Base wines

According to the present EU rules of wine classification, only wines complying with the specific DOC/DOP rules (see Table 3.4, above) can be labeled as "Vin Santo," while those wines that are produced by alcohol addition to partially fermented wines or to base-wine must be labeled as Vin Santo "vino liquoroso" or "v. I." (fortified wine). 

Francioli, S., Buxaderas, S., and Pellerin, P. (1999). Influence of Botrytis cinerea on the polysaccharide composition of Xarel.lo musts and Cava base wines. Am.. Enol. Vitic. 50, 456-460. 

Vermouths are most commonly prepared from grape-based wines, but fruit-based wines made from mango, apple, plum, sand pear, and wild apricot may also be used. These possess distinct physicochemical and sensory qualities from standard vermouths. 

Vermouth is officially classified as an "aromatized fortified wine," referring to its derivation from a white base wine fortified and infused with a proprietary set of different plant parts barks, seeds, and fruit peels. These are collectively termed botanicals. Vermouths are particularly popular in Europe and in the United States (Amerine et al., 1980 Griebel, 1955 Panesar et al., 2009). The term "vermouth" is derived from the German word for wormwood Wermut. It is supposedly derived from Wer (man) and Mut (courage, spirit, manhood Pilone, 1954). When vermouth was introduced into Bavaria in the first half of the seventeenth century, by the Piedmont producer Alessio, Artemisia absinthium was probably translated literally as Wermutwein. When it reached France, it was changed to vermouth (Liddle and Boero, 2003). 

Traditionally, vermouth and aperitif wines are prepared from grape-based wine, with the addition of an herb and spice mixture or their extracts. In Europe, these beverages are served straight (without the addition of water), whereas in America, they are mostly used in preparing cocktails. The herbal infusion gives vermouth its unique flavor and aroma. 

As noted, vermouth is typically classified into two categories sweet and dry—the main difference being the number and types of botanicals used in the recipe. Quality differences arise from the nature of the base wine and the kind, quality, and amounts of herbs used (Pilone, 1954). 

In California, fortified sweet wines of light color, such as angelica and white port, may be used as a base wine for making sweet vermouth. The desired sugar content is obtained, as necessary, by the addition of grape concentrate or sucrose. The amount of water added as a result may not exceed 10% by volume of the vermouth. Citric acid may be added to adjust total acidity. The alcohol content must be sufficiently high to adjust for dilution when extracts low in alcohol are employed for flavoring. 

The base wine is fermented to dryness. Sweetening, if desired, is added later (Pilone, 1954). The color of the wine is usually sufficiently deep as to obviate the addition caramel. Dry vermouths are given only short aging, finished, and bottled young. However, in France, dry vermouth may be aged for up to 3 years before bottling. 

Vermouth is prepared from a base wine, extracting flavorants from herbs and spices in wine or a brandy mixture, blending the extract with the base wine, fortifying the mixture to the desired level, and finally maturing the prepared vermouth (Amerine et ah, 1980). The basic steps involved in a typical vermouth production process are illustrated in Fig. 8.1. 

The base wine is prepared from grape juice or concentrate as for normal dry table wines (Amerine et ah, 1980 Jackson, 2008). The essential requirements of the base wine are that the wine be sound, neutral-flavored, and inexpensive (Joshi et ah, 2011a,b). For example, wine prepared largely from Ugni Blanc in Emilia is popular for Italian vermouths. The wine is fairly neutral in flavor with 10-11% (v/v) alcohol and low acidity (05-0.6%). 

Fermentation of the base white wine, used in producing the fortifying brandy, follows standard procedures. In Cognac, nonaromatic varieties, such as Trebbiano and Baco 22A, are used, where in Armagnac, Trebbiano is preferred. These cultivars have little varietal aroma, retain high acidity, and have limited alcohol production potential. In California, French Colombard, Thompson Seedless, and Tokay are the cultivars without distinctive flavor used to produce a brandy base wine. 

Brandy can also be prepared from fruits other than grapes, notably apple, peach, plum, apricot, cherry, prunes, and various berries (Crowell and Guymon, 1973 Jaarsveld et al., 2005 Joshi, 1997 Valaer, 1939). Further details on brandy distillation, including base wine preparation, distillation, and oak wood maturation is available in Amerine et al. (1980) and Jaarsveld et al. (2009). 

The herbs and spices may be placed in cloth bags and suspended in the wine. After the first extraction, fresh base wine may be added for a second, and even a third extraction. Partial extractions are preferred, as complete extraction may result in the incorporation of undesirable flavors or aromas. This also avoids pressing the spent materials that is associated with the release of objectionable bitter flavors. 

Occasionally, hot water is substituted for the base wine in preparing concentrated extracts. However, because of the absence of ethanol, the water extract possesses a different composition of flavorants. Nevertheless, initially softening the plant material with hot water facilitates subsequent extraction (Joslyn and Amerine, 1964). 

Brandy is added to raise the alcohol content of vermouth to a specified limit. The base wine, brandy, spice extract, and sugar syrup are combined according to a proprietary formula appropriate for each type of vermouth. For Italian vermouths, extracts are prepared by soaking the herbs and spices (7-11 g/L) in highly rectified alcohol ( 85%). For a darker color, after flavoring, caramel may be added. In French vermouth, fewer herbs and spices are used. The spice mixture of (4-8 g/L) is typically infused for flavor development, to avoid the uptake of undesirable herbaceous flavors. 

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) is an important tropical tree widely grown in India. Although its fruit can be used for wine production, its wine is not preferred due to its high acidity. An attempt has been made to convert its wine into vermouth of acceptable quality (Lingappa et ah, 1993). In this process, the base wine was made from tamarind fruit (50 g/L), at 0.9% acidity, followed by raising the TSS to 23 °Brix and adding 150 ppm sulfur dioxide. Fermentation was conducted by S. cere-visiae var. ellipsoideus at 27 1 °C. Both dry and sweet vermouths, with 17% alcohol content, were found acceptable. 

Wild apricot (Prunus armenica L.) grows naturally in hilly areas of northern India. It is highly acidic, fibrous, and low in TSS, and, thus, not utilized commercially. Preparation and evaluation of a vermouth from its fruit was undertaken (Abrol, 2009). Vermouths at different sugar (8,10, and 12 °Brix), alcohol (15%, 17%, and 19%), and spices levels (2.5% and 5%) were prepared. Those used in extract preparation are shown in Plate 8.1. The base wine was prepared from crushed fruit, adjusted to 24 °Brix, and diluted in a 1 2 ratio with water. To this mixture was added 200 ppm sulfur dioxide, 0.1% diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAHP), and 0.5% pectinase enzyme. A 24-h active yeast culture initiated fermentation. The procedure is illustrated in Fig. 8.4. A maturation period of 6 months improved the quality of the vermouth. 

The type of fruit used to prepare the base wine its quality and nature the type, quality, and amounts of the herbs and spices used its mineral composition the sugar content and the sweetening agent used and the final ethanol concentration. 

TABLE 8.7 Physicochemical characteristics of sand pear base wine and sweet vermouth... 

Jaarsveld, F. P., Blom, M., Hattingh, S., and Marais, J. (2005). Effect of juice turbidity and yeast lees content on brandy base wine and unmatured post-still brandy quality. S. Afr. J. Enol. Vitic. 26(2), 116-130. 

---