The intention of this article is to give a very brief overview of the additives and adjuvants used in winemaking, so as to give those unfamiliar with the subject an idea of what they are. We will deal with this topic in more detail in subsequent articles.
What are Oenological Additives and Adjuvants
Wine additives and wine-making aids are substances used in wine production to improve various aspects of the wine-making process. Their main function is to facilitate various stages of winemaking, such as fermentation, clarification and wine stabilisation. These substances are generally not listed on the label.
Difference between Additives and Adjuvants
The difference between additives and adjuvants is very simple: additives are substances that are precisely added to the wine and remain there, and are therefore present in the product in the final. Adjuvants, on the other hand, are products and/or substances that are either removed by filtration techniques or are substances of which no trace (or almost no trace) remains in the finished product.
Types of Oenological Adjuvants
What follows is a summary list of the main types of wine-making aids and additives and their most common uses.
- Filtration aids: these auxiliary materials improve the effectiveness of filters during the wine filtration process. Filtration aids, such as kieselguhr and perlite, increase the filtering power and reduce silting, ensuring greater clarity of the final product.
- Stabilisers and Preservatives: substances such as metatartaric acid are used to prevent crystallisation of tartaric salts in wine, thus maintaining tartaric stability. Or such as ascorbic acid, the well-known vitamin C, is an antioxidant and is used to prevent browning and loss of flavour.
- Clarifiers: these adjuvants help remove suspended particles in wine, improving clarity. They include, for example, substances that promote sedimentation of impurities.
- Yeasts and substances useful in fermentation: Various types of selected yeasts can be added in the winemaking process. In addition, certain adjuvants, such as B vitamins, support yeast activity during alcoholic fermentation.
- Correctors of Organoleptic Characteristics: are adjuvants used to correct the flavor profile of wine, with the intent of improving the taste experience, or adapting the flavor of wine to market demands.
List of Oenological Adjuvants
What follows is a summary list of the most widely used and permitted oenological practices, additives and couadivants in the various types of wine. More information on the substances and practices listed here can be found at the "Grille d'Evaluation des Pratiques Oenologiques" on the website of the Institut Français de la vigne et du vin.
Conventional Wine:
Citric acid, L-tartaric acid, L-ascorbic acid, L-malic D,L-malic acid, Lactic acid, Metatartaric acid, Acidification by bipolar membrane electrodialysis, Egg albumin, Sulphur dioxide (SO₂), Self-enrichment by evaporation*, Self-enrichment by reverse osmosis, Lactic acid bacteria, Bentonite, Potassium bicarbonate, Potassium bisulphite, Ammonium bisulphite, Calcium carbonate, Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), Cellulose gum (CMC), Potassium caseinate, Casein, Oenological carbon, Chitin-glucan, Chitosans, Copper citrate, Isinglass, Thiamine hydrochloride, Silicon dioxide (Silica gel), Yeast hulls, Electrodialysis, Beta glucanase enzymes, Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation*, Rapid pasteurization, Gelatins, Gum arabic, Diammonium phosphate, Cream of tartar, Active dry yeasts (ADY), Lysozyme, Yeast mannoproteins, Vegetable proteins obtained from wheat or peas, Potassium metabisulfite, Tangential microfiltration, Oak wood chips, Concentrated must, Rectified concentrated must, Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP), Enzymes for pectinase activation, Cation exchange resins, Copper sulphate, Ammonium sulphate, Oenological tannins, Neutral potassium tartrate.
Biological Wine:
Citric acid, L-tartaric acid, L-ascorbic acid, Lactic acid, Metatartaric acid, Egg albumin, Self-enrichment by evaporation, Self-enrichment by reverse osmosis, Lactic bacteria, Bentonite, Potassium bisulphite, Potassium metabisulfite, Potassium bicarbonate, Calcium carbonate, Potassium caseinate, Casein, Oenological carbon, Copper citrate, Isinglass, Thiamine hydrochloride, Silicon dioxide (Silica gel), Yeast hulls, Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation, Gelatine, Gum arabic, Diammonium phosphate, Cream of tartar, Active dry yeasts (ADY), Vegetable proteins obtained from wheat or peas, Tangential microfiltration, Oak wood chips, Concentrated must, Rectified concentrated must, Enzymes for activating pectinase, Copper sulphate, Tannins oenological, Neutral potassium tartrate, Sulphur dioxide (SO₂).
Biodynamic Wine (Demeter):
Egg albumin, Sulphur dioxide (SO₂), Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation, Bentonite, Oenological carbon, Tangential microfiltration.
Natural Wine:
Sulfur dioxide (SO₂), Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation.
*Practices used in winemaking.
We will continue to talk about wine and winemaking in future articles.
See you soon.
