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If you ask what’s in wine, the first thing you’ll probably think of is alcohol. Well, yes, there is alcohol in it, but that alone does not determine whether a wine is good. Let’s look at the components of wine that give each variety its character.
What is wine?
Wine is a fermented alcoholic drink made from the juice of grapes. At least that’s the simplest way to put it. There are white wines, red wines, rosés and dessert wines. Here at Borsuttogo, you will find premium wines in all categories.
The quality of the wine is also determined by the grape harvest in a given year, the climate of the area, the harvesting method, the must making, the fermentation and many other factors. Wine is most often described in terms of its four components: alcohol, tannin, sugar and acidity. The largest component of wine is water, which makes up 80% of the wine. But the fact is that these four components are also the main ones that we look at when we taste a wine.
Alcohol
Alcohol is produced during fermentation. This is when the yeasts consume the sugars in the must and convert them into alcohol. In this way, the sugar content decreases during the process, while the amount of alcohol increases. However, the yeasts also transform many other substances, so that the flavours and aromas typical of wine gradually develop. The aromas carry the characteristics of the grape.
Once the wine reaches a certain alcohol level, the yeast is no longer able to survive and fermentation stops. However, it is possible to stop the process artificially, so that more of the grape’s natural sugar content is retained.
The alcohol content of a given batch is also influenced by the local climate of the wine-growing region, for example, primitives grown in sunny Manduria usually have a higher alcohol content.
Sugar
We have seen how much the sugar content of the grapes harvested plays a role in alcoholic fermentation. An increase in the sugar content leads to a decrease in the acidity, and it is therefore very important to choose the most optimal time for harvesting.
A sav
It is a very important component of wine, as is often indicated by the term “acid backbone”, which is often used when talking about wine. In fact, it is the acidity of the wine itself that gives it its primary character, preserves its quality and adds freshness. The acidity in wine also comes from the grapes, from the must. The wine’s components include malic acid, citric acid and tartaric acid.
The tannin
The other name for tannin is tannic acid, and its importance is mostly discussed in the context of red wines. It plays a role in the development of the colour and flavour of the wine and gives the drink its stability. It is primarily found in the solid parts of the grape, such as the skin and the core. If these can soak with the grape juice in the must, they can release the tannin.
Wine ingredients that are less often mentioned
Wine also has a number of other components, such as the water mentioned earlier. They also contain mineral salts, flavourings, vitamins and enzymes. The most important thing with all these ingredients is that they harmonise well with each other, so that no one ingredient stands out at the expense of the others – this is how wine becomes a noble drink.
At Borsuttogo, we also pay particular attention to providing as much detailed information as possible about the premium quality drinks we offer, including the typical style characteristics that have evolved from the ingredients. If you have any questions about our wines, please do not hesitate to contact us!