5 ms·

"Wine" has been used for alcoholic beverages made from fruits other than grapes (or sometimes flowers, but never apples) since at least 1398 according to the Ox

"Wine" has been used for alcoholic beverages made from fruits other than grapes (or sometimes flowers, but never apples) since at least 1398 according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Sometimes it's just used as a catch-all for unknown brewed drinks.

goto11 4y ago
Cider is also sometimes called apple wine. You can make wine from basically any fruit or plant which have high enough sugar content.
- SenHeng 4y ago
  Cider in Japan is often just some kind of soda. Unless it’s a restaurant run by Aussies, then you unknowingly get drunk, and risk a DUI because you live in the middle of bumfuck no where and driving home is the only option.
choko 4y ago
Yep and in those cases, a qualifier is added, such as blueberry wine. If someone refers to something simply as "wine", I think most of us will expect grape.
throwawaylinux 4y ago
"Wine" today means grape wine. People ferment other things and call it dandelion wine or mango wine but not just wine (unless they're trying to be obscure and edgy). OP (and other commenters) is being overly pedantic though, because the article wasn't talking about the name, but why grapes are fermented to make alcoholic drinks more than other fruit. The answer from the article being high sugar, good taste, good availability.
ygra 4y ago
Mead is also called honey wine in German at least, so not exclusively fruit (at least if it's used with a qualifier). That's only in normal speech, though, as the trade name 'wine' is exclusively for grape wine.
- kurthr 4y ago
  Yes, and 110 proof Moutai baijiu is called "wine" in China, if you ask for a translation. I think there are better translations like, "white lightning".
jhgb 4y ago
> "Wine" has been used for alcoholic beverages made from fruits other than grapes And "tea" has been used for infusions of plants other than the tea plant. Doesn't mean it isn't confusing.

goto11 4y ago

Cider is also sometimes called apple wine. You can make wine from basically any fruit or plant which have high enough sugar content.

SenHeng 4y ago
Cider in Japan is often just some kind of soda. Unless it’s a restaurant run by Aussies, then you unknowingly get drunk, and risk a DUI because you live in the middle of bumfuck no where and driving home is the only option.

choko 4y ago

Yep and in those cases, a qualifier is added, such as blueberry wine. If someone refers to something simply as "wine", I think most of us will expect grape.

throwawaylinux 4y ago

"Wine" today means grape wine. People ferment other things and call it dandelion wine or mango wine but not just wine (unless they're trying to be obscure and edgy). OP (and other commenters) is being overly pedantic though, because the article wasn't talking about the name, but why grapes are fermented to make alcoholic drinks more than other fruit. The answer from the article being high sugar, good taste, good availability.

ygra 4y ago

Mead is also called honey wine in German at least, so not exclusively fruit (at least if it's used with a qualifier). That's only in normal speech, though, as the trade name 'wine' is exclusively for grape wine.

kurthr 4y ago
Yes, and 110 proof Moutai baijiu is called "wine" in China, if you ask for a translation. I think there are better translations like, "white lightning".

jhgb 4y ago

> "Wine" has been used for alcoholic beverages made from fruits other than grapes And "tea" has been used for infusions of plants other than the tea plant. Doesn't mean it isn't confusing.