Wines Spirits & Beer Information
At ourcellar.co.uk you are at the leading online directory where you can find all the information that you may require, guiding you through the process of finding the right wine for the right occasion. That might be wine for a dinner party to compliment the food, or for a special celebration, or just to relax and drink at home with family or friends.
As you are aware, wine is an alcoholic beverage and the normal range of alcohol is between, at the lower end 10% by volume, to the mighty 14% for some wines coming from the vineyard. Wine is classified into white or red, with variants such as rose and sparkling wines, including champagne. Fortified wines in the sherry and port style are up to 20% alcohol by volume. Whilst there are wines that are made from berries and flowers, the common ingredient for most wines is the grape.
Wine has been drunk for over 8000 years, not just confined to religious ceremonies, still practiced today, but widely used to protect from disease that, in times past, was carried by unclean water. Traders across the Mediterranean sold the wines and spread its popularity throughout Europe and the world. As migrants settled in countries across Africa, Australasia and the Americas they took with them vines from Europe and the Middle East, producing some of the best wines now available.
True wine is a product of the grape, its juice fermented and bottled with great care. There are many types of grapes in the world, but the highest quality wines are made from the European wine grape, Vitis vinefera. The balance of flavour, sugar, aroma and other intangibles necessary for good wine are best manifested in this species of grape. It is thought to have originated in the Caucasus region of Europe.