New World Winemaker Blog

It’s happened to the best of us and, unfortunately, we all know the feeling: Waking up the next morning, feeling like death warmed up and swearing you’ll never drink again. But what exactly is a hangover and what in wine causes hangovers?

For those who don’t know, common features of hangovers include headaches, nausea, fatigue, dehydration and weakness, even mild depression. I must admit I didn’t realize hangovers are that complex until I started to research them. It gets a little technical, I know, but hang in there – it’s pretty interesting!

The most common cause of a wine hangover is dehydration. Alcohol causes the body to lose water through a complex pathway, resulting in the brain temporarily shrinking. This puts the membranes under strain, causing a headache. This goes hand in hand with a very dry mouth. Furthermore, alcohol causes glycogen (your medium-term energy store) to be converted into glucose and excreted along with salts and minerals, causing you to feel tired the next day. Are you ready to open the next bottle of Chenin yet?

Another major cause of hangovers is biogenic amines, specifically histamine, a chemical we usually associate with allergic reactions. Almost all alcoholic beverages contain some histamine, especially red wine, as it is made from whole grapes. Some people are more sensitive to histamine than others, which can lead to allergic reactions. Symptoms may vary from rosy cheeks to bad headaches. This has nothing to do with the vast amount of wine they knocked back the previous night, of course… There are quite a few factors that can influence the histamine content of wine, and most of them are related to the microbial health of the wine. So, it is very possible that the red wine from one producer will be fine while the same variety from another producer will give you a splitting headache.

And then there is acetaldehyde, which is a by-product of the liver breaking down alcohol. The body can break down small quantities of acetaldehyde, but it cannot metabolize large quantities acetaldehyde, which adds to your hangover. Interesting to note here is that acetaldehyde is closely related to formaldehyde, the preservative that scientists use to store dodgy organs in jars. That really makes you reach out to your wine rack, doesn’t it?

Next is a group of molecules called congeners, which is commonly found in dark-colored drinks like red wine, brandy and whiskey. Very little is known about this chemical group, but apparently it is not very good for us, hence the hangovers.

Interestingly, in my research for this article, I found no mention of sulfur – one of the most popular culprits on which hangovers are pinned. Now you know what happens on the odd occasion when you lose the plot. Having said that, I still believe that moderate wine consumption will definitely add quality to your life and health. Cheers!

Boela Gerber is the winemaker of Groot Constantia wine estate in South Africa. This blog was originally published on www.conca.co.za.

During my recent harvest stint in Germany, my host, Christoph Hammel uttered many memorable (and some that I am not allowed to mention here) pearls of wisdom. He told me about a meeting where some of the biggest names in German winemaking and professors associated with the wine industry were present. A very well know professor publically stated that his belief system does not have any room for the theory that yeasts impart any aroma to a wine fermentation. At this, Christoph got up and glibly replied: “My dear sir, it is not a question of belief. It is a question of knowledge.” The subsequent pandemonium that ensued was apparently quite noteworthy (hence the photo above).

Christoph is a big believer in using technology, specifically technology that can be used to make wine, and wine processing, better. Even more specifically, he is a big believer in additions.  He always said to me that he makes wine that people want to drink and if this can be achieved with the addition of enzymes and other winemaking tools, so be it. Every addition that he does is done for a reason. One thing can be said with certainty and that is that Christoph believes in the “interventionist” approach to winemaking. A lot of winemakers like to claim that their wine is made “naturally” and with the least possible human intervention, but Christoph is at the complete opposite of the spectrum. He has some pretty far out and amazing ideas and some might even call him a renegade or a cowboy after hearing about his yeast mixing and addition regimes!

As far as the additions are concerned, Optiwhite (Lallemand) is one of his stalwarts. This is usually added at the beginning of fermentation. β-glucanase and β-glycosidase enzymes  are added at the end of fermentation (at about 0°Brix). Depending on the structure and quality of a specific wine, ascorbic acid is also added right at the end of fermentation. DAP is added at three stages and is sometimes even added in divided dosages during the day, depending on the fermentation bouquet. In addition to DAP addition, thiamine is added to all musts. This is done simultaneously with sugar addition. It is well known that fungal infection on grapes depletes thiamine and it is therefore an excellent prophylactic measurement against stuck, sluggish or smelly ferments. For each addition, a cost to benefit decision is made. For instance, light and easy drinking wines will not get all the bells and whistles. The more expensive wines will get a full range of stuff added.

