Have you ever thought of why wine tastes so good?
Wine is indeed an indispensable part of any celebration at the same time
Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruits.
The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of
Wine production was started dates back 6000 BC in Georgia
Wine Quotes
"Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy” – 'Alexander Fleming’
"Where there is plenty of wine, sorrow and worry takes wing” – 'Anonymous’

Types of wine
General categories of wines
- White wines (made from white grape varieties)
Example: Chardonnay
- Red wines (made from red grape varieties)
Example: Merlot
- Rose wines (made from red grape varieties)
Example: Zinfandel
Example: Rose Champagne
Example: Eiswein
Example: Madeira
Based on taste wines can be classified as
- Dry wines
- Medium Wines
- Sweet wines
- Table wines
Winemaking
Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine. It contains the following categories
- Sparkling wine production (it includes the carbonation process)
“The science of wine and winemaking is known as oenology”
Which factors contribute to the taste of wine?

Chemical composition of wines:
Enzymes
Pectinase; Hemicellulase; Glycosidase; Glucanase
Sugars
Glucose; Fructose; Sucrose
Acids
Tartaric acid; Malic acid; Lactic acid; Citric acid; Acetic acid; Ascorbic acid; Butyric acid; Sorbic acid; Succinic acid
Alcohols
Ethanol; Methanol; Polyalcohol
Aldehydes and ketones
Acetaldehyde; Acetoin; Diacetyl
Esters
Heart Healthy Nutrient Content of Wine
- Resveratrol
- Flavonoids (Quercetin, Anthocyanins)
- Bioflavonoids
- Tannins
Nitrogen compounds
Catechin
Phenolics
Vanillin ; 4-Ethylphenol ; 4-Ethyl Guaiacol
Inorganic constituents
Vitamin Content of Wine
- Thiamin
- Riboflavin
- Niacin
- Vitamins A, B, K & G
- Folate
- Choline
- Betaine
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
Mineral Content of Wine
- Sodium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Zinc
- Copper
- Manganese
- Fluoride
- Selenium
What kind of chemistry involved in wine preparation?
The following stages is involved in winemaking
- Destemming & Crushing grapes - Grapes are removed from the stems and gently crushed to break the skins and Sulfur dioxide can be added to prevent oxidation and inhibit microbial activity.
The process of fermentation can be explained by the following reaction
C6H12O6 + Yeast → 2C2H5OH + 2CO2
Sugar Ethanol (alcohol)
Once the fermentation process is done the following step is the Fehling reaction – for monitoring specific gravity
RCHO (aq) + 2Cu 2+ (aq) + 4OH - (aq) → RCOOH (aq) + Cu2O(s) + 2H2O (l)
- Purifying and refining
- Preserving
- Premarketing aging
- Bottling
Reference
[1] © From http://www.all-about-wine.com/types-of-wine.html
[2] © From http://www.whitman.edu/environmental_studies/WWRB/winemaking.htm
[3] © From http://nzic.org.nz/ChemProcesses/food/6B.pdf
Image reference
[1] © From http://www.benefits-of-resveratrol.com/chemical-composition-of-wine.html
To contact the author mail: articles@worldofchemicals.com
© WOC Article