A Fishy Talk

A fishy talk it is but not on species talk but on fish as a food. Fish are not only food to us humans but also to other species existing on this planet. Since the world is covered with more sea than land, fish had already embed as an important diet in our lives although many people still do not eat fish.

Culinary delight of smoked salmon

Japanese culinary of raw fish dish

Fish, especially those living in saltwater contains high amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids which are good nutrition to the body as well as serving good for the heart. This means a regular diet of fish gives a substantial amount of nutrition needed to reduce cardiovascular diseases according to nutritionist over the years. Researchers had also prove that fish is great for the skin. Furthermore, modern days of society nutritionists suggest that fish to be consumed about 2-3 times a week.

Omega-3 fatty acid (ALA)

Omega-3 fatty acid (DHA)

Omega-3 fatty acid (EPA)

Fishes such as salmon has proved to give nutritional values especially to the Japanese as research shows that their prolonged life span could be due to the fact that their population's daily diet consists of seafood and fishes. Salmon has a kind of scent which is picked up when it is just caught which are deemed to be partly due to the fats and pink astaxanthins which salmon acquire from eating crustaceans which salmon body system creates from beta-carotene from algae. That is why when salmon is cooked, the astaxanthins in salmon gives rise to its usual floral and fruity tastes.Below is a general picture of salmon fish:

If a fish caught fresh (especially cold-water fishes), sometimes its aroma or smell is somewhat of plantlike smell. This is due to the unsaturated fats that remain at a fluid state at low temperatures. These fats are described to be more like polyunsaturated oils of plant than of animals'. Furthermore, fish skins also contains lipoxygenases which is also found in plant leaves. When the enzyme (lipoxygenases) breaks down the long chain of the polyunsaturated oils, this phenomenon produces a scent of aromatic fragments which is close to of a plant.

Plantlike or sea scent that fishes produced are certainly a welcome sign as it determines the freshness of a fish. However, after the fish is caught and killed, other unwanted scents develop. These scents can easily be perished in the likes of meat but not fishes. This is because fishes body conditions are designed to lived in a lower temperature place than those of its land counterparts. Therefore, their unsaturated fats when temperature rise became easily oxidized (by oxygen) making the scent and taste stale. Bacterias on their body surface do act the same in the aspect of growing faster therefore creating foul smell of a fish if it is not properly kept chilled.

The principal smell contributing to what we know as the 'fishy' term, is a compound called trimethylamine, or TMA. It is derived from trimethylamine oxide, or TMAO, which is not in itself objectionable. TMAO is one of several amines and amino acids that ocean creatures accumulate inside their cells to buffer them against a fatal influx of sea salt. (Seawater is 3 percent salt; the optimal level of dissolved minerals in animal cells is about 1 percent.) Some amino acids—sweet glycine and savory glutamate—turn out to be big contributors to seafood’s delicious repertoire of flavors. Not TMAO, though. The chemical is tasteless but is the precursor of that unappetizing smell. Once a fish is dead, TMAO is gradually converted to TMA by bacteria proliferating on the surfaces of the fish. (Freshwater fish like ayu live in an environment less salty than the inside of their cells, so they don’t accumulate amino acids and amines. Their flesh is mild tasting and slower to turn smelly).

Fortunately the problem of foul smell of fish can be solved with modern day kitchen. A thorough rinsing in cold water helps minimize odors. Oxidized fats, bacteria, and TMA on the surface can be rinsed off with tap water. Acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar or tomatoes helps as well by encouraging stale-smelling fragments to react with water and become less volatile, and they induce TMA to bond with water and other molecules so they never escape the fish’s surface to assault your senses. As for truly spoiled fish, let’s just say that by the time proteins are being broken down into skatole, putrescine, cadaverine, and hydrogen sulfide, so that fish is certainly not suitable anymore for consuming.

