The Daily Taste: Friday May 13th, 2022 – Is There Really Butter In My Chardonnay? – Connecting Podcasts with Listeners & Subscribers From All Over the World!

The Daily Taste: Friday May 13th, 2022 – Is There Really Butter In My Chardonnay?

Play This Episode

0 Votes

Hello Wine Enthusiasts Welcome to the Daily Taste for Friday May 13th 2022As wine grapes mature during the growing season there acid levels drop while they accumulate sugar That s why if you taste a green berry early in the growing season it tastes very tart and astringent As harvest approaches acidity is lower in the grapes and sugar is high which gives the grapes their sweetness Wine grapes contain many acids but the two most prominent acids are Tartaric Acid and Malic Acid Tartaric acid is a fairly strong acid among wine acids while Malic acid which is found in many fruits and vegetables is the acid responsible for the sour taste in fruits Acidity is an important component in a finished wine because not enough acid makes the wine taste flat while too much acid can accentuate astringency This is where the process of malolactic fermentation comes in to play Malolactic fermentation is done by the presence of special bacteria called malolactic bacteria The main purpose of malolactic fermentation or sometimes called secondary fermentation is to convert the harsh-tasting malic acid into the much softer smoother lactic acid It can also increase a wines stability before bottling to prevent the malolactic fermentation from occurring naturally in the bottle When malolactic fermentation occurs in the bottle the wine looks cloudy and can be fizzy These are faults in a finished wine that winemakers want to avoid Most red wines go through malolactic fermentation to make them smoother and to accentuate fruity and berry characteristics Red wines that have gone through malolactic fermentation are softer with a full smooth mouthfeel Only some white wines go through malolactic fermentation like Chardonnay and Viognier Malolactic bacteria can release a byproduct called Diacetyl which is responsible for the creamy buttery taste found in some Chardonnays Chardonnays that don t go through malolactic fermentation are usually more fruity crisp wines Malolactic bacteria can be present already in the winery on the equipment so a spontaneous malolactic fermentation can occur Otherwise the winemaker can inoculate the wine with a specific malolactic culture Malolactic fermentation can be done simultaneously with the alcoholic fermentation but the most common practice is to encourage the malolactic fermentation after the alcoholic fermentation when the wine has been transferred to barrel where the temperatures are perfect for the bacteria to thrive Finally If you enjoy the content of this podcast I encourage you to go to the show website at www obsessedwithwine net and click on the link at the top of the page called Buy me a glass of wine Unfortunately it doesn t buy me any wine but it does give you the opportunity to donate to the show which helps me offset some of the costs of production Anything you can donate is greatly appreciated