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.