Still wine
Still wine is wine that does not contain significant dissolved carbon dioxide and therefore lacks effervescence. It represents the dominant category of wine produced globally and encompasses the full range of red, white and rosé styles made without intentional secondary carbonation.[1]
Definition
From a regulatory and technical perspective, still wine is defined as wine in which carbon dioxide is either absent or present only in residual amounts resulting from alcoholic fermentation, below the threshold required to create perceptible bubbles.[2] This distinguishes still wines from sparkling wine, semi-sparkling wine and other carbonated wine products.
International standards, including those set by the OIV and national authorities, use pressure limits to classify wines as still, typically below 1 bar at 20 °C.
Production
Still wines are produced through primary alcoholic fermentation, during which yeast converts grape sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. In contrast to sparkling wine production, the carbon dioxide generated during fermentation is allowed to escape rather than being retained or reintroduced.[3]
Winemaking techniques for still wines vary widely depending on style and colour, but may include maceration, pressing, clarification, maturation and stabilisation. The absence of pressure-related constraints allows for greater flexibility in vessel choice, closure type and ageing regime.[4]
Styles and diversity
Still wines account for the majority of wines produced worldwide and display extensive diversity in terms of grape variety, alcohol level, sweetness, acidity and ageing potential. They may range from light, early-drinking wines to structured styles capable of long-term bottle ageing.[5]
Sweet still wines, including those made from late harvest or botrytised grapes, are also included within this category, provided no effervescence is present.
Regulatory context
In most wine-producing countries, still wine forms the baseline category within wine legislation and classification systems. Distinctions between still and sparkling wines affect labelling requirements, taxation, permitted production methods and transport regulations.[6]
Statistical reporting by international bodies such as the FAO and OIV typically separates still wines from sparkling and fortified categories when analysing production and trade volumes.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ Robinson (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine, Oxford University Press, 2015, ISBN 978-0198705383.
- ↑ OIV, “Definitions of wine categories”.
- ↑ Jackson, Wine Science, Academic Press, 2020, ISBN 978-0128161180.
- ↑ Ribéreau-Gayon et al., Handbook of Enology, Vol. 1, Wiley, 2006, ISBN 978-0470010372.
- ↑ Johnson & Robinson, The World Atlas of Wine, Mitchell Beazley, 2019, ISBN 978-1784724030.
- ↑ Peynaud, Knowing and Making Wine, Wiley, 1984, ISBN 978-0471881491.
- ↑ FAO, “Wine production categories”.