Discovery of cork
Modern methods of growing grapes and producing and storing wine emerged in the 17th century in Bordeaux, France, but not until cork was produced. Then, it was shown that bottles sealed with cork kept wine fresher and also maintained its texture, flavour and colour better than stoppers made of wood. This marked a veritable revolution in winemaking.

These days, once wine has been aged in casks, it is subjected to a process known as clarification, which involves adding eggwhite or bentonite -a very fine clay- to eliminate impurities. Immediately thereafter, the wine is bottled.

There are different kinds and shapes of wine bottles with names like Borgogne, Champagne, Tokay, Rhin-Moriles, Chianti, Franconia y Bordeaux, although each producer can come up with their own design.

Besides the shape of the bottle and the glass with which it is made, the cork is one of the most important elements in the winemaking process. It should be at least 44 mm long and not be too porous or have cracks. For this reason some vintners have used synthetic corks for years now. Quality corks are expensive.

The bottling of wine must be done in accordance with strict standards so as not to harm the quality of the product. Spanish law says the process should be done at vineyards with the area of the Denominaci�n de Origen, or certificate of quality, and under its strict monitoring.

Bottling systems
Spain's new Winemaking Law, number 24/2003, passed last July 10, covers the making, bottling and storage of wine with the goal of protecting the health of consumers.

Done either by the winemaker or an outside bottler, there are two ways of bottling wine:
- Cold-processing. The wine is bottled at a minimum temperature, with refrigerated plates.
- Stabilization with heat. This is a pasteurization and bottling that uses steam and water at a high temperature.�

Some years ago, after wine was bottled, producers used to age it further in the bottle. But this practice has fallen into disuse because many wine-lovers have their own cellars at home and climate-controlled cabinets.

Letter of recommendation
Wine is presented through its label. Besides giving information on the wine's content and characteristics, it mentions the harvest, the vineyard it comes from and its particular qualities. The label is a guarantee of quality and safety for consumers.

Since January 1st of�2003, new norms for wine labelling have been enforced by the European Comission and by the new law on wine-making, passed in July 2003.

The European executive body establishes what information should appear on the label and the terms for applying the underlying legislation - Regulation (CE) n� 1493/0999- as far as designation, classification, presentation and protection of certain wine products are concerned.
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The compulsory information�for labeling is: sales designation, volume, alcohol content, lot number and name of the bottler, distributor or importer. This information must be printed with clear, legible and indelible letters big enough to show up against the background on which they are printed and be distinguished clearly from the rest of the information and art on the label.�

The year of the harvest, the variety of grape, honours and awards, how the wine is produced - except how the grapes are grown, which follows a different norm - mentions of tradition and information on bottling are reserved for table wines and so-called V.C.P.R.D. -quality wines produced in a certain region.� Some information is optional, such as the identity of one or more people who have been involved in the marketing of the wine, the kind of product or data regarding a certain color.�

New law
The new winemaking law of July 10, 2003 requires labelling of wine in order to guarantee consumers�the veracity of the information on the, mainly its classification and origin. Vineyards must also have a public or private body that subjects the wine to strict inspection.

In Spain, as per this law and the European regulations, the label should show: the origin of the wine, its denominaci�n de origen, alcohol content, the harvest year, content in centilitres and the bottle's lot number. A label on the back of the bottle -voluntary or as an inducement- can add the seal of the regulatory council, the winemaking technique used, the grape, the casks in which the wine was aged, the quality - young, vintage, reserve or grand reserve - and comments on the region in which the wine was produced.

It is worth pointing out that when you read a wine label, the year refers to the spring prior to harvest and if you buy a white or ros� wine and it doesn't give a year, it means it is to be drunk that same year.