The use of additives in wine skills

The process of aging wine, winemakers often add some additives are common apple milk - lactic acid bacteria, yeast culture, as well as clarifying agent. With the continuous progress of science and technology, there will be more and more additives to increase the wine's color, taste, aroma. About how to use the enzyme (enzymes), tannic acid (tannins) and other new types of additives, there are a lot of controversy.

We want to know the proper use of additives and their effects, which products are beneficial to the brewer, this reporter interviewed three wine experts - Lars Petersen, Todd Ziemann, Steve MacRostie, ask them to comment on the wine additives.

Expert Description:

Lars Petersen worked the famous Italian Barolo (Barolo) Chateau worked one year there studying winemaking techniques, and later as a Christian Hansen Corporation (Christian Hansen) bacteria manager, saw a lot of people brewing wine process. All in all, Lars mainly engaged in the past five years the development of biological products.

Todd Ziemann grew up in Lodi, California, grandfather planted grapes. Todd received the University of California graduate, first job was in the Mirassou winery in the cellar to do chores, and later work in Sonoma's Sebastiani Winery. 2001, Constellation acquired Sebastiani Winery, Todd continue to operate the brand. Constellation Group, Robert M, 2005 Meng Dawei, Todd became Mouton (Woodbridge) wine the winemaker.

Steve MacRostie is MacRostie winery manager, and chief winemaker, received a master's degree grapes in Sonoma County with 30 years experience in brewing fine wine, the current self-MacRostie Winery, 35,000 cases of wine annually.

What are enzymes?

Lars: enzyme is an active protein, cells maintain normal function of any key factor, is the only catalyst for cell activation.

Steve: Broadly speaking, the enzyme is a three-dimensional structure of proteins, can promote the biochemical reactions, accelerate the synthesis or decomposition of material. To protease, for example, it can speed up the decomposition of protein molecules.

Lars: for example, cellulose is a complex enzyme that can speed up changes in the biological structure of grape skin, grape skin in the decomposition and cellulose gum. Some types of enzymes that breaks down flavor precursors. Some new types of enzymes are expected to release aromatic flavor, in white wine is more effective.

What is the additive, Why use additives?

Lars: I usually like to additive known as "processing aids", including yeast, fungi, tannase, and clarifying agent.

Todd: We are trying through the oak tannins, as well as grape juice or wine tannase to improve the quality of wine, supple and honest, to taste. Tannins in wine generally is grape seed, skin and stems from soaking fermentation, or stored in oak barrels and because of extraction from oak tannin inside.

Can determine the amount of tannin wine flavor, structure and texture. Lack of texture and light tannins of red wine, without a strong feeling. Single Ningfeng Fu wine can be stored for many years, brewing a more detailed full-bodied flavor.

I prefer juice to improve the process of wine balancing, even with the best berries, can also be allowed to become better, in which the secret is to add tannase.

Steve: Generally speaking, we do not use additives mentioned here, we focus on optimization of grape cultivation, strengthen the local flavor, cultivate good grapes. So often we do not rely on additives to make up for the shortcomings of wine.

Although there are many ways to improve the existing quality of the wine, but our view is that in addition to the use of quantitative extraction of enzymes to improve the quality of wine, do not add other substances. Sometimes, however, Pinot Noir in the brewing of wine, it will also use the pigment extraction of enzyme.

You have to use additives to improve the wine's taste or color?

Todd: We use additives to improve wine flavor, adjust the balance of tannins. In addition, red wine fermentation process, I like to join a large number of micro-oxygen (micro-ox) processing of wine, this process is accompanied by oak tannins, enzymes, yeast play a role together to make the wine taste more mellow harmonious texture, color more stable.

For us, the main purpose is to enhance the fullness and flavor of wine.

Lars: Steve do all efforts in the vineyard, cultivated the highest quality grapes, which is leading provider of high-end wine production. Big winery grape high demand, the acquisition of the berries can not be selective. To Pinot Noir winemakers, for example, they are most concerned about the color of wine, grape skin extract as much as possible in the pigment, requiring additives to achieve the desired color of the wine.

Steve: brewing process pH value of the total balance to face, grape juice during fermentation, pH, sometimes substantially higher, inevitably, the addition of acid. We have a familiar way, to ensure that the end of malolactic fermentation to balance pH value, this could make the cup of wine, bright color, fresh and refreshing look. During this period, just add a small dose of enzyme can achieve the desired effect.

