Sugars in wine Sugars in wine Sugars in wine are at the heart of what makes winemaking possible. During the process of fermentation, sugars from wine grapes are broken down and converted by yeast into alcohol (ethanol) and carbon dioxide. Grapes accumulate sugars as they grow on the grapevine through the translocation of sucrose molecules that are produced by photosynthesis from the leaves. During ripening the sucrose molecules are hydrolyzed (separated) by the enzyme invertase into glucose and fructose. By the time of harvest, between 15 and 25% of the grape will be composed of simple sugars. Both glucose and fructose are six-carbon
Phenolic content in wine . Low molecular weight polyphenols, as well as elagitannins, are susceptible to be extracted from cork stoppers into the wine. The identified polyphenols are gallic, protocatechuic, vanillic, caffeic, ferulic, and ellagic acids; protocatechuic, vanillic, coniferyl, and sinapic aldehydes; the coumarins aesculetin and scopoletin; the ellagitannins are roburins A and E, grandinin, vescalagin and castalagin. Guaiacol is one of the molecules responsible for the cork taint wine fault. Flash release is a technique used in wine pressing. The technique allows for a better extraction of phenolic compounds. The exposure of wine to oxygen in limited quantities affects phenolic content. Depending on