The spoiling of fish can be reduced with the method of refrigeration but refrigeration alone will not stop decay. That’s especially true for deep-sea fish with cold-adapted physiology. Enzymes and bacteria typical of our warm-blooded meat animals normally work at 100 degrees Fahrenheit and slow to a crawl in a refrigerator at 40°F but the same refrigerator feels perfectly balmy to deepwater fish enzymes and bacteria. An instant solution to this is to keep the fish as fresh as possible is ice. Fish lasts nearly twice as long in a 32°F slush as it does at typical refrigerator temperatures.Flaked or finely chopped ice is recommended as well because it makes better contact with contours than large cubes or slabs.

Lastly, gills are the best part to check first as their red gills turns brown due to oxidation and the smell of the gills determine the freshness of the fish as the gills are part that water are filtered therefore a good place for bacterias to grow. The gills will smell bad if bacterias are already abundant.


Heallth hazards do exist by eating fish however because of modern day waters are not that clean and choking do happens occasionally as well. Water pollution usually contaminate fishes with mercury and other fat soluble pollutants which is a heavy metal that is toxic to the body. In conclusion, fish still prove to be an imprtant diet to our lives for people who eat it. For people who do not, try it once in awhile as there are not much of risk trying it compared to not eating it.

Alternative Energy Devices (Solar Cells)

What happens when the world runs out of petroleum or fuels that are irreplaceable? A question of what alternative energy can then be used? Solar power seems to be an answer for the future as solar power is available in the day as long as the sun exists. Therefore, making solar cells an essential device to be discussed here.

Basically, a solar cell is a cell that converts light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. I will explain the photovoltaic effect to explain things easier for the rest of the post. The photovoltaic effect is an effect which creates voltage of electricity in a material through exposure of electro-magnetic radiation.

Many currently available solar cells are configured as bulk materials that are subsequently cut into wafers and treated using "top-down" method of synthesis (silicon used as the most prevalent bulk material).All solar cells require a light absorbing material contained within the cell structure to absorb photons and generate electrons via the photovoltaic effect. The materials used in solar cells have properties that enables it to absorb wavelengths of solar light that reaches the earth surface. However, there other models of solar cells that are designed to absorb light even beyond Earth's atmosphere (outer space) as well. Light absorbing materials can often be used in different kinds of physical configurations to adapt to different light absorptions and charge separation mechanisms. Photovoltaic panels that are used for solar cells are generally made out of either silicon or thin-film cells.

Other materials that are configured as thin-films (e.g. inorganic layers, organic dyes, and organic polymers) that are deposited on supporting substrates but the third group are configured as nanocrystals used as quantum dots (electron-confined nanoparticles) embedded in a supporting matrix in a "bottom-up" approach. Silicon therefore still remains as the only material that is well-researched in both bulk (also called wafer-based) and thin-film configurations.

Materials discussed above does include materials for older generation solar cells to newer generation. Therefore, I will cover mainly on solar cells made of silicon. There are certainly plenty variation for silicon type solar cells but two common ones are amorphous silicon and crystalline silicon.

A silicon solar cell is produced namely from the element of pure silicon denoted with the symbol Si. Pure silicon element is taken from an impure variety and heated to the melting point of 1410 degrees Celsius. After reaching this melting point, the mass of impure silicon is cooled down and then separated from pure silicon. This separation can occur due to the fact that impurities of silicon have a slightly different melting point than pure silicon. This process is similar to the purification process of gold and other precious metals. The pure silicon from the separation process forms crystals as it cools. This crystal is then sliced into pieces resembling sausage which is further shaped into thin wafers. These wafers are then used for manufacturing circular silicon cells are usually about four inches in diameter.

Picture of a silicon made wafer

Next, the shaped silicon wafer is first "doped" (sprinkled) with an small amount of boron, to diversify the silicon wafer to another type of wafer called the P-type silicon layer while the opposite side of the wafer is doped further with phosphorus to form the N-type silicon layer. The only part of the cell that produces electricity is the wires that are connected to both the negative (N- type silicon) layer, and the positive (P-type silicon) layer that connects to either a battery or some other electronic component depending on location and environment.

