More winemaking magic

A few posts ago, I described the outstanding lecture by Kerith Overstreet of Bruliam Wines on the biochemistry of wine (link). Although I tried to capture the essence of her talk, there is now a recording available including her slides. If you are interested in the topic but kept thinking ‘WTF is this guy talking about’, I recommend you hear it straight from the source. Here is the link to the audio.

Bruliam Wines also has a blog and today’s post (here’s the link) has a great discussion of how sulfur dioxide is used in wines. Added as potassium metabisulfite, the acidic wine converts it into sulfur dioxide (as well as bisulfite and the conjugate base, sulfite). Each of these reducing agents has a role in protecting or preserving the wine and just like anything else, too much of a good thing is bad. Finding the right balance so that the wine is free of bacteria, protected from oxidation over the long term, but does not lose its color or subtle flavors is yet another example of the magic of winemaking. Enjoy!