Grapes are complex little things. If we’re to make great wine from them then we’re going to need to have a good understanding of the chemistry that makes them what they are. That’s the topic for this Winemaker’s Academy episode.
This episodes discussion is based on the paper Composition of Grapes by Murli Dharmadhikari (free PDF). I highly recommend reading the entire paper in addition to listening to the show. The paper is five pages long and packed with information that is presented in an easy to understand way.
Listener & Reader Questions Answered
- My wine isn’t bubbling and it tastes dry. What now?
- How do I adjust the starting specific gravity of my wine must?
- Can I use raisins to boost my starting specific gravity?
Resources & Products Mentioned
- Anatomy of a Grape
- Grape Juice Concentrates (affiliate link)
- Malolactic Fermentation
- Stafidine
Photograph by: Ryan Opaz
Matt, that link to Murli Dharmadhikari’s paper is broken….I get an error message when I try to open it. Did a search under the title as well as the author’s name and negative results.
Hi Joseph, thanks for letting me know. I’ve updated the link. Is it working for you now?