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News
Listed below are reprints from various publications with topics
which may be of interest to you.
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Winemaker invents sulphur removal tool
October 9, 2007 Frank Smith
An Australian winemaker has patented a method of removing sulphur dioxide from wine immediately prior to consumption.
James Pennington, of Rivendell Wines in western Australia, patented his PEWA (Preservative Elimination in Wine At consumption) system earlier this year.
The system consists of a levered plastic stopper which is placed on the top of the recently-opened bottle of wine. When the lever is raised and dropped, a small amount of hydrogen peroxide is released. The hydrogen peroxide neutralises the sulphites and the stopper can be removed.
According to Pennington, once the proceedure has been performed the wine is almost completely sulphur free.
Sulphur dioxide is regularly used in winemaking, and many winemakers add up to 250ppm to wine bottles prior to prevent oxidation and development of 'off flavours'.
In some cases, however, the sulpur dioxide can give off a very unpleasant smell and, in large quantities, can provoke severe asthma attacks. In November 2003, European supermarket chain Lidl had to recall a line of Australian Cabernet Shiraz, found to have massive amounts of sulphur dioxide – in some cases 17 times the permitted level. 'part of our plan to bring together vineyards of the highest quality and complement our estate in the south of France.' |
July 10, 2006 issue
of Decantor Magazine by Beverley Blanning MW |
Perception of wine smells “unique as
fingerprints” |
Clues to understanding why we all perceive wines differently
were unveiled by an American scientist at the Masters of Wine
Symposium in Napa. Speaking at the June gathering of MWs, which
takes place every four years, Dr Charles Wysocki, of the Monell
Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, an organisation devoted to
taste and smell, said wine is 'tasted' principally by smell.Humans have only a few hundred stimuli for taste, but can
distinguish thousands of different smells. Wine aromas, however,
are not the same for everyone and quite possibly as unique to each
individual as a fingerprint. Wysocki explained that specific
anosmia – the inability to smell something readily detected by
others – is a condition that affects almost everyone.Although the scent of musk may be a pungent aroma for many, 43%
of people cannot detect it at all. Other wine-related aromas which
commonly cannot be detected include bananas, pears, sandalwood, and
sweet, floral scents. Wysocki also demonstrated, using an audience
of wine professionals from around the world, that putting the same
aroma in differently labelled bottles produced radically different
perceptions. If a pungent, mouldy cheese-like aroma was labelled
'food', the audience tended to rate it as pleasant. If it was
labelled 'body', it was considered unattractive. The interpretation
of a smell is also highly dependent on the context in which the
smell was first experienced and its consequent associations.
'Perception is reality and olfactory reality varies across people,'
said Wysocki. |
Alcohol and breast cancer study: amount, not type, poses risk
October 8, 2007 Maggie RosenAn important new study concludes that it's the quantity of alcohol consumed – rather than the type - that increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. This contradicts most findings to date. 'Population studies have consistently linked drinking alcohol to an increased risk of female breast cancer,' Dr Arthur Klatsky, of Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, told an audience at the European Cancer Conference in Barcelona on September 27. 'But there has been little data, most of it conflicting, about an independent role played by the choice of beverage type.' In one of the most comprehensive individual studies to date, Klatsky and his colleagues analysed the drinking habits of 70,033 women from all ethnic groups. The women had supplied information during medical check-ups between 1978 and 1985. By 2004, 2,829 of the participants had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The study examined the choice of drink – ie women who favoured one type of alcohol versus women who indicated no preference – as well as potential correlation between the frequency of drinking one type of alcohol over another. Researchers also analysed total intake, comparing those who had more than one drink a day with those who drank less. |
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9/29/06 |
Visit this web site for more articles of interest. |
New St Emilion classification: surprises but no shocks
September 8, 2006 by Stephen Brook Pope named sommelier
September 21, 2006 by Panos KakaviatosWorld's most expensive bottle claimed fake as renowned
collector sued
September 6, 2006 by Howard G Goldberg and Adam LechmereRovani and Thomases set to leave Parker's Wine Advocate
August 23, 2006 by Howard G Goldberg in New YorkParker announces new staff
September 1, 2006 by Howard G Goldberg in New YorkWine cellar adds up to £15,000 to house value
August 7, 2006 by James PhillipsAmericans flock to buy home cellars
August 2, 2006 by Howard G Goldberg in New YorkSteroids can control grape ripening
September 22, 2006 by Frank SmithStudy finds Cabernet may combat Alzheimer's
September 22, 2006 by Panos KakaviatosGlass-on-glass stoppers: unstoppable rise
September 19, 2006 by Emmet Cole
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