Why are grapes the main ingredient in all wines? Are other fruits used as well?

Answer 1

Most wine is made from grapes because they are extremely plentiful, they require the least amount of "tweaking" to make good wine, they come in a wide variety of styles and flavors, and they grow on every continent except Antarctica.

Even so, yes, you can use any fruit to make wine. Because grapes are so plentiful and have become the standard fruit from which most wine is made, "wine" refers to grape wine, and wine from other fruit generally has the name of the fruit in its name, such as "elderberry wine" or "blackberry wine" or "peach wine" etc. However, most fruits don't have the water or sugar content to make wine by themselves so they require the addition of sugar, water, and sometimes other ingredients to make just the right conditions for making a good wine.

Answer 2

Grapes are used (not as the main ingredient but as the only ingredient) because they are the perfect fruit. You can make wine from grapes without adding another ingredient. Crush the grapes, leave in a container and they will naturally ferment. They contain enough liquid and enough sugar to ferment to a reasonable alcohol content, around 12-13% alcohol. Plus they make a good tasting complex and rewarding drink.

With most (all?) other fruits you must add one or more of water, sugar and yeast

But there is a more basic answer to your question. Wine is made from grapes, because alcoholic drinks made from anything else are not wine. It comes down to what your definition of wine is, and in the EU at least, the legal definition of wine is that it is made from grapes. Other fruits have been historically fermented and the resulting beverage called wine.

The entire area of alcoholic drinks is covered in confusion with names, such as the number of sparkling drinks which are called champagne but have never even seen France let along Champagne. And there was a tale came out in the past couple of weeks of an American family who came to England to work and the mother always gave her young children a glass of cider before bed because they slept really well all night. She didn't realise that in England the word cider only means alcoholic fermented apple-juice, back home when she bought cider is was just plain applejuice.

Answer 3

Growing grapes is pretty easy. To make wine, you just smash up the grapes. Some people add sugar and yeast, but sugar and yeast are usually present on and in the grapes. If you add sugar and yeast it won't hurt anything--might make the wine sweeter than what you wanted if you like dry wine. Next you seal it in a container so it is deprived of oxygen. The yeast in this oxygen-free environment undergo anaerobic respiration which produces alcohol and CO2. You have to have a way for the CO2 to escape or you could blow-up your container. I've found a balloon over a vent works well. It lets the CO2 to escape(blowing up the balloon without letting oxygen in. Once it's stopped "working" take off the balloon, seal the container and let it age as much or as little as you like.

Answer 4

Sorry TitoBob sake Is a beer not a wine.

Wines can be made from most any fruit. By convention most people associate wine as being fermented grape juice.

Answer 5

And then there's Elderberry wine, plum wine, loganberry wine,
Apricot wine---yep, other fruits besides grapes can make wine, some even make brandies. Prisoners can tell you how to make
"Jail House Wine". Fermentation is the key.

Answer 6

The Amana Colonies in Iowa makes wine from fruits like blackberries and cranberries. They're sweeter, but pretty good. But you are right, predominantly it's grapes.

Answer 7

The definition of "wine" is "fermented juice", so it's the process that defines what wine is, not the source. For example, saki is a Japanese wine made from rice. You can make a wine from potatoes as well. If you distill potato wine, you get vodka. Almost any fruit can be used to make wine.

Answer 8

There are other types of wine. Dandelion wine, muscadine wine, pear wine, strawberry wine, and cherry wine. Grape is just the most common. Personally I really like muscadine wine and cherry.

Answer 9

you can make Wine out of almost any Fruit

Answer 10

they are not the only ingredient in wines...you can make beet wine..dandelion wine..any kind of fruit..you just have to have enough sugar to feed the yeast