardonnay.
A bottle labeled Pommard tells

1394
01:56:42,080 --> 01:56:47,280
you it comes from the village of
Pommard, and the wine inside

1395
01:56:47,280 --> 01:56:51,920
will be Pinot Noir.
The grape is implied by the

1396
01:56:51,920 --> 01:56:56,240
place, but the place is what
appears on the label.

1397
01:56:56,520 --> 01:57:01,600
In contrast, a bottle from
California labeled Chardonnay

1398
01:57:02,240 --> 01:57:07,640
tells you exactly what grape is
inside, but may not specify A

1399
01:57:07,640 --> 01:57:12,680
precise region.
New World labels often combine

1400
01:57:12,680 --> 01:57:17,720
grape variety with a broader
region, like Napa Valley

1401
01:57:17,720 --> 01:57:22,160
Cabernet Sauvignon or
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

1402
01:57:22,560 --> 01:57:28,160
Beyond grape and place, most
labels show the vintage the year

1403
01:57:28,160 --> 01:57:33,320
the grapes were harvested.
Vintage matters because each

1404
01:57:33,320 --> 01:57:37,960
year's weather shapes the wine
in distinctive ways.

1405
01:57:38,800 --> 01:57:43,400
A great vintage in Bordeaux may
produce wines of legendary

1406
01:57:43,400 --> 01:57:48,600
depth, while a difficult vintage
yields lighter, more variable

1407
01:57:48,600 --> 01:57:52,000
wines.
The producer name is usually

1408
01:57:52,000 --> 01:57:56,960
prominent on the label.
In Burgundy and elsewhere, the

1409
01:57:56,960 --> 01:58:01,760
producer name may matter more
than the vineyard name, since

1410
01:58:01,760 --> 01:58:06,640
different producers tend the
same plots in different ways.

1411
01:58:08,040 --> 01:58:13,400
Recognizing trusted producers is
one of the quiet pleasures of

1412
01:58:13,400 --> 01:58:18,000
becoming familiar with wine.
Labels often include an

1413
01:58:18,000 --> 01:58:21,280
Appalachian, A regulated
designation of origin.

1414
01:58:21,960 --> 01:58:27,440
In France, these include the
letters AOC for Appalachian

1415
01:58:27,440 --> 01:58:35,200
Dorigine contrulae, in Italy DOC
or DOCG in the United States,

1416
01:58:35,560 --> 01:58:38,720
Ava for American Viticultural
Area.

1417
01:58:39,520 --> 01:58:43,000
These systems verify that the
wine comes from where it claims

1418
01:58:43,560 --> 01:58:47,640
and that it follows certain
rules of grape variety and

1419
01:58:47,640 --> 01:58:51,720
production method.
The alcohol percentage is

1420
01:58:51,720 --> 01:58:56,920
usually listed somewhere on the
label, often in small text.

1421
01:58:57,760 --> 01:59:03,800
Most table wines fall between 11
and 15% alcohol, with cooler

1422
01:59:03,800 --> 01:59:08,640
climates producing lower alcohol
wines and warmer ones higher.

1423
01:59:09,520 --> 01:59:15,600
This number gives a useful hint
about the wine's likely body and

1424
01:59:15,600 --> 01:59:18,920
weight.
Some labels mention specific

1425
01:59:19,000 --> 01:59:24,000
aging terms, like Reserva or
Grand Reserva in Spain,

1426
01:59:24,480 --> 01:59:27,960
indicating extended aging before
release.

1427
01:59:28,680 --> 01:59:34,520
Others note techniques like
estate bottled, meaning the

1428
01:59:34,520 --> 01:59:39,160
producer grew the grapes and
made the wine on the same

1429
01:59:39,160 --> 01:59:42,960
property.
A label, once you can read it,

1430
01:59:43,440 --> 01:59:46,960
is less of a Riddle and more of
a map.

1431
01:59:47,840 --> 01:59:53,240
It can quietly tell you what to
expect, what the wine might pair

1432
01:59:53,240 --> 01:59:58,520
with, and how long to keep it.
Wine and food have lived

1433
01:59:58,520 --> 02:00:01,720
together for as long as both
have existed.

