Contents
What’s the question
Disputes about the existence of a mythical “unnatural” wine made from powder do not subside on the Internet. Some vehemently argue that all cheap wines are surrogates made from dried grape raw materials, while others argue that it is almost impossible to make wine this way. Which of them is right? Shake it figured out!
wine cocktails
Lyophilization: what is it and is it used in winemaking
The process of soft drying of substances, including pre-freezing and placement in a vacuum environment, is used for long-term storage and preservation of a variety of products.
It is used in medicine and the food industry, in particular in the production of instant coffee and food for astronauts.
In French winemaking, freeze-drying is used to store lactic acid bacteria needed to reduce the acidity of wine.
Research on the topic of making wines from powder is also being carried out, but these are nothing more than experiments.
Even with a successful outcome, they are not intended for the mass consumer: the process of lyophilization and restoration of wines from solid raw materials is an expensive pleasure.
It is absolutely impossible to dry wine materials and make a normal drink from them in another way.
Therefore, when buying inexpensive wine, you can be sure that no grape powder was used for its production.
Another thing is that the quality of such products is not always good due to savings on raw materials or production processes.
How cheap wine is made
the classic way
From good raw materials, bought from local producers at a low price.
Quite good budget wines can be obtained from such wine materials.
It should be borne in mind that starting from the summer of 2020, products made from imported raw materials cannot legally be called wine.
Made from poor quality raw materials
Which is “ennobled” with sugar and grape juice.
Sugar is often used in winemaking to mask “defects”, both minor and major.
The sweeter the cheap wine, the more likely it is of inferior quality.
By reusing raw materials
This is the worst way, when several batches of products are insisted on the same pulp or the remaining juice is obtained from a batch of grapes that have been pressed using a press.
The taste and characteristics of this wine speak for themselves. It is impossible to obtain quality wine in this way.
How not to buy a surrogate
To protect yourself from acquiring a fake, you should carefully approach the choice of wine:
Learn information about the producer and wine materials
Inspect the label and bottle for defects and damage.
The inscription “special wine”
It means that the wine is fortified, that is, alcohol is added to it. This includes ports and sherries.
Poor quality wines
More common among products in Tetra Pak. Particular attention should also be paid to sweet and semi-sweet wines – they should be chosen from reputable producers.
Tetra Pak
It does not always indicate the low quality of wine, but it is not used for quality wines either. For example, buying Tetra Pak with wine from a farmer who has grown grapes and made wine himself can be successful.
In stores, this option is extremely rare, and usually this is a package of 3 liters or more.
Cheap dry wines
There are also many low-quality samples.
Price too low
For 1 liter usually indicates a low level of quality.
Relevance: 21.06.2021
Tags: wine and vermouth