Abayadi wine

Wine is produced in every region of Abayad, home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. The country is among the world’s largest producers of wine, with an area of 1,988,391 acres under vineyard cultivation, contributing an annual average of 1,275,951,013 gallons of wine. Abayad accounts for 19 percent of global production, and its wines are both exported around the world and popular domestically among Abayadis, who consume and average 11 gallons of wine a year.

Shamal and Abayadi peoples alike across the peninsula, although technological innovations that came with the Golden Age of Abayad greatly increased Abayad’s area under vine using efficient viticultural and winemaking methods, as well as pioneering large-scale production and storage techniques and barrel-making and bottling. Today, wines of all types are a quintessential part of Abayadi cuisine.

History
Although vines had been cultivated from wild grapes for millenia across the peninsula, it was not until the Shamal era that winemaking began to flourish. Viticulture is believed to have been introduced to the mainland by the Alkhadmimi culture sometime around 2010 BC, although it would not permeate the peninsula until closer to 400 BC. It was only after the unification under Qabl at the end of the League Wars that production began to flourish. Large scale, slave run vineyards sprang up in coastal areas and spread to such an extent that, in 305 BC, King Boutros I was forced to have a number of vineyards destroyed in order to free up fertile land for food production.

During this time, many cities forbade the import of foreign wines, as ruling nobles often had the exclusive right of its growth and sale. Exports to neighboring regions were reciprocated in wealth as well as slaves. Although considered unpalatable to some, it was customary at the time for young people and those of distinguished status to drink wine mixed with large amounts of water to prevent drunkenness. The region's vineyards suffered during the Era of Stained Blades and Sorrows, but were able to quickly bounce back afterward with the founding of the Confederation. This coincided with the cultivation of new vines, such as khazina, a relative to Cabernets. These vineyards became so successful that Abayad ultimately became a commercial hub for its wines, among other reasons. One popular wine-based beverage enjoyed historically in Abayad is Sayia, which was made by mixing wine, ground barley, goat's cheese, honey, and onions all boiled together. Often, in Abayad's many historic rites, psychoactive substances would be added to increase the spiritual experience of participants. In fact, the beverage survives today in specific rites for that exact purpose.

Classification System
In 1559, the State Wine Board was formed in order to promote Abayadi wines abroad and ensure that a list of standards were created and enforced. Since then, at the Board’s behest, several modifications and additions to that set of legislation have been made, including a major modification in 1588. The last modification, occurring in 1602, established five basic categories that encompass all wines sold in Abayad.
 * Foreign Wines are wines produced in any country outside Abayad that has not been certified by the State Wine Board as a “state producing standard quality product.”
 * Generic Wines can be produced anywhere in Abayad or a country certified by the State Wine Board as a “state producing standard quality product.” The label includes no indication of geographical origin of the grape varieties used, or the vintage.  Labels must only report the color of the wine and parts per volume of alcohol.
 * Varietal Wines must be made mostly (at least 80%) from a single kind of authorized “international” grape variety or entirely from two or more of them, grape variety or varieties and vintage must be indicated on the label. Wines made outside Abayad may achieve this certification by complying with the same restrictions following certification by the State Wine Board.
 * Wines with Protected Domestic Geographical Indication (PDGI) are those produced within a specific territory within Abayad and following a series of specific regulations on authorized varieties, viticultural, and vinification practices, organoleptic and chemico-physical characteristics, labeling instructions, and more. Wines with Protected Foreign Geographical Indication are recognized as well, following similar standards but abroad.
 * Wines with Protected Designation of Origin include two sub-categories: Controlled Designation of Origin (CDO) and Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin (CGDO). CDO wines must have been classified as PDGIs for at least five years.  They generally come from smaller regions within a PDGI territory that are particularly known for their climatic and geological characteristics, quality, and originality of local winemaking traditions.  They must also follow stricter production regulations than PDGIs.  A CDO wine may be promoted to CGDO if it has been classified as CDO for ten years.  In addition to fulfilling the requisites for CDOs, a CGDO must pass stricter analyses prior to commercialization, including tastings by specially appointed committees of the State Wine Board.  CGDOs must also demonstrate a superior commercial success.  Foreign companies may certify their wines as either if they follow the standards and pay a licensing fee for the inspection.  Currently, only Ichoria and Achysia produce foreign wines classed as CGDO.

A number of subcategories exist pertaining to the regulation of sparkling wine as well. The State Wine Board regularly publishes updates to the official classifications. It is important to note than lower levels of classification do not necessarily correspond to lower quality. In fact, many Generica wines are actually high in quality. Talented winemakers sometimes wish to create wines using varietal percentages that do not match standard requirements.

In 1601, the State Wine Board introduced the Additional Geographic Subzones Proposal. Sixty-five subzone vineyard areas were identified, the main goal of which was to put official boundaries to some of the more historically treasured varieties of vines to protect them from unjustified expansion or exploitation.

Geographical characteristics
Important wine-relevant geographic characteristics of Abayad include:
 * The extensive latitudinal range of the country permits wine growing from the Northern Bula Range and rainy northwest to the drier east and southwest.
 * The fact that Abayad is a peninsula with a long shoreline contributes moderating climatic effects to coastal wine regions.
 * Abayad’s mountainous and hilly terrain provides a variety of altitudes and climate and soil conditions for grape growing.

Wine Regions
Abayad’s twenty wine regions correspond to twenty historical and geographic regions across the country, and understanding the differences between these regions is very helpful in understanding the different types of Abayadi wines, which tend to reflect the local cuisines corresponding to said regions. Aside from the twenty historical wine-producing regions, there are five grades of wine sold in Abayad; every wine sold domestically must bear one of the five grades. Whatever grade a wine is must be displayed prominently on its label: Foreign, Generic, Varietal, Promoted Domestic Geographical Location, and Protected Designation of Origin. Abayad’s State Wine Board has documented over 300 grapes and granted them “authorized” status, with more the 500 other documented varieties in circulation as well.

Abayadi wines are available in four primary varieties: Yellow (Tumir), Red (Nabad), Orange (Mubal), and Blue (Amwaj). Yellows and Reds are the most common varieties, produced by green and red grapes. Orange and Blue wines are produced by specially designated Orange and Blue Grapes, with Orange grapes being a special subset of yellow created and cultivated outsize Zil-Haryun in the country’s east known for their tartness, and Blue being the name used for the wild or semi-wild “Blue” grapes found in both Bula Mountain Ranges, traditionally grown or harvested by the Tinifghani peoples and known for their sweetness and the sweet wines they produce.

Wine Guides
Numerous international wine guides and publications rate Abayadi wines among the most popular and of the highest quality. Among Abayadi publications, wines are typically rated as being one to four “glasses,” depending on their quality. Many guides have gained attention among professionals and amateurs, commonly reporting on wineries by the region with articles representing the territory, products, and price/quality of different wines.

Cooked Wines
Cooked wines are a form of wines from Abayad’s central-west regions. It is typically made by individuals for their own use, as the State Wine Board has urged for a ban on its being sold labled as wne. The wine, from any of several local varieties, is heated in a copper vessel where it is reduced by volume up to a third before fermenting in wooden barrels. It can be aged for years, barrels being topped up with each harvest. It is a strong, ruby-colored wine, usually drunk with sweets and deserts.

Some other cooked wines are not fermented, resulting in a sweet syrup suitable for the preparation of said sweet, as well as palomur (Imbu for bubbledrinks, or soft drinks). Once reduced and allowed to cool, it is aged in storage for a few years.