1434
02:00:02,400 --> 02:00:06,600
In nearly every wine producing
region, the local food and the

1435
02:00:06,600 --> 02:00:10,960
local wine have grown up
alongside one another, slowly

1436
02:00:10,960 --> 02:00:16,000
learning to fit.
A meal of Tuscan ribilita and

1437
02:00:16,040 --> 02:00:23,800
Chianti, of Burgundian beef Stew
and Pinot noir, of Spanish jamin

1438
02:00:23,800 --> 02:00:29,200
and Rioja, was not invented by
anyone but evolved.

1439
02:00:29,560 --> 02:00:34,800
For most of history, pairing was
simply a matter of what was at

1440
02:00:34,800 --> 02:00:38,080
hand.
People drank the wines their

1441
02:00:38,080 --> 02:00:41,960
valley produced with the foods
their land grew.

1442
02:00:42,960 --> 02:00:47,320
The harmonies that emerged were
practical rather than

1443
02:00:47,320 --> 02:00:52,840
theoretical, but they were often
profound, and they remain the

1444
02:00:52,840 --> 02:00:56,720
quiet foundation of most modern
pairing wisdom.

1445
02:00:57,160 --> 02:01:03,040
The old rules are familiar, red
wine with red meat, white wine

1446
02:01:03,040 --> 02:01:08,600
with fish, and these guidelines
hold often enough to be useful.

1447
02:01:09,320 --> 02:01:14,760
But they are blunt instruments,
and a delicate pinot noir suits

1448
02:01:14,760 --> 02:01:18,560
salmon better than a heavy,
oaked Chardonnay does.

1449
02:01:19,160 --> 02:01:24,880
While a rich sauterne pairs
beautifully with foie gras or

1450
02:01:24,880 --> 02:01:29,600
blue cheese, A more useful
principle is matching weight.

1451
02:01:30,200 --> 02:01:35,200
A light, delicate dish calls for
a light, delicate wine, while a

1452
02:01:35,200 --> 02:01:39,280
rich, heavy dish calls for a
richer, fuller wine.

1453
02:01:39,920 --> 02:01:45,560
A green salad wants a crisp
Sauvignon Blanc, not a powerful

1454
02:01:45,560 --> 02:01:51,000
Cabernet, while a slow, braised
lamb shoulder wants a generous

1455
02:01:51,000 --> 02:01:56,280
sera or tempurnillo.
Tannin and protein have a

1456
02:01:56,280 --> 02:02:00,880
particular friendship.
The tannins in red wine bind to

1457
02:02:00,880 --> 02:02:05,600
proteins in meat, softening the
wine's grip and revealing its

1458
02:02:05,600 --> 02:02:09,920
fruit beneath.
This is why a tannic young

1459
02:02:09,920 --> 02:02:15,040
Cabernet, which can feel
astringent on its own, becomes

1460
02:02:15,160 --> 02:02:20,600
harmonious with a grilled steak.
And the pairing is not just

1461
02:02:20,600 --> 02:02:25,520
tradition but chemistry.
Acid plays a similar role.

1462
02:02:25,960 --> 02:02:30,520
A wine with bright acidity can
cut through rich, creamy or

1463
02:02:30,520 --> 02:02:34,720
fatty dishes, refreshing the
pallet between bites.

1464
02:02:35,280 --> 02:02:40,320
Champagne with fried food sans
serre with goat cheese.

1465
02:02:40,840 --> 02:02:44,800
Riesling with pork belly.
Dry rose with grilled

1466
02:02:44,800 --> 02:02:48,840
vegetables.
These pairings work because the

1467
02:02:48,840 --> 02:02:53,520
wine's acid balances the food's
richness.

1468
02:02:53,840 --> 02:02:56,480
Sweetness deserves attention,
too.

1469
02:02:57,040 --> 02:03:01,480
Sweet wines pair beautifully
with spicy foods, since the

1470
02:03:01,480 --> 02:03:07,200
sugar tames the heat, and with
salty foods, as in the classic

1471
02:03:07,200 --> 02:03:11,640
combination of Port and Stilton
cheese.

