Basic Wine Chemistry Glossary of Terms Sirromet Wines Pty Ltd Mount Cotton Rd Mount Cotton Queensland Australia Courtesy of Jessica Ferguson Assistant Winemaker & Site Chemist Downloaded from seniorchem.com/eei.html

Acids –Essential for good taste structure –Prevent growth of micro organisms Alcohols –Mostly ethanol –Concentration affects taste Sugars –Fructose and glucose in grapes (sweetest of berries) –Dry wines have almost none –Residual sugars off-set acidity

Polyphenols –Main flavor components of red wine –Anthocyanins give red color –Potential health benefits Volatile Compounds –Largest class –Major contributor to flavor

Natural Advantage Ana Cristina Mesquita, M.Sc., R&D Manager Carlos Macku, Ph.D., Director of Technical Services ®

There are 2 types of bonding forces that attract TCA molecules to the cork matrix: TCA & Cork Hydrogen Bonding van der Waals Interactions = TCA

TCA stands for 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole TCA is a naturally occurring metabolite produced by several fungus species TCA poses no toxic effect at naturally occurring levels TCA is detectable by the human nose in parts per trillion (ppt) TCA, once formed, is chemically stable & easily adsorbed by many natural & synthetic materials TCA is pervasive in nature & industry & has been found in –Many foods & beverages, e.g. coffee & cocoa beans, wine & beer…even bottled & municipal drinking water! –Packaging materials, e.g. wood, paper, cardboard & plastics TCA Facts CORK TCA INNOCORK ® CORK SUPPLY GROUP

TCA in wine is detectable at low ppt Sensory detection of TCA varies from person to person, between men & women, & between people living at different latitudes In a range between 1 & 10ppt TCA can either be: –Undetected –Detected as a musty ‘corked' note, or –Act as a masking agent on desired flavors or aromas TCA & Wine CORK TCA INNOCORK ® CORK SUPPLY GROUP p p tp p q 10 Undetected Masking Effect Musty / Corked 10 TCA Sensory Detection Scale

TCA stands for 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole TCA is a naturally occurring metabolite produced by several fungus species TCA poses no toxic effect at naturally occurring levels TCA is detectable by the human nose in parts per trillion (ppt) TCA, once formed, is chemically stable & easily adsorbed by many natural & synthetic materials TCA is pervasive in nature & industry & has been found in –Many foods & beverages, e.g. coffee & cocoa beans, wine & beer…even bottled & municipal drinking water! –Packaging materials, e.g. wood, paper, cardboard & plastics TCA Facts CORK TCA INNOCORK ® CORK SUPPLY GROUP

TCA is naturally more strongly attracted to ethanol that it is to cork So when a TCA-tainted cork comes in contact with the ethanol in wine, the TCA molecule unlatches from the cork matrix & is released into the wine We call this ‘Releasable TCA’ TCA & Cork & Wine CORK TCA INNOCORK ® CORK SUPPLY GROUP Releasable TCA