General Mechanism of a solar cell






System of a solar cell

Crystals made by an element is nonetheless predictable because the same crystal will be produced every time. Crystalline solar cells are made from crystalline silicon and these cells are fragile as well as break and bend easily.

The breakdown of crystalline silicon in recent years has obviously became apparent science involving industry especially the Space Industry. Electricity producing modules that power space stations and satellites had must be replaced or else left as space waste. The amount of electric current that a crystalline silicon solar cell produces is larger than for amorphous silicon, but still only a small percentage of the total amount of the total sunlight that reaches Earth.

The crystalline structure of silicon can be seen in the following picture:

Now for how a solar cell works. An amorphous solar cell does not have the same definite structure that is predicted for crystalline silicon, and is therefore much more flexible. Usually amorphous cells can be found on handheld calculators or personal organizers. Unfortunately amorphous cells are not as efficient as crystalline cells, meaning the energy production with crystalline silicon is much higher. This kind of solar cell is used on boats, campers, and other modes of transportation because it is so flexible. Crystalline and amorphous silicon solar cells are not the only forms of solar cells available, but because other cells are not as efficient as silicon cells substitutes are not used.

A solar cell is actually a wafer of two layers. The top layer is P-Type Silicon, is the blue or purple part of the cell as seen in pictures, and has a positive charge. N-Type Silicon of negative charge occupies the lower layer and is usually not visible in pictures of solar cells. The process of adding elements to silicon is called doping. When Boron is added to silicon, P-Type Silicon forms. The addition of Phosphorus or Arsenic creates N-Type Silicon. The wafer formed by combining a level of P-Type and N-Type Silicon is displayed in the picture below. This wafer structure is called a PN Junction. Understanding the electron organization in these atoms illuminates the process of energy conversion in a solar cell.

This concludes how solar energy can be converted to electricity with ease with only simple materials found. Solar cells are devices that are certainly worthy developing.

Clean Water To Drink

Water by all means have its role in our daily lives and water is surely important in the sense of water provides us with natural solvent for all uses as well as hygienic purposes just to name the main roles. Water sources comes just from everywhere where rain befalls and the rain is contained. The most natural water source that is available to the earth is the groundwater. The water emerging from some deep ground water may have fallen as rain many decades, hundreds, thousands or in some cases millions of years ago. Soil and rock layers naturally filter the water from the ground to high degree of clarity before it is pumped for treatment in treatment plantation. Such water may emerge as springs, artesian springs, or may be extracted from boreholes or wells. Deep ground water is generally of very high bacteriological quality (i.e., pathogenic bacteria or the pathogenic protozoa are typically absent), but the water typically is rich in dissolved solids, especially carbonates and sulfates of calcium and magnesium. Depending on the strata through which the water has flowed, other ions may also be present including chloride, and bicarbonate. There may be a requirement to reduce the iron or manganese content of this water to make it pleasant for drinking, cooking, and laundry use. Disinfection may also be required. Where groundwater recharge is practised; a process in which river water is injected into an aquifer to store the water in times of plenty so that it is available in times of drought; it is equivalent to lowland surface waters for treatment purposes.

Other water sources include upland lakes and reservoirs. These reservoirs are generally located in the headwaters of river systems usually at high lands. Bacteria and pathogen levels are low usually but certain bacterias, protozoans or algae are still present as members of the ecology. Uplands waters are usually forested or peaty, that is why acids such as humic acids sometimes colour the water. Many upland sources have low pH which require adjustment.

On the other hand, low land reservoirs or rivers have a significant bacterial load and may also contain algae, suspended solids and a variety of dissolved constituents.

