Owen Flynn delighted in his discovery: an antioxidant that could make every glass of wine he drank taste better. For him, the nutritional value of wine was merely "the icing on the cake."
Studying the molecular composition of wine to uncover the secret of its health benefits and delicious taste is a subject scientists worldwide are dedicated to. Flynn said this research is about to conclude.
However, the process of studying the molecular composition of grapes is not as romantic as sipping a good glass of wine; it involves the hard work of many researchers.
In recent years, research teams from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) and the University of Adelaide in Australia have focused on a compound—tartaric acid, which is the most important factor affecting the taste, color, and aging potential of wine.
"A little is good, a little more is better," said Chris Ford, a senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide. He added, "The most important thing in wine is balance. A wine without acidity would be terrible—flabby, cloying, and with no structure."
It is common knowledge in the industry that the tartaric acid found in grapes comes from vitamin C. However, to date, scientists have not discovered which enzyme facilitates this conversion. A report published last week by the National Academy of Sciences states that they have identified the substance that converts vitamin C into tartaric acid in grapes.
Da Cook from UC Davis said that understanding the generation of tartaric acid in grapes can help growers produce refreshing Sauvignon Blanc or avoid planting sweet Semillon. There is a great deal of science between planting and harvesting, and our research direction is the scientific method of grape cultivation.
Ford believes this research can also help growers save a significant amount of money. In Australia, wine producers spend millions of dollars annually purchasing tartaric acid. He said, "The mission of the Australian wine industry is to keep people drinking Australian wine and not turning to good wines from elsewhere. To produce the wine that consumers love, we need to know what kind of wine they want."
A recent study that can produce better-tasting wine at a lower cost can help scientists control grapes—or even wine—to produce more vitamin C. The study found that wild grapes lack tartaric acid and contain more vitamin C. Preventing the conversion of vitamin C into tartaric acid can increase the vitamin C content in grapes.