Asset ID: 98593123 / Carlsson, Peter / Bottles of wine, close-up, Sweden.

Wine is an alcoholic beverage , made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes . The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars , acids , enzymes , or other nutrients . Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast . Yeast consumes the sugars in the grapes and converts them into alcohol . Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts produce different types of wine.
Wines made from other fruits, such as apples and berries, are usually named after the fruit from which they are produced (for example, apple wine or elderberry wine ) and are generically called 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 term "wine" refers to the higher alcohol content rather than the 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 thousands of years, with the earliest known production occurring around 8,000 years ago on the territory of modern-day Georgia . It first appeared in the Balkans at about 4500 BC and was very common in ancient Greece , Thrace and Rome . Wine has also played an important role in religion throughout history. The Greek god Dionysus and the Roman equivalent Bacchus represented wine, and the drink is also used in Christian Eucharist ceremonies and the Jewish Kiddush (among many other Jewish ceremonies).

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