Wine is one of the oldest forms of alcoholic beverages known to man. Estimates date its origins back to 6000 B.C. Ever since, it has occupied a significant role in our lives, be it for consumption, social virtues, therapeutic value, its flavoring in foods, etc. A study of wine production and the technology of winemaking is thus imperative.
The preparation of wine involves steps from harvesting the grapes, fermenting the must, maturing the wine, stabilizing it finally, to getting the bottled wine to consumers. The variety of cultivars, methods of production, and style of wine, along with presentation and consumption pattern add to the complexity of winemaking. In the past couple of decades, there have been major technological advances in wine production in the areas of cultivation of grapes, biochemistry and methods of production of different types of wines, usage of analytical techniques has enabled us to produce higher quality wine. The technological inputs of a table wine, dessert wine or sparkling wine, are different and has significance to the consumer. The role played by the killer yeast, recombinant DNA technology, application of enzyme technology and new analytical methods of wine evaluation, all call for a comprehensive review of the advances made.
This comprehensive volume provides a holistic view of the basics and applied aspects of wine production and technology. The book comprises production steps, dotted with the latest trends or the innovations in the fields. It draws upon the expertise of leading researchers in the wine making worldwide.