If Christoph was not such an excellent winemaker, I would have said that he missed his true calling in life: A chef! A chef who is forever mixing, adding and tasting, mixing, adding and tasting…

OENOTOOLS is the latest smartphone and tablet application to help winemakers make essential calculations during wine production.

This free application developed by OENOBRANDS contains the most widely used calculation and conversion tools required in the winery. The development of this application is in line with Oenobrands’ strategy of offering winemakers innovative, advanced winemaking solutions.

The first version of OENOTOOLS allows the winemaker to:

-Calculate the quantity of any powder, liquid or gas additive to add to a tank. For instance, OENOTOOLS will determine the amount of gum arabic, enzymes, tannins or any fining agent to add to a tank from a powder or liquid source.

-Determine the amount of sulfite to add according to the winemaker’s selected source (various concentrations or gas) to reach a set total, free and/or active SO₂target.

-Convert the common measuring units used for grape juice and wine: for example, liters into gallons, brix into sugar concentration, etc.

-Establish the conditions and flow rate for deoxygenation and decarbonization using nitrogen stripping.

The OENOTOOLS app provides a range of quick and accurate winemaking calculation tools in four languages: English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Get the OENOTOOLS App from the Apple iTunes App Store and Android Market by scanning the QR code below on your iPhone or Android device.

Dr. Patrice Pellerin is the Technical Manager for Oenobrands.

Have you ever wondered where the circle around Saturn comes from? Interestingly enough it was discovered that one of the moons of Saturn, called Enceladus, is successful in shooting ice grains far enough to form Saturn’s ring…

Just as amazed as I was 12 years ago when I was introduced to Saturn, I was when Ice Jet came to clean some of my barrels. The technology was introduced to me a while ago, and we have decided to put it to the test.

The coopers come to your site with their mobile unit and remove the heads of the barrels to expose the inside of the barrel. And this is where I saw to my total amazement the biggest, deadliest blisters you can imagine! And I was even more appalled when I saw and smelled the puss that drizzled out of these opened wounds…I call on all winemakers to inspect your barrels, please! I have some understanding now of why barrel differences occur, why Brett spoils our wine, why volatile acidity increase sporadically, and, and, and…If only barrel inspection helped…older barrels with these types of blisters induce most of the nightmares in very expensive, barrel maturing wines!

How does this work? The CO₂ ice pellets are blasted onto the contaminated barrel surface at -79⁰ C and basically “delaminates” contaminants from the wood. Once the ice makes contact with the wood surface it, returns to its natural gas (CO₂) state and expands up to 700 times to create shock waves. This effect drives brittle materials from the surface as tartrate crystals and sediments are frozen, fractured and removed exposing original, unused toasted oak surface.

It removes not only sediment, but also contaminants on up to 99% of the interior surface of the barrel. Most bacteria and mold spores are removed, which leaves the barrel in a cleaner state than any chemical or physical process can.

During the ice blasting process a layer of wood between 0,5 and 1,2 mm is removed, exposing a freshly toasted oak surface to the next cycle of wine. This also restores micro-oxygenation as a result of restored porosity. As toasting during cooperage is typically up to 1 cm deep, there is no need for re-toasting after ice blasting.

In a major project testing this technology in the USA, very promising results were obtained. The tests showed that the treatment allowed the barrels to impart significantly more oak volatiles into the wine. The only volatiles, which showed lower readings, were guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol, which is responsible for “smoky”, and “chary” flavors. Organoleptic evaluations found the treatment to result in wines with improved fresh oak, vanilla, butterscotch and coconut flavors, decreased smoke/char flavors and fresher, cleaner fruit.

It is not the cheapest way to clean barrels, but as sure as the ice circle around Saturn, the most effective and hygienic way to clean barrels!

Bertus Fourie is a winemaker, turned Enology lecturer and creator of the Barista coffee Pinotage.