New technology in the informative world also provides us with new means of producing water sources that can be drink as well as used. Atmospheric water generation is one example where high quality drinking water can be produced by extracting water from the air by cooling the air and thus condensing water vapor. Rain harvesting or desalination of seawater (reverse osmosis) are other primitive methods used to produce clean water (methods are still considered modern but primitive compared to atmospheric water generation technique).

The topic of clean water certainly must include ways of treatment of water that ensure the water we have everyday is clean and healthy. Therefore, from here onwards, discussion of pre-treatment and main treatment of water in generally the water purification plant. Treatments mentioned below are not necessarily used by all purification plants and the treatments might differ at different scale depending on various factors such as quality of water and the plant resources.

Generally there are few pre-treatments done before the 'real' treatment:

1. Pumping and containment - The majority of water must be pumped from its source or directed into pipes or holding tanks. To avoid adding contaminants to the water, this physical infrastructure must be made from appropriate materials and constructed so that accidental contamination does not occur.


2. Screening (see also screen filter) - The first step in purifying surface water is to remove large debris such as sticks, leaves, trash and other large particles which may interfere with subsequent purification steps. Most deep groundwater does not need screening before other purification steps.


3. Storage - Water from rivers may also be stored in bank side reservoirs for periods between a few days and many months to allow natural biological purification to take place. This is especially important if treatment is by slow sand filters. Storage reservoirs also provide a buffer against short periods of drought or to allow water supply to be maintained during transitory pollution incidents in the source river.


4. Pre-conditioning - Many waters rich in hardness salts are treated with soda-ash (Sodium carbonate) to precipitate Calcium carbonate out utilising the common-ion effect.
   Pre-chlorination - In many plants the incoming water was chlorinated to minimise the growth of fouling organisms on the pipe-work and tanks. Because of the potential adverse quality effects (see chlorine below), this has largely been discontinued.
   

Pre-treatments differ from one place to another as treatment to filter large particles are many more that are not listed above as well as depending on the water quality.

After all the pre-treatments, the main treatment begins. The main treatments mentioned here are the ones that are commonly used and not all methods are listed here.

The most common treatment used is certainly by simply adjusting the pH of the water as we know that water has a neutral pH of approximately 7. If the water is acidic (lower than 7), lime, soda ash, or sodium hydroxide is added to raise the pH. For somewhat acidic, alkaline waters (lower than 6.5), forced draft degassifiers are the cheapest way to lower the pH, as the process raises the pH by stripping dissolved carbon dioxide (carbonic acid) from the water. Lime is commonly used for pH adjustment for municipal water, or at the start of a treatment plant for process water, as it is cheap, but it also increases the ionic load by raising the water hardness. Making the water slightly alkaline ensures that coagulation and flocculation processes work effectively and also helps to minimize the risk of lead being dissolved from lead pipes and lead solder in pipe fittings. Acid (HCl or H2SO4) may be added to alkaline waters in some circumstances to lower the pH. Having an alkaline water does not necessarily mean that lead or copper from the plumbing system will not be dissolved into the water but as a generality, water with a pH above 7 is much less likely to dissolve heavy metals than a water with a pH below 7.

Treatments done after pH adjustments are namely flocculation and sedimentation. I will start with flocculation first. Flocculation is a process which clarifies the water. Clarifying means removing any turbidity or colour so that the water is clear and colourless. Clarification is done by causing a precipitate to form in the water which can be removed using simple physical methods. Initially the precipitate forms as very small particles but as the water is gently stirred, these particles stick together to form bigger particles - this process is sometimes called flocculation. Many of the small particles that were originally present in the raw water absorb onto the surface of these small precipitate particles and so get incorporated into the larger particles that coagulation produces. In this way the coagulated precipitate takes most of the suspended matter out of the water and is then filtered off, generally by passing the mixture through a coarse sand filter or sometimes through a mixture of sand and granulated anthracite (high carbon and low volatiles coal).