1472
02:03:12,360 --> 02:03:16,960
They also pair with sweet foods,
though here the wine must be at

1473
02:03:16,960 --> 02:03:22,440
least as sweet as the dessert or
it will taste thin and sour by

1474
02:03:22,440 --> 02:03:25,520
comparison.
The most thoughtful pairings

1475
02:03:25,520 --> 02:03:28,360
often work by contrast as well
as harmony.

1476
02:03:29,040 --> 02:03:32,200
A salty cheese with a honeyed
wine.

1477
02:03:32,800 --> 02:03:36,560
A fatty fish with a bright,
acidic white.

1478
02:03:37,320 --> 02:03:41,680
A spice dish with a slightly
sweet wine.

1479
02:03:42,600 --> 02:03:47,080
These contrasts can be more
memorable than perfect matches

1480
02:03:47,440 --> 02:03:51,880
because the two flavors lift
each other into something new.

1481
02:03:52,280 --> 02:03:58,040
In the end, pairing is less of a
science than a quiet, slow game.

1482
02:03:58,760 --> 02:04:03,440
There are guidelines worth
knowing, but rules worth

1483
02:04:03,440 --> 02:04:08,080
breaking.
The most important pairing is

1484
02:04:08,080 --> 02:04:13,360
the one you enjoy with the
people you enjoy it alongside.

1485
02:04:13,800 --> 02:04:18,760
Tasting wine in the careful
sense is not the same as

1486
02:04:18,760 --> 02:04:21,560
drinking it.
Anyone can drink wine while

1487
02:04:21,560 --> 02:04:24,920
tasting.
It is a way of slowing down,

1488
02:04:25,280 --> 02:04:30,360
paying attention, and letting
the wine reveal itself one layer

1489
02:04:30,360 --> 02:04:34,360
at a time.
It involves nearly all of the

1490
02:04:34,360 --> 02:04:40,560
senses working quietly together
in a span of less than a minute.

1491
02:04:41,040 --> 02:04:44,000
The first sense engaged is
sight.

1492
02:04:44,680 --> 02:04:48,840
Hold a glass up to a light or
tip it slightly against a white

1493
02:04:48,840 --> 02:04:52,440
surface, since the color tells a
quiet story.

1494
02:04:53,280 --> 02:04:59,120
Red wines range from pale Ruby
to deep purple to garnet to

1495
02:04:59,120 --> 02:05:03,600
brick, depending on the grape
and the age, while white wines

1496
02:05:03,600 --> 02:05:08,400
move from clear, pale gold to
deeper honey or amber.

1497
02:05:08,760 --> 02:05:13,120
Cloudiness or sediment may
indicate that the wine has not

1498
02:05:13,120 --> 02:05:16,920
been filtered or that it is old
enough to throw deposits,

1499
02:05:17,480 --> 02:05:20,400
neither a fault, but only a
sign.

1500
02:05:21,400 --> 02:05:26,760
A slow tilt of the glass also
reveals viscosity, sometimes

1501
02:05:26,760 --> 02:05:32,040
called legs, as the wine slides
down the inside surface.

1502
02:05:32,200 --> 02:05:37,200
Higher alcohol and higher sugar
both produce slower, more

1503
02:05:37,200 --> 02:05:41,440
visible legs.
Next comes the swirl.

1504
02:05:42,120 --> 02:05:46,640
A gentle rotation of the glass
causes the wine to coat the

1505
02:05:46,640 --> 02:05:52,040
inside surface, releasing
volatile aromatic compounds into

1506
02:05:52,040 --> 02:05:58,520
the air just above This is the
moment to bring the glass to

1507
02:05:58,520 --> 02:06:05,360
your nose and breathe in slowly
with the lips slightly parted.

1508
02:06:05,640 --> 02:06:09,520
Smell is where wine reveals most
of itself.

