Special thanks to Paul Henkens for our personal tour of the Chatham Hill Winery in Morrisville, N.C.

In the year 2002, 595 million gallons of wine were sold in the United States, totaling about $21.1 billion in consumer spending. This translates to more than 2 gallons (7.6 L) of wine consumed per resident. Many Americans enjoy wine with a meal or have wine at social functions. It has even been reported that a glass of red wine per day can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Wine, a beverage derived from grapes. See more pictures of wine.

Wine is an alcoholic beverage derived from grapes by fermentation, much the way beer is derived from the fermentation of grains. Unlike beer, wines are not carbonated (except champagne and sparkling wines). They also have about twice the alcohol content of beer. In this article, we will examine the steps in the fascinating process of making wine.