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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1998
> January
> January 23, 1998:
Hour Two: Wine:
From vine to bottle to body - down a glass of wine science!
| It's one of the oldest food products - but is still a product that the U.S. produces in quantities of half a billion gallons per year. It's a symbol of good times, has been the subject of artists' paintings and troubadours' songs, and has been offered by some (when used in moderation) as an anti-heart disease aid.
Wine is produced by the fermenting action of a yeast that grows on the outside surface of grapes around the world. Chemically, it seems like a pretty straightforward process. As the yeast grows and feeds, it changes sugars in the grape juice to alcohols, giving wine its inebriating kick. But explaining the biochemistry behind what separates a glass of spoiled grape juice from a truly superior vintage is much more difficult. Years of tradition and methodology, aided by science, contribute to help vineyard owners grow the right grapes, harvest them at the right time, and process them in the right way to produce a wonderful beverage. Other research into the molecules that give each wine a subtly different flavor are helping to fine-tune winemaking as well.
There's also research into the medicine involved with wine. Is red wine really better for reducing the risk of heart disease than, say, a can of beer? Some people say that the health effects are merely the result of the alcohol involved - others aren't so sure. How does wine, when used to excess, affect the body? And why are some people more prone to alcoholism than others? |  |
On this hour of Science Friday, sit back as Ira and his guests raise a glass to science.
Guests:
Rory Callahan
President
Food & Wine Associates
New York, NY
Thomas Henick-Kling
Associate Professor, Enology and Microbiology
Cornell University-New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
Geneva, NY
Susan Ebeler
Assistant Professor and Assistant Analytical Chemist
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
Wine Encyclopedia on the
Web
UC Davis Dept. of Viticulture
& Enology - with an incredible resource list!
Cornell/NYSAES Enology Research & Extension
Wine Spectator
WineLaw: US Legal and Compliance Information
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH) |
