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Posts Tagged ‘tannins’Cold MacerationSaturday, September 24th, 2011
Vietti Winery 2011 Most of us are well familiar with the term maceration, the process by which the “phenolic” components of the grapes, the tannins, anthocyanins (color), and flavinoids are leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must. Essentially, maceration is the process that lends red color to red wine. In white wines, maceration is either avoided or permitted in a very limited manner. Wine Chemistry in a Bottle: The Role of OxygenMonday, February 22nd, 2010I’ve been reading The Billionaire’s Vinegar recently, the story about wine unearthed allegedly owned by our third President, Thomas Jefferson. While I’m only half way through, this “mystery” revolves around the discovery and authenticity of wine bottles with the inscription “Th J” and the intense bidding wars for these prizes unleashed at auction. You can read my review on the book by clicking here. What caught my eye was a discussion about the roll that oxygen plays in the maturation or spoiling of wine, in this case, a wine allegedly two hundred year old. It caused me to pause, reminding me that basic chemistry is so vital to the quality of the end product that we enjoy. Oxygen was discovered by Joseph Priestly in 1774 when upon burning Mercury Oxide, noted that an odorless gas allowed a candle flame to burn far longer than anticipated. In 1775, Priestly placed a mouse in a closed jar with oxygen and to his astonishment, it survived 30 minutes and was revived without incident. Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen and helium and constitutes just short of 21% of our atmosphere. There are two forms of the element that make life possible for all of us. One is diatomic oxygen (two atoms combined to form O2) and the other O3 or Ozone, a layer high up in the atmosphere that protects us down here from the hazards of ultra violet radiation. Ironically, Ozone is a pollutant at the surface and can be a component of smog. Resveratrol, Compound du Jour: Facts and FictionThursday, September 24th, 2009Resveratrol, it seems, just can’t seem to catch its breath. Whether the focus of still another research study on its potential health benefits (see archived articles: Wine and Inflammation, Radioprotective Effects of Wine, Alcohol Impact on Alzheimer’s in the Elderly, Wine Consumption in Males May Extend Life, Grape Seed Extracts May Suppress Leukemic Cells, Study Finds Heightened Risk of Breast Cancer With Wine, Resveratrol May Counteract Obesity and Resveratrol May Limit Damage Post Stroke) or advertised as a “cure all for what ails ya,” word of the compound seems to be everywhere. So what is resveratrol? Resveratrol is what is known as a polyphenol found in, amongst other things, the skin of red grapes. Phenolic compounds, a type of antioxidant, are divided into flavinoids (those compounds that are responsible for the flavor and taste of grapes and other fruits such as tannins) and non flavinoids, of which resveratrol is a member. Resveratrol is also found in peanuts, mulberries, blueberries, cranberries, spruce, eucalyptus and various Chinese herbs. Now that I have bored you with some very basic chemistry, lets get into the facts. Tannins: A Lesson In Wine ChemistryWednesday, July 22nd, 2009In order to understand the chemistry of wine, you must first understand that the basic building block for much of wine chemistry centers on the organic molecule called a “phenol.” In chemistry terms, “phenols” are a circular molecule of carbon and oxygen. That said, think of phenols as the basic building block upon which other phenol molecules (poly phenols) or other organic molecules are added to make larger molecules. Each one of these larger molecules interacts with other (organic and inorganic) molecules to produce other molecules to include acids, esters, aldehydes, and a whole range of the chemicals that make wine what is it. You can think of these molecules as the chemical components that make up wine. Remember, 80% of wine is hydrogen and oxygen molecules combined: H2O. Tannins are astringent, bitter plant polyphenols that either break up or shrink proteins. The key words being “bitter,” “plant,” “polyphenols” that attack proteins. Our mouths are full of protein, so when you put a bitter, polyphenol, from a plant in your mouth, a chemical reaction takes place and the astringency from the tannins causes the dry and puckery feeling in the mouth. A PC For the AgesMonday, June 15th, 2009I am referring here to the Fifth Growth Bordeaux, Pontet Canet (PC), a wine that has risen to prominence in the international Bordeaux markets over the last 10-12 years. Best of all, it sports the balance and depth of a First Growth while priced at a fraction of the price. An added advantage for those starting or building their Bordeaux collection, is that this wine, with proper storage, offers the aging potential for a good 20 years! First a little history on the estate. Jean-Francois de Pontet, the royal governor of the Medoc on the left bank of the Gironde, combined several plot of vineyards in the Pauillac region in the 18th century. Many years later, his descendents added still more vineyard land in Canet. Fast forward to the 19th century when the infamous 1855 Bordeaux classification recognized Pontet Canet as a worthy addition to the elite. It wasn’t long before Hermann Cruse, a key Bordeaux shipper, purchased the estate in 1865, infusing large amounts of money into the winemaking facilities and building a highly respectable estate. For the next 110 years, the Cruse family owned the estate, selling it in 1975 to, ironically, another shipper, Alfred Tesseron, whose sons now run the estate. |
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