The Basics |
 |
||
Simple Wine Math |
|||
|
The wine math that we're talking about here is the process of fermentation, a simple equation
that produces every wine from Albariño to Zinfandel. That equation is: Grape Juice + Yeast = Wine + Carbon Dioxide More specifically, it's the sugar (glucose and fructose are the two) in the grape juice that the yeast reacts to, creating alcohol. And, it's during the fermentation process that many of a wine's characteristics such as aroma and flavor are developed. The Carbon Dioxide is a by-product, as is some heat. Fermentation continues as long as there is sugar left to be converted to alcohol, or until the alcohol level reaches about 15% because at that point the alcohol kills off the remaining yeast. If all of the sugar has been converted, the wine will not have any sweetness and is considered "dry." However, if some sugar remains, the wine will be slightly sweet. This is true of many Rieslings and most dessert wines. The yeast occurs naturally on the surface of grapes, so if you were to leave a bowl of crushed up grapes out in your kitchen, fermentation would definitely begin to occur. Of course, this will certainly not produce anything close to a drinkable wine. However, even though these ambient, or natural, yeasts are present, many winemakers choose to utilize pure, cultured yeasts in fermentation because they are more dependable and produce consistently better wines. Where does fermentation occur? It depends on the wine being produced. For red wines, fermentation can usually occur in either large oak vats or stainless steel containers. Stainless steel is preferred by the modern winemaker, since it's much easier to maintain the temperature and clean. However, old, established wineries believe in the tradition of using wood or else the wine would be adversely affected. For white wines, fermentation usually occurs in stainless steel containers because most whites would lose their natural aromas and flavors and come out tasting like wood. Some heftier Chardonnays |
|||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