Coagulants / flocculation agents that may be used include iron (III) hydroxide. This is formed by adding a solution of an iron (III) compound such as iron(III) chloride to pre-treated water with a pH of 7 or greater. Iron (III) hydroxide is extremely insoluble and forms even at a pH as low as 7. Commercial formulations of iron salts were traditionally marketed in the UK under the name Cuprus. Furthermore, aluminium hydroxide is also widely used as the precipitation of the flocculation process although there have been concerns about possible health impacts and mis-handling led to a severe poisoning incident in 1988 at Camelford in south-west UK when the coagulant was introduced directly into the holding reservoir of final treated water. Not only that, polyDADMAC is an artificially produced polymer and is one of a class of synthetic polymers that are now widely used. These polymers have a high molecular weight and form very stable and readily removed flocs, but tend to be more expensive in use compared to inorganic materials.

I will now continue to the process of sedimentation which is a section where water then enters after undergoing the flocculation process. The sedimentation process which is indicated by a sedimentation basin is a large tank with slow flow, allowing floc to settle to the bottom. The sedimentation basin is best located close to the flocculation basin so the transit between does not permit settlement or floc break up. Sedimentation basins can be in the shape of a rectangle, where water flows from end to end, or circular where flow is from the centre outward. Sedimentation basin outflow is typically over a weir so only a thin top layer - furthest from the sediment - exits.The amount of floc that settles out of the water is dependent on the time the water spends in the basin and the depth of the basin. The retention time of the water must therefore be balanced against the cost of a larger basin. The minimum clarifier retention time is normally 4 hours. A deep basin will allow more floc to settle out than a shallow basin. This is because large particles settle faster than smaller ones, so large particles bump into and integrate smaller particles as they settle. In effect, large particles sweep vertically through the basin and clean out smaller particles on their way to the bottom.

Water which goes through sedimentation then enters a process commonly called filtration. This process can be considered as the final process of the water treatment process to remove remaining suspended particles and unsettled floc. The most common type of filter is a rapid sand filter. Water moves vertically through sand which often has a layer of activated carbon or anthracite coal above the sand. The top layer removes organic compounds, which contribute to taste and odor. The space between sand particles is larger than the smallest suspended particles, so simple filtration is not enough. Most particles pass through surface layers but are trapped in pore spaces or adhere to sand particles. Effective filtration extends into the depth of the filter. This property of the filter is key to its operation: if the top layer of sand were to block all the particles, the filter would quickly clog.

As a extra note, there are also another kind of filtration techniques used that are capable of removing ions and other dissolved substances which methods mentioned above cannot. This process uses an ultra filtration membranes use polymer membranes with chemically formed microscopic pores that can be used to filter out dissolved substances avoiding the use of coagulants. The type of membrane media determines how much pressure is needed to drive the water through and what sizes of micro-organisms can be filtered out. Ions on the other hand are removed using an ion exchange system which utilizes ion exchange resin- or zeolites-packed columns to replace unwanted ions. The most common case is water softening consisting of removal of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions replacing them with benign (soap friendly) Na+ or K+ ions. Ion exchange resins also used to remove toxic ions such as nitrate, nitrite, lead, mercury, arsenic and many others. Water in this process also goes through electrode ionization by passing between a positive electrode and a negative electrode. Ion exchange membranes allow only positive ions to migrate from the treated water toward the negative electrode and only negative ions toward the positive electrode. High purity deionized water is produced with a little worse degree of purification in comparison with ion exchange treatment. Complete removal of ions from water is regarded as electrodialysis. The water is often pre-treated with a reverse osmosis unit to remove non-ionic organic contaminants.

Certain disinfection methods are used also in the modern world as diseases are widespread around the globe. Methods of treatments mentioned above are not exact description of what happens in a water purification plantation but close enough to depict what actually happens. So, efforts took by countries to produce just clean water are certainly tough jobs that we must treasure and appreciate as we living today have clean water to drink.

