To add or not add yeast? That is the question…

Choices, choices, choices… Like all things in life winemakers also have a number of choices when producing wine. One of these is if yeast should be added or not when making wine. Yeast plays a very important role in our lives. Yeast are responsible for the transformation of sugar in grape juice (consisting of glucose […]

Wine and your wide nose…

I am not sure how many of you liked science at school, but I actually found it quite fascinating (except the exam part of course). Once one starts to appreciate the wonder of nature and how we as humans perceive it, we realize what a wonderful role chemistry plays in our everyday lives! The same […]

Fire that barrel!

I am sitting now with a glass of Chenin blanc, one eye on my two young boys trying to kill each other in the garden with their plastic bikes and the other on the barbeque fire. I am going to braai some traditional South African sosaties which will go well with the Chenin methinks! This […]

Oxygen: sometimes a good thing for wine…

Oxygen can also increase the quality of wine in certain instances. What, you might say? This is just the opposite of what I have been preaching in the past few posts. However, under certain circumstances limited amounts of oxygen can actually change the composition of wine in a favourable manner. Read further to find out… […]

Oxygen in white wines: not only inside but on top!

So last time we looked at oxygen in juice and I mentioned that oxygen can be the enemy or friend of the wine maker. Oxygen reacts with a number of different compounds in wine and can thus change the aroma and taste of the wine. Oxygen levels in wine can range from around 0 mg/L […]

Oxygen: friend or foe to a winemaker? Part 1

We all know that we need air and oxygen to survive (well perhaps some, also known as oxygen thieves, less than others). Take a deep breath… Now hold your breath and read further to see what role oxygen plays in grape juice and certain white wines… When wine is made the grapes are normally crushed […]

The virus in the vineyard…

When one drives nowadays in the winelands the beautiful red coloured leaves of vineyard are all around us. However, as the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and these colours are unfortunately not so appealing to grape and wine producers as it is usually a sign of a virus infection […]

Ready for the red colour in red wine?

Wondering where the colour of red wine comes from? Think one can “see” the age of a red wine? Then read further…. The colour of red wine is important to many wine drinkers. We all know that young red wines have a reddish colour, while that of older red wines changes to a brick red […]

How do we taste wine in wine science?

Sitting around a table with a friend or relative is probably the most enjoyable way to taste wine. I am sure no one will mind to taste wine for a living, but believe it or not, it can get a bit tedious if one needs to taste a large number wines at a time. There […]

Grass, bell pepper or cabbage: be carefull how you pick your greens in wine

So, you are starting to drink wine with the experts… Nothing wrong with that, but the terms they often use to describe the wine can be a bit confusing… Linear, one dimensional, broody etc etc. One such a wine description could be the term “green”. The word “green” can be used to describe the smell […]