Wine

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Wine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes the sugars found in the grapes and converts them into alcohol. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are used depending on the type of wine being produced.

Although other fruits such as apples and berries can also be fermented, the resultant wines are normally named after the fruit from which they are produced (for example, apple wine or elderberry wine) and are generically known as fruit wine or country wine (not to be confused with the French term vin de pays). Others, such as barley wine and rice wine (i.e., sake), are made from starch-based materials and resemble beer and spirit more than wine, while ginger wine is fortified with brandy. In these cases, the use of the term "wine" is a reference to the higher alcohol content, rather than production process. The commercial use of the English word "wine" (and its equivalent in other languages) is protected by law in many jurisdictions.

Wine has a rich history dating back to around 6000 BC and is thought to have originated in areas now within the borders of Georgia and Iran. Wine probably appeared in Europe at about 4500 BC in what is now Bulgaria and Greece, and was very common in ancient Greece, Thrace and Rome. Wine has also played an important role in religion throughout history. The Greek god Dionysos and the Roman equivalent Bacchus represented wine, and the drink is also used in Christian and Jewish ceremonies such as the Eucharist (also called the Holy Communion) and Kiddush.

The word "wine" derives from the Proto-Germanic "*winam," an early borrowing from the Latin vinum, "wine" or "(grape) vine," itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European stem *win-o- (cf. Hittite: wiyana ,Lycian: Oino, Ancient Greek οῖνος - oînos, Aeolic Greek ϝοίνος - woinos).

For more information about Wine, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with red wine

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Researchers explore new ways to prevent spinal cord damage using a vitamin B3 precursor

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 05, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College. A recent $2.5 million grant from the New York State ...


Wine

Red, White Wine, Fish And Science

Chemistry / Other

created Oct 29, 2009 | popularity 3.2 / 5 (6) | comments 1

The long-standing rule of matching wine and food -- red wine with red meat and white wine with fish -- actually has a scientific explanation, according to two scientists working for the Mercian Corporation, ...


A scientific basis the 'golden rule' of pairing wines and foods

A scientific basis the 'golden rule' of pairing wines and foods

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Oct 21, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Scientists in Japan are reporting the first scientific explanation for one of the most widely known rules of thumb for pairing wine with food: "Red wine with red meat, white wine with fish." The scientists ...


Cell discovery opens new chapter in drug development

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Sep 08, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 0

Scientists have uncovered new details about how the cells in our bodies communicate with each other and their environment: findings that are of fundamental importance to human biology.


Study: Popular supplement quercetin does not enhance athletic performance

Medicine & Health / Research

created Sep 03, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

The antioxidant quercetin is increasingly being marketed as a supplement that boosts athletic performance, but a new University of Georgia study finds that it is no better than a placebo.


Chemicals found in fruit and veg offer dementia hope

Medicine & Health / Research

created Jul 10, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (5) | comments 5

A group of chemicals found in many fruits and vegetables, as well as tea, cocoa and red wine, could protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease, a  dementia expert will tell scientists at a conference today (Friday).


A red-wine polyphenol called resveratrol demonstrates significant health benefits

A red-wine polyphenol demonstrates significant health benefits

Medicine & Health / Other

created Jun 12, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (12) | comments 3

The benefits of alcohol are all about moderation. Low to moderate drinking - especially of red wine - appears to reduce all causes of mortality, while too much drinking causes multiple organ damage. A mini-review ...


Study: White wine can make tooth stains darker

Medicine & Health / Health

created Apr 01, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

It has long been known that red wine causes teeth to stain. But white wine? A recent study by NYU dental researchers found that drinking white wine can also increase the potential for teeth to take on dark stains.


Red wine vs. white? It makes no difference when it comes to breast-cancer risk

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Mar 09, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

The largest study of its kind to evaluate the effect of red versus white wine on breast-cancer risk concludes that both are equal offenders when it comes to increasing breast-cancer risk. The results of the study, led by ...


Red, red wine: How it fights Alzheimer's

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 21, 2008 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (40) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists call it the "French paradox" — a society that, despite consuming food high in cholesterol and saturated fats, has long had low death rates from heart disease. Research has suggested it is the red ...


Glass of wine

Red wine decreases the risk of lung cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Oct 07, 2008 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (23) | comments 1

Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men, according to a report in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention¸ a journal of the American Association for Ca ...


The tummy's taste for red wine with red meat

The tummy's taste for red wine with red meat

Chemistry /

created Jun 30, 2008 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (14) | comments 1

What happens when red wine meets red meat? If the rendezvous happens in the stomach, scientists in Israel are reporting, wine's bounty of healthful chemical compounds may thwart formation of harmful substances ...