Winemaking as a form of food preseIVation is as old as civilization. Wine has been an integral component of people's daily diet since its discovery and has also played an important role in the development of society, reli gion, and culture. We are currently drinking the best wines ever produced. We are able to do this because of our increased understanding of grape growing, biochemistry and microbiology of fermentation, our use of ad vanced technology in production, and our ability to measure the various major and minor components that comprise this fascinating beverage. Historically, winemakers succeeded with slow but gradual improvements brought about by combinations of folklore, obseIVation, and luck. How ever, they also had monumental failures resulting in the necessity to dis pose of wine or convert it into distilled spirits or vinegar. It was assumed that even the most marginally drinkable wines could be marketed. This is not the case for modem producers. The costs of grapes, the technology used in production, oak barrels, corks, bottling equipment, etc. , have in creased dramatically and continue to rise. Consumers are now accustomed to supplies of inexpensive and high-quality varietals and blends; they con tinue to demand better. Modem winemakers now rely on basic science and xvi Preface xvii the systematic application of their art to produce products pleasing to the increasingly knowledgeable consumer base that enjoys wine as part of its civilized society.

Winemaking as a form of food preseIVation is as old as civilization. Wine has been an integral component of people's daily diet since its discovery and has also played an important role in the development of society, reli gion, and culture. We are currently drinking the best wines ever produced. We are able to do this because of our increased understanding of grape growing, biochemistry and microbiology of fermentation, our use of ad vanced technology in production, and our ability to measure the various major and minor components that comprise this fascinating beverage. Historically, winemakers succeeded with slow but gradual improvements brought about by combinations of folklore, obseIVation, and luck. How ever, they also had monumental failures resulting in the necessity to dis pose of wine or convert it into distilled spirits or vinegar. It was assumed that even the most marginally drinkable wines could be marketed. This is not the case for modern producers. The costs of grapes, the technology used in production, oak barrels, corks, bottling equipment, etc. , have in creased dramatically and continue to rise. Consumers are now accustomed to supplies of inexpensive and high-quality varietals and blends; they con tinue to demand better. Modern winemakers now rely on basic science and xvi Preface xvii the systematic application of their art to produce products pleasing to the increasingly knowledgeable consumer base that enjoys wine as part of its civilized society.

This accessible volume provides practical information on wine analysis and production. It covers the full range of techniques, from quick screening assays to wet chemical and instrumentation analysis, as well as interpretation of results. Emphasizing a step-by-step approach to procedures, the authors: - examine analyses commonly performed in the United States, Europe and Australia: - discuss viticultural considerations as they relate to winemakeing as well as sensory evaluation and the importance of each anolyte in the spectrum of winery operations: - present new procedures including 'quick' qualitative tests for the presence of various constituents: - explore updated information on sensory evaluation of wines, use of enzymes in winemaking, health aspects and more, and - offer a chapter featuring laboratory procedures, listed alphabetically and extensively cross-referenced. International in scope, Wine Analysis and Production is essential for winemakers and laboratory personnel worldwide. Students of enology will find it an incomparable resource.

This text is designed to acquaint the reader with the commonly used procedures of juice and wine analysis as they are generally practiced in the industry, and as they are taught in the Department of Enology at California State University, Fresno. It is assumed that the reader has a basic preparation in the fields of chemistry and microbiology. In developing material for this text, the authors have emphasized analyses as they would be carried out in a production laboratory. Realizing that different laboratories have different analytical capabilities, personnel as well as equip ment, we have in many instances provided several different approaches to the same analysis. Throughout this book we have attempted to give special attention to practical considerations and the importance of these analyses in the total spectrum of winery operations. We hope the book's format will satisfy the inter ests oflaboratory personnel as well as winemakers. The process of making wine involves a series of concerns for the winemaker and staff of a winery. The first concerns are viticultural. Upon arrival of the fruit, its quality is assessed, grapes are processed and fermentation is begun. Almost immediately, and in many instances simultaneously, chemical and microbiological stability of the young and/or aging wine become important. Finally, problems do occur on occasion, and a number of what may be consid ered remedial techniques can be employed to produce an acceptable product.

Modern Methods of Plant Analysis When the handbook Modern Methods of Plant Analysis was first introduced in 1954 the considerations were: 1. the dependence of scientific progress in biology on the improvement of existing and the introduction of new methods; 2. the difficulty in finding many new analytical methods in specialized journals which are normally not accessible to experimental plant biologists; 3. the fact that in the methods sections of papers the description of methods is frequently so compact, or even sometimes so incomplete that it is difficult to reproduce experiments. These considerations still stand today. The series was highly successful, seven volumes appearing between 1956 and 1964. Since there is still today a demand for the old series, the publisher has decided to resume publication of Modern Methods of Plant Analysis. It is hoped that the New Series will be just as acceptable to those working in plant sciences and related fields as the early volumes undoubtedly were. It is difficult to single out the major reasons for success of any publication, but we believe that the methods published in the first series were up-to-date at the time and presented in a way that made description, as applied to plant material, complete in itself with little need to consult other publications. Contributing authors have attempted to follow these guidelines in this New Series of volumes.

In Postmodern Winemaking, Clark Smith shares the extensive knowledge he has accumulated in engaging, humorous, and erudite essays that convey a new vision of the winemaker's craft--one that credits the crucial roles played by both science and art in the winemaking process. Smith, a leading innovator in red wine production techniques, explains how traditional enological education has led many winemakers astray--enabling them to create competent, consistent wines while putting exceptional wines of structure and mystery beyond their grasp. Great wines, he claims, demand a personal and creative engagement with many elements of the process. His lively exploration of the facets of postmodern winemaking, together with profiles of some of its practitioners, is both entertaining and enlightening.

This essential text and reference offers a complete guide to winemaking. The authors, all well-known experts in their field, concentrate on the process of wine production, stressing the chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology and underlying science of enology. They present in-depth discussion of every aspect of the wine production process, from the selection of grapes and preparation of the must and the juice, through aging, bottling and storage of finished wines. Novices and experienced winemakers alike will find this clearly written and expertly crafted book an indispensable source of practical instruction and information.