Wine de Vie (Wine of Life)

Grape which is fermented results in a form of liquid where society called it wine. Wine as we know contains alcohol and presents as a form of beverages to a certain limit of age in most countries. Wine originated from the fruit of grape therefore we will start with elaboration of grape first. The specialty of grape that enables grape to ferment on its own into alcoholic drink due to its chemical balance without any addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. The fermenting process generally uses yeast. Yeast functions to consume the sugar in the grape to produce alcohol. The interesting part about grape is different types of grape fermented results in different types of wine.

Production of wine in these days involves techniques like micro-oxygenation, tannin filtration, cross-flow filtration, thin film evaporation, and spinning cones are among techniques used to reduce sources of grape but still providing variety. Below are the main types of wine that other wines vary from namely from the left; white, rosé, and red wine.

Wine generally is made from the variation of the European species Vitis vinifera, for example, the wine of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The world's most expensive wines, from regions like Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley just to name a few, are blended from different grape varieties of the same vintage. Furthermore, different species of grape can also create new types of wine which is through genetic engineering between two species. Vitis labrusca (of which the Concord grape is a cultivar), Vitis aestivalis, Vitis rupestris, Vitis rotundifolia and Vitis riparia are native North American grapes usually grown for consuming purposes or for the manufacturing of grape juice, jam, or jelly, but can also be made into wine.

Acids in grapes play an essential role as well in the aspect of how a wine may look or taste like. Acids also affect the rate of fermentation of grapes as well as functions as protection from bacteria. "Titratable Acidity" or "Total acidity", refers directly to the test that yields the total of all acids present, while strength of acidity measured accordingly to the pH with most wines having a pH rating between 2.9-3.9 pH. The lower the pH, it means the higher the acid level in the wine. In wine tasting aspect, the term "acidity" refers not only to freshness of wine but also refers to the tartness and sourness of the wine. These aspects are evaluated in relation to the balance of acidity which in turn balances out the sweetness and bitter components of the wine.

Tartaric, malic and citric are the three types of acids generally make up the acids in wine of the same bottle. The course of winemaking, as well as the finished stage, acetic, butyric, lactic and succinic acid other than the three acids mentioned can provide significant roles too. Acids involved with wine mostly are fixed acids but with special exception of acetic acid which is volatile and contributes to the wine being faulty known in terms of volatile acidity. Additional acids are used occasionally in winemaking process such as ascorbic, sorbic and sulfurous acids. The importance of acidity level is that whatever acids that are in the grape are brought into great consideration for winemakers as they have to decide when to begin harvest based on these facts alone. Other types of wines like Champagne and other sparklers, having higher levels of acidity than common wones which is much vital to the winemaking process. Grapes therefore are often picked not fully riped and at higher acidic level as well.

Acids in the winemaking process apparently serves as some sort of enhancer that eventually enhances the effects of sulfur dioxide of protecting the wine contents from spoilage. Acids can also protect the wine from bacteria because the most bacterias cannot survive in acidic enviroment. Red wines acids on the other hand helps in preserving and stabilizing the color of the wine. As an extra fact, the ionization of anthocyanins is affected by pH so lower pH wines (e.g. Sangiovese based wines) have red that are more darker in color as well as being more stable. On the contrary, higher pH wines (e.g. Syrah based wines) have more blue pigments which is a sign of less stable wines which the colors will eventually take on a muddy grey hue sort of color. As for white wines, higher pH (and lower acidity) cause phenolics in the wine to darken and form brown deposits through natural polymerization.

The acidity all in all is an important component in wines which determines the wine quality and taste. The acids adds sharpness not only to the flavors that is detected by feeling prickling on the sides of the tongue but also mouth watering after taste. The importance of balance between acidity, bitterness and sweetness (the left over residual sugar) of the wine (most notable bitter components are tannins and phenolics) proved to affect the taste heavily. Excessive sourness and sharpness in taste means there is more acid while a wine with too little acid content tastes flabby, flat and less flavors that are defined.

