THE WORLD OF WINE
 DRINKING WINE
 MODERN WINE
 CHOOSING
WINE
 HOW TO READ A
LABEL
 EUROPEAN
WINES: FRANCE,
SPAIN,
ENGLAND AND
CALIFORNIA
THE HISTORY OF WINE
The history of wine is very old. Wine
drinking is a common habit to most
civilisations such as Egypt, Greece
and Rome.. The Romans took their
wines to the Gauls: Provençe was one
of the first French regions to know
Roman vines. In the Middle Ages the
Church considered wine as the luxury
and comfort in this world. Nowadays
some countries such as the USA,
Great Britain , Australia, Germany
and Northern Europe, are increasing
their wine consumption.
IT IS THANKS TO THE GREEK EMPIRE
THAT ITALY DISCOVERED WINE, IN
FACT GREEKS CALLED ITALY THE
“LAND OF WINES”.
MODERN WINE
 THE 17°CENTURY IS THE
PERIOD IN WHICH
MODERN WINES WERE
BORN, CORK WAS
DISCOVERED AND IT
BECAME CLEAR THAT
WINE NOT ONLY LASTED
MUCH LONGER, BUT ITS
TASTE IMPROVED, TOO.
WINE LABEL
The wine label provides information on the contents of a bottle of
wine. Design is important for a wine label since it must above
all make the wine look tempting.
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Vintage
Winery name
Area where the wine is produced
The grape name
Where the wine was bottled
Country or State
Alcohol by volume
CHOOSING WINE
WINE CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE
MAIN CATEGORIES:
 STILL TABLE WINES: WHICH MAY
BE RED, WHITE OR ROSE’, DRY OR
SWEET AND ALL TASTES IN
BETWEEN;
 SPARKLING WINES: OF WHICH
CHAMPAGNE IS THE BEST-KNOWN;
 FORTIFIED WINES: SUCH AS PORTO,
MADEIRA AND SHERRY.
GOOD QUALITY WINES ARE IDEAL FOR
LUNCH OR DINNER WITH THE
FAMILY OR FOR ENTERTAINING
FRIENDS.
DIFFERENT OCCASIONS REQUIRE
DIFFERENT WINES: THERE ARE
WINES FOR APERITIFS AND WINES
FOR MEALS IN THE KITCHEN.
SPAIN
SPAIN IS SITUATED IN THE
THIRD POSITION IN WINE
SELLING, AFTER ITALY
AND FRANCE IN FACT ITS
WINE IS APPRECIATED
AROUND THE WORLD FOR
ITS LOW PRICE AND ALSO
FOR ITS CHARACTER .
APART FROM TABLE
WINES, SPAIN IS FAMOUS
FOR SHERRY THAT IS VERY
SWEET OR DRY . IT CAN
BE SERVED AS A CLASSIC
APERITIF OR AS A
DESSERT WINE.
FRANCE
FRANCE, MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, PRODUCES ALL
TYPES OF WINE, IN FACT IT HAS MORE THAN ONE MILLION HECTARES OF
VINEYARDS. THE BEST KNOWN WINE PRODUCING REGIONS ARE BURGUNDY
AND BORDEAU BURGUNDY IS THE MOST NORTHERLY AREA IN THE WORLD
WHERE GREAT RED WINE IS PRODUCED. BORDEAUX IS THE LARGEST FINEWINE DISTRICT IN THE WORLD, IT HAS A GOOD POSITION NEAR THE SEA
WHICH A MODERATE CLIMATE. ITS RED WINES ARE SUPERLATIVE AND ITS
WHITE WINES ARE CONSIDERED VERY GOOD.
ENGLAND
The British have become some of the most demanding wine consumers in the world, in fact in
the late 1980 Great Britain imported more wine than any other country, apart from
Germany.The Romans brought vines to England and viticulture flourished in the Middle
Ages. Almost all modern English wines are white: they have a full flavour and a refreshing
touch of acidity. English wine is more expensive than any other European imported wine.
CALIFORNIA
California is the third largest state in
the USA; it extends for about
800miles along the Pacific Ocean.
The Californian economy is rich and
varied: farming, agriculture, wine
making, fishing, forestry and the film
industry are just some examples.
California also hosts a prestigious
state university at Berkley, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Santa
Barbara and Santa Cruz. California
can be divided into four regions: the
coastal mountainous ranges; the
Sierra Nevada, also known as the
Rockies, running 430 miles from
north to south; the Central Valley
and the south-eastern deserts.
CALIFORNIAN WINES
 AT THE END OF THE 18° CENTURY
THE EARLY SPANISH
MISSIONARIES BROUGHT
GRAPES TO CALIFORNIA FROM
MEXICO;
 IN THE 1850s THE FIRST WINERIES
STARTED PRODUCTION;
 IN THE 1960s BEGAN TO REVIVE
THE CALIFORNIAN WINE
INDUSTRY;
 IN THE 1966s ROBERT MONDAVI
WAS THE FIRST TO OPEN A
WINERY IN THE NAPA VALLEY
AFTER PROHIBITION WAS
REPEALED.
NAPA VALLEY
The Napa Valley, in Northern
California, is the symbol and the
centre of top-quality wine production
in California. The Valley lies in three
climatic zones, and consequently there
is a great variety of grapes:
Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon
are the best. Vineyard location are
now a big tourist attraction: a
gorgeous landscape with oaks and
pines, streams, fruit trees and
meadows can be enjoyed along with
the best Californian wines.
THE END
 BY ACATEMERA DI GIOIA AND MARIA MILELLA