• THE CHARACTER of a wine depends on the grape variety used, but there are about 2000 varieties that gift wines with an unparalleled versatility. Each variety, moreover, may have several clones accounting for different tastes. Within the same vineyard, the grape will have different properties depending upon the direction of vines with respect to the sun, the angle of the slope on which they have grown and the soil type. Naturally, the same grape variety grown in the same region, or in different parts of the world, will yield wines tasting differently. What also matters is whether the grapes used are from the same vineyard, or from cooperatives where farmers dump their produce.

• Human intervention also makes a difference. Wine-makers control quality by pruning vines to limit the output to desirable levels; they even destroy bunches to reduce yield. Making wine, in fact, is such a precise task that the time when the grapes are harvested-the window that wine-makers have generally is 7-15 days, is critical for their sugar content and acidity.

• Different varieties of grapes and their proportion in the blend will yield different wines. Chianti, for instance, has 80 percent Sangiovese, the balance being provided by different proportions of Canaiolo for bouquet, Trebbiano to lighten the wine, Malvasia for colour and Colorino for brilliance, yielding thousands of possibilities for the taste-buds.

• The other determinants of taste are; nature of the yeast used, fermentation temperature, which, in turn, affects the speed of alcohol formation; the time spent by the wine in stainless steel fermentation tanks and/or the oak barrels; age of the barrels; the point of origin of the oak used in the barrels; and the nature of the oak used ( baked or toasted). Yet another critical factor is the type and quality of cork used. Two bottles of the same batch sealed with corks of the same batch may age differently. Finally, wine changes character in the bottle. Ready-to-drink wines will get 'tired' with age while fine wines will improve continuously till they reach their peak. With these endless permutations determining the quality of individual, it's obvious why no two wines are ever alike.

(The author is the President,Delhi Wine Club. arora@delhiwineclub.com )