Secondary Fermentation

The primary fermentation process is straight forward, as yeast consumes the sugar in grapes, creating ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. This will convert each percentage point of sugar into slightly more than half a percentage point of alcohol. Meaning, a grape juice with a 20% sugar concentration produces a wine with around 10% alcohol.

During the secondary fermentation, the wine is siphoned into an airtight container, without the access to new oxygen sources. This anaerobic transformation causes the remaining grape sugar be converted very slowly. This final ripening increases the alcohol content by higher percentage points and further improves the wine's flavor and aroma.

Malolactic Fermentation

The winemaker may encourage the growth of other microorganisms to further change the wine. Often a key goal here is (malolactic fermentation) where the malic acid is altered by natural means into lactic acid; an organic process performed by naturally occurring bacteria that feed on wine's malic acid. This process effectively reduces the wine's overall natural acidity, and therefore removes certain undesirable flavor components.

Sweeten It Up

A winemaker can later add in more sugar and/or yeast nutrients to sweeten the wine as desired. This can cause a subsequent form of secondary fermentation. This is deliberately encouraged to cause the wine to build greater alcohol content.

Therefore, this secondary fermentation is part of the winemaker's arsenal of techniques to make a better product. It is used widely for red wines and selectively for white wines.

Contributor: WineDefintions Staff Writer

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