Red Wine

Current Status

Research & Benefits

Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks.

A study including 2,900 women, those who consumed a glass of wine daily had significantly reduced inflammatory markers compared with women who abstained from alcohol

Current Uses

Wine is consumed as a luxurious drink by most.

Wine has an acidity that contours many foods. Foods high in fat pair well as the acidity can cut through the fatty layer and unlock a richer flavour.

Also used in many sauces in dishes

Climate Change

Grape chemistry and the quality of the wine has seen a change due to climate change. The shift in climate and the resulting changes to weather patterns and carbon dioxide Levels may cause shifts in grape chemistry and may result in poorer quality of the wine.

Unpredicted weather conditions

reduced yields

affects the flavour and chemical structure of the red wine

Special Legislation

Acts

The Food and Drug Act (1985) and the Safe Food for Canadians Act (2012) govern the labelling and process of winemaking that occurs in Canada. Both of these acts are enforced by the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

The CFIA enforces wine producers to follow labelling wine labelling requirements when selling Canadian wine in the domestic market.

Laws

Production of alcoholic beverages is a provincial jurisdiction and varies by province.

Consumption age requirements vary by province. In the majority of Canadian provinces, the drinking age for wine and all other alcoholic beverages is 19 but some provinces such as; Quebec Manitoba and Alberta are 18.

Future changes

Taxes

In Canada, wines have an SRP applied to them, like all alcoholic beverages. This is to control the consumption rates of alcoholic beverages throughout Canada. Wines and most beers also have an additional tax of 19.6 cents per litre.

According to per capita consumption, Quebec purchases the most wine while Nunavut purchases the least.

Labelling

All wine labels must feature; the percentage of alcohol by volume, the volume of the container and the number of drinks within the container.

VQA Wines

The wine must be made of 100% pure grapes. All of these wines must also be dated and must be evaluated by an expert wine tasting panel before they are released on the market. VQA wines are tested by wine, not by winery.

Water cannot be added to these wines and the labels must be accurate and truthful.

All of these wines must also be dated and must be evaluated by an expert wine tasting panel before they are released on the market. VQA wines are tested by wine, not by winery.

Processing

Harvesting

Grapes are harvested from vines. Grapes are picked at their peak ripeness for the best tasting wine and then these grapes are sent to the winery.

Once the grapes are at the winery, they are destemmed and all non-optimal grapes are thrown away. Some wine producers leave the stems however, in order to reduce the sourness of the grape

Fermentation

Yeast is added to the grapes in order to start fermentation. The yeast breaks down the grapes and creates alcohol. Fermentation takes about two weeks to finish.

Once the grapes are fermented, the freely running wine is removed from the tank and the skins of the grapes are pressed. By pressing the skin, an additional 15% of wine can be produced.

Malolactic Conversion

Before the grapes are blended, the grapes go through a second fermentation known as malolactic fermentation. A bacteria converts the malic acid produced into a smoother, more chocolatey tasting lactic acid.

Aging

The red wine is then placed in storage vessels where the wine ages. Mainly done in wooden barrels, however, ageing can also be done in vessels made from glass, concrete, clay or stainless steel.

Typically aged in wooden barrels as oak wood gives the wine a vanilla-like aromatic.

The longer the wine ages, the more chemical reactions that occur and the smoother it will taste.

Blending

After the wine has rested, the wine is now refined. Winemakers may blend various types of the same grape in order to produce a finished wine.

Blending is crucial as it is responsible for the texture of the wine. It is very important to get a consistent texture of the wine.

Filtration & Clarification

The wine is clarified in order to remove proteins that may make the wine cloudy. This can be done with fining agents such as; casein, egg whites or bentonite clay.

The wine is then filtered for sanitation. This is important as it ensures that the wine is not spoiled by bacteria.

Some winemakers skip this process because it alters the texture and quality of the wine..

Bottling

The wine is now bottled. It is important to not allow oxygen to be exposed to the wine. Sulphur dioxide is typically added in order to help preserve the wine for longer.

After the wine is bottled it is typically aged again until it is distributed.

Diagrams

History

6000 BC

The earliest physical evidence of wine production was found in Ancient Armenia/Georgia. Assumed to be made by the Shulaveri-Shomu people, the ancient grape was found in small clay pots indicating the fermenting of grapes during this time.

3100 BC

The pharaohs rose to power. During this period, Egyptians began creating a wine-like substance from red grapes. Pharaohs used to use these in ceremonies as the red wine resembled blood.

During this time, the Egyptians made various interactions with the Jewish and the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians were the ones that cultivated the widespread of wine around the world

1200 BC - 539 BC

The Phoenicians begin to trade across the Mediterranean, including the Middle East, Northern Africa, Greece and Italy.

800 BC

The Greeks are exposed by the Phoenicians and began to perfect the drink. In Europe, wine became a symbol for trade, religion and health.

As the Greeks conquered various colonies, they would settle and begin growing grapes for wine production

146 BC - 380 AD

The Romans take conquer Greece and build an empire. The Romans make wine a center of culture. Using the Greek's methods, the Romans expanded through Europe and planted grapevines in modern day France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

After the era of Christ, Christianity was introduced and wine was a significant role in many masses and areas in the Catholic Church. As Christianity evolved, the production of wine evolved with it.

1492 - 1600

As the expansion to the New World (North and South America) began, wine was brought to Mexico and Brazil. Wine spread all across South America from these two colonies.

1562-1608

The French arrive in the Americas and find grapes growing domestically. They begin using locally sourced grapes for wine production.

In 1608, the French settle in Quebec, with leader Samuel de Champlain. They bring grapevines from France, however, they did not grow sufficiently and here they also being to use locally grown grapes for the making of wine.

Economics

Wineries

Globally, it is estimated that about 260 million hectolitres of wine is produced globally per year.

Canada is home to 480 wineries

183 are located in Ontario

Money

The current market value of the wine industry in Canada is 8.59 billion CAD.

It is anticipated that the retail sales of red wine are expected to surpass 13.2 billion USD in 2022, indicating that Canadians are high consumers of the beverage.

Imports are primarily sourced from France

The Canadian wine industry generates about $1.2 billion just on tourism.

More than 31,000 jobs are created in Canada in the wine and grape industry.

Consumption Patterns

According to a recent survey, 30% of Canadians indicated that they consume wine at least once a week.

According to per capita consumption, Quebec purchases the most wine while Nunavut purchases the least.

Composition and Nutrition

Carbohydrate

Carbs in red wine come from sugar. Wine contains between 0-19 grams of sugar per serving, depending on sweetness.

Vitamins

Vitamin K (4%)

Thiamin (1%)

Niacin (2%)

Riboflavin (3%)

Minerals

Calcium (1%)

Copper (1%)

Zinc (1%)

Phosphorous (3%)

Iron (4%)

Magnesium (4%)

Potassium (5%)

Manganese (10%)

Other

Source of several antioxidants, flavonoids, polyphenols and revestrol.

can assist in the prevention of; cancer, heart disease, reduce cholesterol and protect your arteries