{"id":4407,"date":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1969-12-31T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/why-does-alcoholic-fermentation-affect-wine-quality\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T12:18:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T11:18:30","slug":"why-does-alcoholic-fermentation-affect-wine-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/why-does-alcoholic-fermentation-affect-wine-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Does Alcoholic Fermentation Affect Wine Quality?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why Does Alcoholic Fermentation Affect Wine Quality?<\/h1>\n\n
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Alcoholic fermentation in the wine industry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alcoholic fermentation (AF) in wine is a process carried out by yeasts<\/strong> to obtain energy under anaerobic conditions (absence of oxygen). These organisms can convert sugars into ethanol.<\/strong> As we explained in a previous blog post: \u201cthe simplified reaction has glucose from grape must as the reactant\u2014leaving aside energetic aspects\u2014and ethanol and carbon dioxide as products.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Image 1: Yeast cells Saccharomyces cerevisiae. DIC microscopy visualization. Source: commons.wikimedia.org <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

This reaction can be written as:<\/p>\n\n

C6H12O6 \u2192 2 CH3-CH2OH + 2 CO2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

In this way, the cell can generate energy in the form of ATP without consuming oxygen. The reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, present in wine yeasts and certain bacteria. <\/p>\n\n

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Image 2: Cap formation during red wine fermentation in an open barrel. Source: Ben Macaskill on www.flickr.com. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The \u201ctumultuous\u201d phase of fermentation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The CO\u2082 produced indicates high metabolic activity during the tumultuous phase of fermentation. This CO\u2082 is the same gas found dissolved in wines such as semi-sparkling wines (which retain CO\u2082 from the first AF) and in sparkling wines, which undergo a second AF (such as Cava, Champagne, and Prosecco). In red wine fermentation, CO\u2082 release lifts the solids and skins, forming what is commonly known as the cap. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Why is controlling alcoholic fermentation so important?<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
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The process<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During alcoholic fermentation, many processes<\/strong> occur beyond the conversion of glucose into ethanol by yeasts. This is due to the metabolism of fermenting yeasts and other microorganisms present in the must. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different yeast strains produce different wine profiles based on how they metabolize the compounds present in must. In addition, the coexistence of multiple microorganisms within the same must can result in wines with high organoleptic complexity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Controlling the type of yeast<\/strong> used is therefore a key guarantee for controlling the profiles obtained<\/strong> in the resulting wine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Requirements<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As is well known, an alcoholic beverage\u2014wine in this case\u2014must meet certain requirements related to the raw material used for AF (must or grapes), a minimum acquired alcohol level, and even a maximum residual sugar content (unfermented sugars).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, an AF that does not finish properly generates extra costs for wineries, as they must restart a stuck fermentation that occupies tank space, requires additional work, and above all, the wine may deteriorate quickly due to different factors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Controls during the process<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

AF development is affected by factors such as pH<\/strong>, fermentation temperature<\/strong>, free SO\u2082, yeast assimilable nitrogen<\/strong><\/strong>, and the presence of toxins<\/strong> or fungicide residues<\/strong> in the must. During AF, daily monitoring of temperature and density is performed to track fermentation kinetics<\/strong> and intervene as early as possible if needed. The appearance of bacteria such as Acetobacter (which produce acetic acid) or yeasts that produce acetaldehyde clearly shows how delicate microbiological control of AF can be. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

The end of alcoholic fermentation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

AF is considered complete when the wine reaches an approximate density of 990\u2013993 g\/L for whites and 992\u2013995 g\/L for reds. This indicates that yeasts have consumed as much fermentable sugar as possible. <\/p>\n\n

How can we achieve greater control of alcoholic fermentation in the winery?<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Services<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

At LEV2050, we offer a wide range of services<\/strong> and products<\/strong> associated with alcoholic fermentation, including native yeast selection studies<\/strong>. Our services aim to express the full potential of grapes and terroir<\/em>, working in the most autochthonous and distinctive way possible. <\/p>\n\n

Oenological products:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Based on our yeast expertise, we have developed fermentation products<\/strong> to ensure optimal AF performance, including nutrients<\/strong> and detoxifiers<\/u>, also available in organic-certified<\/g> versions. Our drive for innovation and tailored solutions has enabled us to develop products such as K-ACID<\/g>\u00ae, which allows the wine\u2019s pH to be lowered through biological means. <\/p>\n\n

Bioreactors:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

LEV2050 has successfully integrated into its offering a range of patented bioreactors\u2014BR-LEV-LC<\/strong>\u00ae and BR-CV<\/strong>\u00ae\u2014capable of automated<\/g> propagation<\/g> and acclimation<\/g> of both yeasts and lactic acid bacteria in the winery, delivering savings on purchasing these cultures. Their ease of use<\/g> and automation<\/g> save time during harvest, ensure process traceability<\/g> and reproducibility<\/g>, provide greater fermentation control<\/g>, and improve organoleptic profiles. <\/p>\n\n

LEV2050 quality commitment<\/h2>\n\n

At LEV2050, we have always prioritized quality<\/strong> across all our operations. Our goal is to exceed customer expectations<\/g> by delivering innovative, reliable solutions. Achieving ISO 9001 certification is a clear reflection<\/strong> of our ongoing commitment<\/strong> to excellence across every area<\/strong> of our company. <\/p>\n\n

About LEV2050<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

At LEV2050<\/a>, we have been researching and developing customer-specific products<\/a> for more than twelve years. Our product range<\/g> is carefully formulated to deliver a balanced combination of essential elements\u2014ensuring exceptional results. <\/p>\n\n

If you\u2019d like to learn more about our products and services, feel free to contact us at info@lev2050.com<\/a>. We hope you enjoyed this article! <\/p>\n\n

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Follow us on LinkedIn!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Why Does Alcoholic Fermentation Affect Wine Quality? Alcoholic fermentation in the wine industry Alcoholic fermentation (AF) in wine is a process carried out by yeasts to obtain energy under anaerobic conditions (absence of oxygen). These organisms can convert sugars into ethanol. As we explained in a previous blog post: \u201cthe simplified reaction has glucose from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[120],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-englishuncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4407"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4408,"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4407\/revisions\/4408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lev2050.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}