1509
02:06:10,280 --> 02:06:14,720
The nose can distinguish
thousands of distinct scents,

1510
02:06:15,360 --> 02:06:19,960
and a complex wine may contain
dozens at once.

1511
02:06:20,760 --> 02:06:26,080
Look for fruit aromas first, the
most prominent layer, then for

1512
02:06:26,080 --> 02:06:31,120
secondary notes of bread, butter
or yogurt, and tertiary notes of

1513
02:06:31,520 --> 02:06:38,240
leather, earth, mushroom or
honey if the wine has aged.

1514
02:06:38,600 --> 02:06:43,560
Now take a small sip.
Let the wine move across the

1515
02:06:43,560 --> 02:06:48,280
front of the tongue, the sides
and the back, each region

1516
02:06:48,280 --> 02:06:54,360
picking up different sensations.
The front detects sweetness, the

1517
02:06:54,360 --> 02:07:00,960
sides detect acid, the back
detects tannin and bitterness,

1518
02:07:01,520 --> 02:07:05,240
while the whole palate detects
texture and body.

1519
02:07:05,560 --> 02:07:11,080
Note the four pillars at work.
How much acid is there, that

1520
02:07:11,080 --> 02:07:16,800
mouth watering sharpness, how
much tannin, that drying grip,

1521
02:07:17,480 --> 02:07:22,440
how much alcohol, that warmth on
the throat and how much

1522
02:07:22,440 --> 02:07:28,360
sweetness, if any.
A well balanced wine has all

1523
02:07:28,360 --> 02:07:32,160
four in proportion with none
dominating the others.

1524
02:07:32,480 --> 02:07:37,360
Then there is the finish, the
lingering taste after the wine

1525
02:07:37,360 --> 02:07:43,120
has been swallowed or spit out.
A long finish, where flavors

1526
02:07:43,120 --> 02:07:48,640
continue to evolve for many
seconds is usually a mark of

1527
02:07:48,640 --> 02:07:52,920
quality.
A short finish, where the wine

1528
02:07:52,920 --> 02:07:57,640
disappears quickly often signals
A simpler wine.

1529
02:07:58,000 --> 02:08:02,400
You do not need to identify
every note to taste well.

1530
02:08:03,320 --> 02:08:08,920
The point is not to perform
expertise, but to notice, to

1531
02:08:08,920 --> 02:08:13,720
slow down, to let the wine show
you what it has to show.

1532
02:08:14,680 --> 02:08:20,480
Tasting is, at its quietest, a
form of attention given to

1533
02:08:20,480 --> 02:08:23,960
something a vine spent a year
preparing.

1534
02:08:24,320 --> 02:08:28,760
And once you have noticed, you
can drink the rest of the glass

1535
02:08:28,760 --> 02:08:33,240
with the same attention or
simply let it become a friend

1536
02:08:33,720 --> 02:08:38,640
present in the room.
And so the long story can grow

1537
02:08:38,640 --> 02:08:42,200
quiet now.
We began with a grape and a

1538
02:08:42,200 --> 02:08:47,240
forgotten vessel in a cool
corner of the world, with wild

1539
02:08:47,240 --> 02:08:52,640
yeast meeting sugar in a clay
pot somewhere in the Caucasus

1540
02:08:53,120 --> 02:08:58,040
8000 years ago.
We have followed the vine since,

1541
02:08:58,520 --> 02:09:03,400
across continents and centuries,
through monasteries and

1542
02:09:03,400 --> 02:09:08,560
mountains, through wars and
harvests and patient slopes

1543
02:09:08,560 --> 02:09:13,160
facing the sun.
None of it was inevitable, yet

1544
02:09:13,160 --> 02:09:18,960
all of it has happened, and all
of it is still happening to

1545
02:09:18,960 --> 02:09:22,480
night.
We have watched wine become the

1546
02:09:22,480 --> 02:09:27,440
companion of Pharaohs, of
philosophers, of medieval monks,

1547
02:09:27,440 --> 02:09:31,320
marking out the hillsides of
Burgundy with care that would

1548
02:09:31,320 --> 02:09:36,520
last 1000 years.
We have crossed oceans into the