Lars: This process is relatively straightforward, the wine's color from the grape skin, grape skin to change the biological structure and extract the maximum pigment. Enzymes can speed up this process, enzymes added the article from the Chinese red pigment network completely from the grape skin extracted, the next step needs a stable color, one way is to reduce the pH, or adding micro-oxygen. There is also a majority of winemakers do not use the method that the fermentation process in red wine added oak chips.

Todd: I like to use oak chips wine color stability. Oak chips to acetaldehyde, pigment and tannin together, this will help save more pigment aggregation. I mainly use oak chips not grilled, so the final wines balanced tannin structure.

How to destroy the flavor of wine additives?

Lars: grape seed grape skin contact with the longer, more complex structure of wine. Add the wine process there are many effects of enzymes, can accelerate the decomposition of different polymers, but also bring unsatisfactory side effects.

Lars: whether in good years or bad years, there is always need additives to improve product quality. Additives can prevent the problem from getting worse, but can not make up for deficiencies, can not bring wine to perfection.

Todd: You have to understand the characteristics of wine grapes, and then select the appropriate additives, or a waste of time, will only undermine the balance of the wine. Wine fermentation process is the most important part, if not satisfied with the process of fermentation, the wine must advance additive. Many additives can improve the taste of wine.

How do micro-oxygen combination with other additives?

Steve: We like to do things according to traditional customs, such as Chardonnay with oak fermentation. We do not like the charge of oxygen penetrating the container to add oak chips or oak chips instead of oak barrel fermentation, aging, because the latter can not be replaced. Brewing quality Chardonnay is the most feasible way to purchase suitable oak, Chardonnay fermentation, oak aging process can be combined with the full draw of the oak barrel tannins.

Todd: In general, oak can not be replaced. We are in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels are a lot of wine brewing, the fact that steel cans do not be compared with the oak.

Steel tank into the micro-oxygenation completely closed, while the oak has a certain air permeability, can provide some growth to the yeast need oxygen to promote yeast respiration to speed up growth, and promote the smooth progress of the fermentation process; barrel also provide a lot of grape juice to prevent oxidation, stable pigment trace elements, and provide micro-oxidizing environment. In addition, the oak barrels of wine brought to the hydrolysis of tannins to make a series of slow continuous oxidation of the wine variety of changes occur. Therefore, the oak barrels the wine is not just only to bring "oak" simple storage containers.

Later we also added in the steel tank oak chips, micro-injection of oxygen, the situation has improved greatly improve the taste and flavor of the wine, the only deficiency is that wines made of stainless steel fermentation tank from the color, aroma, taste the not as good as barrel fermentation of wine.

Lars: I worked in a production of premium wine company in Italy too, they are very conservative, fully fermented wines in the traditional way, I think if they are in the wine fermentation process, a little bit to add a little activity or use of oak chips will achieve more satisfactory the effect of making wine more perfect.

Steve: If today's wine industry with ten years ago the difference, you will find great changes, greatly improved the quality of wine, more soft, seductive, fruity richer.

What is a clarifying agent, what effect?

Todd: clarifying agent can get rid of the appearance and structure affect the composition of wine, fining agents are many different kinds, including casein emulsion, PVPP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone) and gelatin. Clarifying agent added to the tanks or casks, the goal will be to clarify the matter with the combination of a few days later the Department of precipitation in the end, after reversing a barrel, may be remnants of the upper and clarifying agent to clarify wine and separating. We have used most of clarifying agent for wine flavor and texture. If necessary, we also add white wine tartar, increase the acidity.

Steve: white wine in the filter, we use Peng Yun soil adsorption of protein to clarify the impurity. Of course, the clarifying agent is not additive in the wine after bottling completely filter, clarifier to remove all, there will be no wine.

Lars: But when you add the tannin, the substance will be retained in the wine. Bacteria and enzymes in the completion of their "mission" will go away, do not exist in wine.

Comprehensive review of the additive and the status in the brewing process

Todd: I think that if additives used properly, can indeed improve the quality of wine. But the prerequisite is to understand the nature of wine grapes, know what you are doing.

Steve: wine tools of course useful, but I believe that grape cultivation techniques to improve and cultivate good grapes, good wine is the key.

Lars: additives, like a double-edged sword, there are good aspects and bad aspects of the fine wine depends first on the quality of berries, then use the additive to be improved.

The next most common additive to that?

Todd: I think the future will not be the universal additive tannin and tannin only for specific problems, in a small range.

Lars: the most popular additive comes as oak, which seems to rewind history, because in the past people the oak as the main tool for wine.

Todd: micro-oxygen gradually been widely used, this is an additive tool, but not suitable for all wines.

Lars: I think the popularity of micro-oxygen is not open to, enzymes and fermentation of nutrients will be used industry-wide acceptance.