Think Wine is Just Grape Juice and Yeast. Think Again!

Photo by Roberta Sorge on Unsplash

What is more natural than a glass of wine?

Grow some grape vines, wait for them to produce grapes, harvest the grape bunches, de-stem them (sometimes), crush them to produce juice, leave the crushed grapes in contact with the juice to create color (in the case of red wines and rosé) and then rely on natural yeasts or added yeast to convert the natural sugars in the grape juice to alcohol and, voilà, – you have wine! It’s just that simple, right?

Well, wine isn’t always that simple. While some wines are indeed produced with these simple steps and ingredients, there are some other ingredients that can be used in the winemaking process. And, the only two ingredients that are required to appear on a wine label are the alcohol content and if it contains sulfites.

Here’s a few of the other ingredients that may be used in wine making or remain in a wine:

Added Yeast Nutrients and Enzymes

Yeast nutrients are used to speed up the process of fermentation.

Potassium Sorbate and Potassium Metabisultite

Both of these ingredients are used to guard against bacteria and protect the yeast from spoiling, and are commonly used together during the fermentation process to help the yeast ferment efficiently while improving the overall flavor.

Acid, Sugar, and Tannin Additions

Adding acid will decrease the pH and increase the total acidity of the wine to ensure it is in overall