Wines acidic components

It is sufficient to determine in the two wines those components which are of special interest in relation to the scope of the analysis. If any differences occur, the way in which the wine has been treated will be evident. Thus, if a wine exhibits general and proportional deficiencies of its constituents, mere watering is proved, and the extent of this may be calculated. If, however, as frequently happens, besides watering, addition of tartaric add has occurred, the alcoholic strength will be lowered, but the acidity will not be lowered in the same proportion, and so on. 

Figure 24-1, p. 278, shows an example of determining the anionic components in red wine. The carboxylic acid components influence the flavor and color. 

The separation of a racemic mixture into its enantiomeric components is termed resolution The first resolution that of tartaric acid was carried out by Louis Pasteur m 1848 Tartaric acid IS a byproduct of wine making and is almost always found as its dextrorotatory 2R 3R stereoisomer shown here m a perspective drawing and m a Fischer projection... 

Sodium and potassium benzoate are substances that may be added direcdy to human food and are affirmed as GRAS (33—35). Benzoic acid and sodium and potassium benzoate are now used as preservatives in such foods as sauces, pickles, cider, fmit juices, wine coolers, symps and concentrates, mincemeat and other acidic pie fillings, margarine, egg powder, fish (as a brine dip component), bottled carbonated beverages, and fmit preserves, jams, and jellies. The popularity of diet soft drinks has led to increased demand for both benzoate salts. 

The complexity of wine composition is a central reason for the vast variety of wines in the marketplace. In addition to water and ethanol, the major components, a variety of organic acids as well as metal ions from minerals in the skin of the grape are present. Initially, all of these substances remain dissolved in the bottled grape juice. As the fermentation process occurs, the increasing alcohol concentration in the wine alters the solubility of particular combinations of acid and metal ions. Unable to remain in solution, the insoluble substances settle as crystals. Since the process of red-wine making involves extended contact of the grape juice with the skins of the grapes (where the minerals are concentrated), wine crystals are more common in red wines than in white wines. 

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are water-soluble substances and thereby penetrate the outermost epidermal skin layers. In contrast, beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) are lipid (fat) soluble and are capable of penetrating to the underlying layers of skin (the dermis) located 1-5 mm below the surface of the skinJ2 Most AHAs are derived from plant materials and marine sources. Commonly used AHAs include malic acid (found in apples), ascorbic acid (a common ingredient in numerous fruits), glycolic acid (a constituent of sugar cane), lactic acid (a component of milk), citric acid (naturally abundant in citrus fruits), and tartatic acid (found in red wine). A common BHA is salicylic acid (an ingredient in aspirin). 

Benzoic aldehydes mainly cover syringaldehyde and vanillin. Natural vanilla is prepared from the seeds (beans) of Vanilla planifolia, which may contain about 21 mg/ 100 g FW total phenols, including the major components vanillin (19.4 mg/100 g FW), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (1 mg/100 g FW), and vanillic acid (0.4 mg/100 g FW) (Clifford 2000b). In mango, vanillin has been found as free as well as vanillyl glu-coside (Sakho and others 1997). It has also been found in lychees (Ong and Acree 1998) and wines (Moreno and others 2007). For analysis of both brandy and wine aged in oak barrels, the limits of detection were found to be 27.5, 14.25, 14.75, and... 

Interest in the health effects of anthocyanins was piqued by the French paradox in which the mortality from cardiovascular disease was lower than that predicted from the intake of dietary saturated fatty acids. The beneficial effects were greater in association with alcohol taken in the form of wine suggesting that there may be a protective effect of other components of wine. Needless to say the wine industry was pleased with this research. 

The formation of higher alcohols is associated in part with amino acids (90). Higher alcohols or fusel oils may occur as taste components in wines. Taste thresholds of isoamyl alcohol ranged from 100 to 900 ppm (average 300 ppm) in dry white wines for seven panelists (91). 

Iron and copper in wines may form complexes with other components to produce deposits or clouds in white wines. Iron clouds generally occur at a pH range from 2.9 to 3.6 and are often controlled by adding citric acid to the wines (2). Copper clouds appear in wines when high levels of copper and sulfur dioxide exist and are a combination of sediments, protein-tannin, copper-protein, and copper-sulfur complexes (169). Further, the browning rate of white wines increases in the presence of copper and iron (143). The results of this study indicate that iron increased the browning rate more than copper. 

Table X illustrates the successful application of formaldehyde precipitation as a means of estimating the flavonoid and nonflavonoid contents in a mixture. The mixture consisted of catechin as the flavonoid and caffeic, vanillic, and syringic acids as the nonflavonoids. The catechin was 86% precipitated (lower than usual because of the low level), but the other substances were not significantly precipitated. The slight apparent loss of caffeic acid is attributable to experimental variation since in many other experiments the lack of reaction and precipitation or co-precipitation of caffeic acid or chlorgenic acid has been demonstrated. Allowing for the same slight solubility of the catechin-formalde-hyde product in the mixtures as in the single component solution, the analysis of the mixtures gave 95.7-107.6% of the calculated value. This indicates no significant co-precipitation or entrainment of the nonflavonoids as the flavonoid was removed. This result has been verified a number of times with different substances added to model solutions and wines (21, 22).

Aldehydes and Other Low-Boiling Components. As mentioned, a low-boiling fraction, called heads, is normally taken from the vent condenser during the distillation of wine into brandy. The principal impurities removed are acetaldehyde, diethyl acetal, ethyl acetate, and acetalde-hyde-sulfurous acid. 

Ethyl acetate is a product of yeasts and a normal component of wine. Its level can be increased by Acetobacter contamination, although most wines showing excess volatile (acetic) acid do not necessarily contain excess ethyl ester initially. It is quite possible to obtain brandy of normal composition and quality by continuous distillation of newly fermented wine containing excess acetic acid, e.g., 0.1%. On the other hand, ethyl acetate can be formed in continuous columns, particularly if the distillation conditions provide for a relatively high ethanol concentration on the feed tray or immediately below. Since acetic acid is weakly yolatile in all mixtures of ethanol and water, it does not appreciably distill upward. Therefore there is no opportunity for acetic acid to combine wtih ethanol in tray liquids normally of high ethanol concentration. 

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