Wine fermentation winemaking process

The main volatiles in wines are the higher aliphatic alcohols, ethyl esters, and acetates formed from yeasts during fermentation. Acetates are very important flavors characterized by fruity notes, C4-Ci0 fatty acid ethyl esters manly confer fruity scents to the wine. Other wine aroma compounds are C6 alcohols, such as 1-hexanol and cis- and trans-3-hexen-l-ol, 2-phenylethanol, and 2-phenylethyl acetate. Contents of these compounds in wine are linked to the winemaking processes used fermentation temperature, yeast strain type, nitrogen level in must available for yeasts during fermentation, clarification of wine (Rapp and Versini, 1991). Much literature on the wine aroma compounds was reported in reviews by Schreier (1979) and Rapp (1988). 

In the Port winemaking process, when about half of the original sugar content has been converted to alcohol, the must is usually taken off-skins and the fermentation is stopped by addition of wine spirit (ratio wine/wine spirit 5) in order to maintain its natural sweetness and approximately 20% of alcohol. 

Fig. 13.4. Example showing changes in the oxidation-reduction potential of a red wine during the winemaking process AF, alcoholic fermentation MLF, malolactic fermentation (Vivas and Glories, 1995)...

To prevent the formation of wine crystals during the bottling process, winemakers use a method known as cold stabilization. By lowering the temperature of the wine to 19-23°F for several days or weeks, the solubility of tartrate crystals is lowered, forcing the crystals to sediment. The resulting wine is then filtered off the tartrate deposit. The temperature dependence of the solubility of potassium bitartrate is readily apparent in the following comparison while 162 ml of water at room temperature dissolves 1 g of the salt, only 16 ml of water at 100°C are needed to solubilize the same amount of saltJ l Recent developments employ a technique known as electrodialysis to remove tartrate, bitartrate, and potassium ions from newly fermented wine at the winery before potassium bitartrate crystals form. 

Unfortunately, in spite of the published literature on wine proteins, we do not know the actual protein levels at which table or dessert wines are stable. The changes in protein content during production and processing of wines are still not known with sufficient accuracy to predict their behavior. The winemaker has to depend on empirical tests if he is to produce protein stable wines. Early separation of new wines from their fermentation yeast greatly improves their chances for protein stability by decreasing the release of yeast autolysis products into the wine. 

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