1549
02:09:36,520 --> 02:09:42,000
New World, where the vine had to
learn the land all over again

1550
02:09:42,480 --> 02:09:48,120
and slowly succeeded.
We have walked beneath the

1551
02:09:48,120 --> 02:09:53,320
Andes, beside the Pacific, and
along the steep terraces of the

1552
02:09:53,320 --> 02:09:55,920
Duro.
We have looked closely at the

1553
02:09:55,920 --> 02:10:01,960
vine itself, this small, patient
plant that does not ask for rich

1554
02:10:01,960 --> 02:10:05,560
soil, only for sunlight and a
slope.

1555
02:10:06,480 --> 02:10:10,400
We have followed its year
through pruning and bud break,

1556
02:10:10,960 --> 02:10:15,120
through flowering, verison and
harvest.

1557
02:10:15,960 --> 02:10:20,880
We have watched fermentation
transform sugar into something

1558
02:10:20,960 --> 02:10:26,640
altogether new, a transformation
that happens somewhere in the

1559
02:10:26,640 --> 02:10:31,400
world almost every day.
We have considered the quiet

1560
02:10:31,400 --> 02:10:36,720
chemistry of taste, the four
pillars of acid, tannin, sugar

1561
02:10:36,720 --> 02:10:40,480
and alcohol in their constant
conversation.

1562
02:10:41,240 --> 02:10:46,800
We have smelled fruit and earth
and old leather in glasses of

1563
02:10:46,800 --> 02:10:50,680
wine that had been waiting
decades for the right moment.

1564
02:10:51,720 --> 02:10:57,800
We have learned that aging is
patience made into flavor, and

1565
02:10:57,800 --> 02:11:02,480
that some of the best things in
the world cannot be hurried.

1566
02:11:02,800 --> 02:11:06,520
We have visited Bordeaux's
Chateau and Burgundy's

1567
02:11:06,520 --> 02:11:11,680
vineyards, Champagne's chalk
Cellars and the Loire's winding

1568
02:11:11,680 --> 02:11:15,200
river.
We have walked through Tuscany's

1569
02:11:15,200 --> 02:11:22,320
hills, Piedmont's mists, Spain's
sun warmed slopes and Portugal's

1570
02:11:22,320 --> 02:11:26,920
terraced valleys.
We have seen how each place

1571
02:11:26,920 --> 02:11:30,440
leaves its mark on what is
poured into the glass.

1572
02:11:30,760 --> 02:11:35,800
And we have ended with the
simplest things, a label, a

1573
02:11:35,800 --> 02:11:42,600
pairing, a careful tasting, the
quiet way that wine and food and

1574
02:11:42,600 --> 02:11:48,880
people have always come together
in rooms small and large, across

1575
02:11:48,880 --> 02:11:53,200
thousands of years of evenings,
much like this one.

1576
02:11:53,520 --> 02:11:58,800
What lingers after all of this
is not facts or names or

1577
02:11:58,800 --> 02:12:02,760
vintages.
It is a sense that wine is a

1578
02:12:02,760 --> 02:12:08,880
kind of time made drinkable, the
time of a vine, of a season, of

1579
02:12:08,880 --> 02:12:12,160
a region, of a cellar, of a
generation.

1580
02:12:13,000 --> 02:12:17,680
To open a bottle is to release
some of that time into a single

1581
02:12:17,680 --> 02:12:23,320
evening, into a single room,
into a single quiet moment.

1582
02:12:23,760 --> 02:12:27,480
The world outside your window
keeps turning.

1583
02:12:28,360 --> 02:12:34,120
Somewhere a vine is reaching
toward the sun, somewhere else

1584
02:12:34,440 --> 02:12:39,480
grapes are slowly ripening on a
hillside under a moon you cannot

1585
02:12:39,480 --> 02:12:46,560
see, and a cellar is cool and
still, and a wine is quietly

1586
02:12:46,560 --> 02:12:53,000
becoming what it will be.
The world slows, and so do we.

1587
02:12:53,320 --> 02:12:54,080
Good night.