Chaptalization
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation. The technique was developed by the French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal, for whom it was named.[1] Contrary to popular belief, this process does not make the wine sweeter but only artificially inflates the alcohol content. Additionally, the sugar in chaptalized wine cannot be tasted.[1]
The process is considered controversial and has caused discontent in the French wine industry due to the perceived advantage that chaptalization gives producers in poor climate areas. Some critics, like wine expert Karen MacNeil, contend that the process allows wine makers to sacrifice quality in favor of quantity by letting vines overproduce high yields of grapes that can not fully ripen.
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[edit] History
The technique of adding sugar to grape must has been part of the process of winemaking since the Romans added honey as a sweetening agent. While not realizing the chemical components, Roman winemakers were able to identify the benefits of added sense of body and mouth feel.[2]
While the process has long been associated with French wine, the first recorded mention of adding sugar to must in French literature was the 1765 edition of L'Encyclopedie which advocated the use of sugar for sweetening wine over the previously accepted practice of using lead. In 1777, the French chemist Pierre Macquer discovered the actual chemical benefit of adding sugar to must was the increase in alcohol to balance the high acidity of under ripened grapes rather than any perceived increase in sweetness. In 1801, while in the services of Napoleon, Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal began advocating the technique as a means of strengthening and preserving wine.[3]
In the 1840's, the German wine industry was hard hit by severe weather that made harvesting fully ripened grapes in this cool climate region considerably difficult. A chemist named Ludwig Gall suggested Chaptal's method of adding sugar to the must to help wine makers compensate for the effects of detrimental weather. This process of Verbesserung (improvement) helped sustain wine production in the Mosel region during this difficult period.[4]
At the turn of the twentieth century, the process became a controversial one in the French wine industry with vignerons in the Languedoc protesting the production of "artificial wines" that was overwhelming the French wine market and driving down prices. In June 1907, huge demonstrations broke out across the Languedoc with over 900,000 protesters demanding the government take action to protect their livelihood. Riots in the city of Narbonne prompted Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau to send the French army to the city. The ensuing clash resulted in the death of five protesters. The following day, Languedoc sympathizers burned the prefecture in Perpignan.[5]
In response to the protests, the French government increased the taxation on sugar and passed laws limiting the amount of sugar that can be added to wine.[5]
[edit] Process
During the process of fermentation, enzymes break down the sucrose molecules in sugar into glucose and fructose, which can then be fermented by the yeast and converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. In addition to contributing to the body of the wine, higher alcohol levels also bring out the intensity of the fruit. Cane sugar is the most common type of sugar used, though some wine makers prefer beet sugar or corn syrup. In many wine regions, brown sugar is an illegal additive.[2]
In warmer regions, where over ripening is a larger concern, the opposite process of rehydration and acidification is used. In some jurisdictions, such as California, if the must has too much sugar to allow normal fermentation, water can be added to lower the concentrations. In acidification, acid is added to the must to compensate for the high levels[6] of sugar and low levels of tartaric acid naturally found in the ripe grapes.[7]
In Champagne production, sugar is added after fermentation and prior to corking in a process known as dosage. While many Champagne producers also utilize chaptalization in their winemaking, the process is different because chaptalization takes place prior to fermentation when the wine is still must.[2]
In recent times, winemakers have utilized technological advances in winemaking as an alternative to adding sugar. A common practice is reverse osmosis to remove water from the unfermented grape juice and thus increase the sugar concentration of the must.[2]
[edit] Current legality
Control of chaptalization is fairly strict in many countries, and generally only permitted in more northerly areas where grapes might not ripen enough. Ethanol is one of the key preservatives in wine, so chaptalization is essential for musts very low in sugar, unless the finished wine will be bottled in sterile conditions. However, it can also be used to increase the body of the wine (higher alcohol concentration increases viscosity) or to lengthen fermentation for the purpose of extracting more flavor compounds. In the European Union, the amount of chaptalization allowed depend on which wine growing zone, differentiated by climate, the wine comes from. In zone A (for example, most of Germany) it is allowed to add up to 3.5% alcohol by volume (28 grams of alcohol per liter), in zone B (much of France) it is allowed to add up to 2.5% by volume (20 grams of alcohol per liter), and in zone C (south of France, Spain and Italy) no chaptalization is allowed.[8] National wine regulations may further restrict or ban chaptalization for certain classes of wine.
In some areas, such as Germany, wine regulations dictate that the wine makers must label whether or not the wines are "natural" (i.e. without sugar). Other areas, like France, do not have such requirements.[4]
[edit] Regions
Regions where Chaptalization is permitted
- Alsace[9]
- Bordeaux[7]
- Burgundy[10]
- Canada[7]
- Champagne[2]
- Chile[7]
- China[7]
- England[11]
- Germany for Tafelwein, Landwein and Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) wine[12]
- Japan[7]
- Long Island[2]
- New Zealand[7]
- Oregon[2]
- Switzerland[13]
Regions where Chaptalization is not permitted
- Australia[7]
- Austria[12]
- California[10]
- Germany for Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) wine[12]
- Italy[2]
- South Africa[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 47 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
- ^ a b c d e f g h D. Sogg Inside Wine: Chaptalization Wine Spectator March 31st 2002
- ^ R. Phillips A Short History of Wine pg 195-196 Harper Collins 2000 ISBN 0066212820
- ^ a b H. Johnson Vintage: The Story of Wine pg 395 Simon and Schuster 1989 ISBN 0671687026
- ^ a b R. Phillips A Short History of Wine pg 291 Harper Collins 2000 ISBN 0066212820
- ^ Laurie Daniel. Hang Time. Oakland Magazine, September/October 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i J. Robinson Jancis Robinson's Wine Course pg 81 Abbeville Press 2003 ISBN 0789208830
- ^ German Wine Institute
- ^ K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 278 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
- ^ a b R. Phillips A Short History of Wine pg 198 Harper Collins 2000 ISBN 0066212820
- ^ H. Johnson & J. Robinson The World Atlas of Wine pg 326 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 ISBN 1840003324
- ^ a b c H. Johnson & J. Robinson The World Atlas of Wine pg 242 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 ISBN 1840003324
- ^ J. Robinson Jancis Robinson's Wine Course pg 270 Abbeville Press 2003 ISBN 0789208830
[edit] External links
- How Sweet It Is: Chaptalization - Wine Maker Magazine August 2002
- Sec. 24.177 Chaptalization (Brix adjustment) - US ATF regulations on Chaptalization
- How to Chaptalize Must / Wine Grapestompers.com
