Water is the basis of all life on earth. A total of 71% of the earth's surface consists of water (H2O), made up of the elements hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). The planet's water surface area is 520 million square kilometres. The water resources amount to around 1.4 billion km³, which corresponds to a cube with an edge length of 1,120 km. 97% of this is salt water in the world's oceans. At 48 million km³, fresh water accounts for only 3% and 68.7% is bound as ice at the poles, glaciers and permafrost soils. Groundwater makes up 30.1% and surface water only 0.3%. The latter consists of lakes (87%), swamps (11%) and rivers (2%).
Wine
A wine consists of between 70 and 85% pure water, which comes exclusively from the grapes or grape must without any additions. The second largest proportion is the alcohol type ethanol formed during fermentation, which also consists largely of water. Depending on the type of wine, this results in an alcohol content of between 7 and 15% vol. The other most important ingredients are glycerine, acids, sugar, carbon dioxide and flavourings. See in detail under total extract.
Water in viticulture
The majority of the world's vineyards are located near lakes and oceans or along flowing waters (streams, rivers). A sufficient water supply is an absolute prerequisite for winegrowing. The right amount of water is very important for the growth of the vine and plays an essential role in photosynthesis. The plant tissue consists of around 80% water. It is not only the water in the soil that is important, but also the humidity in the air. The water in the...
