Get to know about the chemistry in Wine Making

Chemistry in wine making is one of the topics that is often studied by wine makers. It is important to many aspects of winemaking, including grape growing and processing, fermentation, aging and bottling. Wine making can be considered a science and is usually studied as one, but there are many other aspects that play a big part. The following are things that you can consider in making your own wine;

1. The different grape varietals have different chemical compounds

One prominent compound that is needed in wine making is sulfur dioxide. This compound comes from the natural microorganisms on the grape skins, and also from added yeast-based fermentations. It's importance is to keep unwanted microorganisms from growing in the wine, such as acetic acid bacteria that can cause vinegar flavors.

2. The yeast used in winemaking are also natural organisms

While there is yeast used to ferment the wine, it is not the same kind of yeast that makes bread rise. Yeast used in winemaking is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is also responsible for fermentation of beer and bread. It functions by gobbling up sugars from grape juice and turning them into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas as waste. The main exception to this kind of yeast being used; some wines like Port or Sherry, use different naturally occurring yeasts that change their flavor from the use of this type of yeast.

3. Wine has alcohol

Wines contain alcohol. It is one of the characteristics found in every type of fermented fruit juice because alcohol is a necessary part of the fermentation process. The wine has alcohol because all fermentable sugars are converted into ethanol through the action of yeast. This change can be measured by assigning a specific gravity to the wine, with higher values being higher degrees of alcohol content.

4. There are different types of wine processes

The process of making wine can be broken down into two main categories; winemaking and vinification. Vinification is the general process in most grape-based wines, while winemaking is the step that will vary greatly depending on the type of final product desired. Some differences between these processes are in alcoholic content, yeast type and if malolactic fermentation (a secondary fermentation) should occur. The malolactic fermentation is a bacterial process that softens or mellows out the harsh malic acid present in young red wines before aging. Vinification is basically the process that creates the grape juice into wine and malolactic fermentation is the actual process that creates softer, less tart wines during aging.

5. How wine gets its color

Understanding color in wine can be difficult to understand because all grapes are different, as well as their styles. Colors range from white to dark reds and everything in between. The chemical composition of red wine is more like fruit, therefore it usually has a deeper hue than what yellow or white wines have, which are actually made from fermented corn syrup. As for white wines most winemakers use Chardonnay-based grapes since it's known for a milder taste and lighter hue (as opposed to Riesling). The interesting thing about this is that the same grapes used in simple wine making can also be used for high quality/complex red wines or unfermented white wines since the juice of the grape will still be acidic.

6. Surprising reasons why white wines tend to go brown

Wines made from Riesling grapes are known for their deep, rich color and earthy flavor but they are actually made from fermented grape juice and not fermented fruit itself. The skin of the grapes contains more than just sugars, and the fruit is actually thrown out as a waste product. On the other hand, whites are made by fermenting juices that have had their skins removed. This difference in the processing of white wines explains why one of them appears to go brown as it ages. This another chemistry in wine making.

7. Making red wine

The chemistry in wine making red wine, grapes are mostly fermented from the juice itself and so the natural sugars end up in the final product. The process is different when making white, however; when grape juice is fermented these grams of sugars turn into bread yeast and convert into alcohol. These kinds of extracts are often used in other fermented foods like bread and vinegar just to name a few.

8. Making dry red wines

The main difference between making dry red wine is actually how it's made. There are two main processes that go into making a dry wine, one of which is to use a barrel for the fermentation process. This is the chemistry in wine making. The other way is to remove any excess fermentable sugar during the bottling stage so that there is not as much alcohol left in the final product. Winemakers will add special yeast with high alcohol tolerance to the juice before bottling, and then after it ferments, they will filter it and remove most of the alcohol.

The above are a few of the things that you can consider in making your own wine. It is a fun and very interesting hobby, and most people end up loving it! Check out this google document for more information about wine making.