Organic Alcoholic Drinks

It is important to note that calling wine organic does not guarantee that it is 100% pure and free from pesticides and chemicals. The water the vines will use is likely to carry some pollution, there is the chance of spray drift from conventional vineyards nearby, and some chemicals are allowed in organic winemaking. Principally, organic 

Grown as a mono-crop, without the benefit of crop rotations, vines strip the soil of the same nutrients every year. Diseases, weeds and pests that affect the vine are allowed to become entrenched in the area. Vines become locked into the cycle of chemical treatments and feeding as the soil continues to be broken down. Because the soil is depleted, the vines become malnourished. Chemical fertilisers are then necessary, but instead of feeding the soil, the chemical fertilisers (which are soluble salts) do not enrich the soil, but directly feed the plant. The vines then live in the earth, but no longer take sustenance from it. 

But nature is resourceful and adapts to the poisons pumped into the environment. The pest ultimately will develop immunity to the chemical used against it, which creates two problems. Firstly, the temptation is to use the chemicals more frequently to get the same effect. Secondly, another stronger, more effective chemical will ultimately replace the one that no longer works. The process in which pests develop resistance to pesticides is accelerating, which must be worrying for those who are tied into this system. When man competes with nature, it is unlikely that he will win, and likely that he will cause damage in the process. 

The use of weedkillers has also been on the increase over the last 20 to 30 years. Although it is difficult to prove specifically which chemicals may be carcinogenic, there are increased levels of herbicidal residues in drinking water and concerns over many of the synthetic substances being used. Every year, governments in various countries withdraw from use chemicals that have previously been used on our food supply when proof of their toxicity is established. The classic example is DDT, which was used as an insecticide from 1939. Over a period of 50 years almost five billion pounds of it have been used across the world. It became prohibited in the US in the 1970s and in the UK in 1984 because of links to deaths, cancer, allergies, infertility, problems in fetal development and major diseases of the immune system. 

Sulphur dioxide (S02), the additive most commonly used and thought of in winemaking, can be used when the must is starting to ferment, to kill the yeasts, to fix the wine, to stop the fermentation, before bottling and to sterilise equipment. S02 can cause headaches, stomach-aches, hangovers and acute reactions in asthma sufferers. 

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Organic alcoholic drinks apart from wine and beer make up the minority. Beyond the fair selection of beer, there are smatterings of other drinks that tend to be found in specialist organic retail outlets. These include organic perry, mead, cognac, cider, sherry, port, sake, whisky, cremes and vodka. But as more alcoholic drinks come onto the market, the specialist retailer is able to offer a very comprehensive range to the discerning consumer. 

Alcohol The family name of a group of structurally related organic chemicals. It is also applied specifically to one member of that family - ethanol, or ethyl alcohol -the psychoactive ingredient of alcoholic drinks. 

Some commercial solvents, such as hexane, xylene, and ethyl alcohol, have minor components that can interfere with their effective use in a laboratory or industry. For example, denatured ethyl alcohol has purposely been contaminated with small amounts of poisonous organic liquids in order to deter someone from using it to make alcoholic drinks. Hexane and xylene are often labeled as the plural (hexanes and xylenes) to indicate that they are actually mixtures of isomers. In this experiment, the minor components of one or more of these solvents will be identified. 

Drug(s) Alcohol Classification/ Action Sedative-hypnotic Route/Method of Administration Oral, from various beverages [wine, beer, other alcoholic drinks] Effect Desired by User Euphoria relaxed inhibitions decreased anxiety sense of escape Principal Adverse Effects Physical dependence impaired motor skills chronic degenerative changes in the brain, liver, and other organs Additional Information See Chapter 6... 

Detection of these species may be difficult as they tend to be present in small numbers initially, especially the spoilage yeasts in alcoholic drinks where only 2—3 organisms per litre may be present in the early stages. They also tend to grow more slowly than bacteria and are frequently overgrown. 

At first sight the process of generation of small particles by solvent displacement is deceptively simple after mixing of the two solvents, the organic substance (polymer or active principle) suddenly finds itself surrounded by a water-rich environment and, because of its low solubiUty in water, it precipitates, generating solid particles. An everyday occurrence of this process is the spontaneous emulsification of alcoholic drinks when diluted with water, such as Ouzo in Greece and Fastis in France. However, the detailed description of the mechanism is more complex and is still controversial. 

With most of our familiar solutions, water is the solvent and the solution is called an aqueous solution. Milk, juices, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, and sports beverages are all aqueous solutions. Ponds, lakes, and oceans are all aqueous solutions in which the solutes are dissolved solids, gases, and various organic compounds. The main component of blood is water, so blood is an aqueous solution. 

Chronic excessive consumption of alcohol can result in physical dependence or alcoholism. There is often a steady progress in the need to drink, so that the person starts drinking early in the day to maintain blood alcohol levels and avoid withdrawal effects. Alcoholism often results in a variety of organ system effects, some of which are related to accompanying malnutrition. Treatment for alcoholism must address the withdrawal effects as well as associated vitamin deficiencies associated with malnutrition. 

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