Individual flavors are also prominent in wines, this is because a complex mix of organic molecules like esters and terpenes that is found in grape juice and wine respectively. However, characteristics of any specific grape (e.g., Chianti and sour cherry) can still be determined and flavors that sometimes results from other circumstances in wine making makes wine flavors very diverse. There are also typical intentional means of aging wine in oak casks to produce a special flavor of chocolate, vanilla, or coffee that came from the oak itself but not the grape. Flavors like banana can also be conjured (isoamyl acetate) by the product of yeast metabolism, as well as spoilage scents like sweaty, barnyard, band-aid (4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol), or exotic scent of rotten egg (hydrogen sulfide). Variety of mineral flavors can also be indulged in wine due to the fact some salts that are soluble in water (like limestone), are absorbed into the wine. Aroma of wine mainly comes from volatile compounds the wine contains that are released into the air. Continuous vaporization of these volatile compounds can be done by enhancing the action of twirling of the wine glass or wine serving at room temperature. Red wines that aroma levels already high such as Chinon and Beaujolais type wines, chilled version of these wines would be preferred by wine tasters.

Now we will go into the chemistry of wine aging. Generally, wines with a low pH (e.g. Pinot noir and Sangiovese) have obvious capabilites of aging. Red wines as a common wine usually contains high levels of flavor compounds, like phenolics (especially tannins), will definitely increase the ability of a particular red wine to be able to age. Wines with high levels of phenols, which includes the wine of Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Syrah are susceptible to aging as well. White wines differ in the aspect of aging as white wines with the longest potential to age have generally high amounts of extract and acidity. The elaboration on the aging of white wines is that the acids in white wines make aging possible as of tannins in red wines which both serves as preservative. Process of making white wines whether include little or no skin contact produces wines eith significantly fewer amounts of phenolic compounds . Minimal skin contact with rosé wine similarly limits their aging potential.



The ratio of sugars, acids and phenolics to water is a key determination of how well a wine can age. The less water in the grapes prior to harvest, the more likely the resulting wine will have some aging potential. Grape variety, climate, vintage and viticultural practice come into play here. Grape varieties with thicker skins, from a dry growing season where little irrigation was used and yields were kept low will have less water and a higher ratio of sugar, acids and phenolics. The process of making Eisweins, where water is removed from the grape during pressing as frozen ice crystals, has a similar effect of decreasing the amount of water and increasing aging potential. Perception of a wine's acidity may change even though the total measurable amount of acidity is more or less constant throughout a wine's life. This is due to the esterification of the acids, combining with alcohols in complex array to form esters. In addition to making a wine taste less acidic, these esters introduce a range of possible aromas. Eventually the wine may age to a point where other components of the wine (such as a tannins and fruit) are less noticeable themselves, which will then bring back a heightened perception of wine acidity. Other chemical processes that occur during aging include the hydrolysis of flavor precursors which detach themselves from glucose molecules and introduce new flavor notes in the older wine and Aldehydes become oxidized. The interaction of certain phenolics develop what is known as tertiary aromas which are different from the primary aromas that are derived from the grape and during fermentation.

Moderate consumption of alcohol and wine is statistically associated with a decrease in death due to cardiovascular events such as heart failure. Red wine contains more polyphenols than white wine, and these are thought to be particularly protective against cardiovascular disease. Other beneficial compounds in wine include other polyphenols, antioxidants, and flavonoids while evidence from laboratory and epidemiological (observational) studies suggest a cardioprotective effect, no controlled studies have been completed on the effect of alcoholic drinks on the risk of developing heart disease or stroke. Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholism. Sulphites are also present in all wines and are formed as a natural product of the fermentation process, and many wine producers add sulfur dioxide in order to help preserve wine. Sulfur dioxide is also added to foods such as dried apricots and orange juice. The level of added sulfites varies, and some wines have been marketed with low sulfite content. Sulphites in wine can cause some people, particularly those with asthma, to have adverse reactions.