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From: jerem@tekgvs.UUCP (Jere Marrs)
Newsgroups: net.wines
Subject: wineache
Message-ID: <1043@tekgvs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 10-Feb-85 00:42:11 EST
Article-I.D.: tekgvs.1043
Posted: Sun Feb 10 00:42:11 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Feb-85 06:25:34 EST
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 51


     The wine net has been entirely too dormant. I would  like  to  discuss  an
attribute of wine not often discussed in the wine media: headache generation.

     I have a disposition toward headaches normally, and so I think  I  have  a
low threshold for headaches caused by wines. The pattern of headache generation
is clear and I think understandable from the winemaking point of view.

     Since  the  basic  subject  is  that  of  hangovers,  we  know  what   the
physiological cause for those are: the accumulation  of  high  molecular-weight
alcohols, ketones and esters in the teeny blood vessels  in  the  brain.  These
compounds have been given the unfortunate term fusel  oils.  That  sounds  like
something that might wash up on a  beach  in  Santa  Barbara  or  Provence.  It
remains that there are specific wines that generate headaches for me. Generally
they are very low-cost reds and cheap or Charmat-process sparkling wines.  It's
ironic that the cheap ones do it. I can't get away  with  bargains.  I  have  a
suggestion as to why this occurs, and would be interested in other ideas.

     In visiting wineries in the Northwest and in  California,  I  notice  that
those  whose  wines  are  consistently  superior  over  many  years   (Beaulieu
Vineyards, Robert Mondavi, Domaine Chandon, Sterling  Vineyards,  Chateau  Ste.
Michelle, and uncounted boutique wineries) take great care in the culturing and
maintenance of their yeast cultures. The great  wineries  of  the  Napa  Valley
whose wines have set a pattern or "style" over the  decades  are  very  careful
indeed with their yeast cultures. We know that "wild" yeasts that creep  in  to
our musts when we make wine at home can create 'off' flavors and these  can  be
identified in egregiously  bad  batches  as  ketones  and  esters  (e.g.  ethyl
acetate). In commercial wineries and smart home wineries, all "wild" yeasts are
killed off in the beginning must through the use of sulfur dioxide  in  amounts
greater than 120 ppm. Once sterilized, the must  is  then  innoculated  with  a
pure, often proprietary, yeast culture to produce a predictable result. If this
procedure is  followed,  then  the  quality  of  the  resulting  wine  will  be
determined by the quality of the grapes used, and through  blending  the  musts
from various vineyards, a style can be maintained.

     So, it's my guess that the wines that tend to be headache-generating  (I'm
sure there's a neat latin word for  that,  maybe  poenogenic?)  are  made  with
uncontrolled yeast cultures or even with the yeast cells that cover  the  grape
when it's picked. The case with sparkling wines is more serious because 1.)  it
is comsumed in larger quantities (speaking for myself) and  2.)  the  secondary
fermentation and aging over the yeast cells can be as long as  two  years.  The
secondary fermentation takes place under stringent conditions which might favor
the kinetics of 'fusel oils'.

     So it is my guess that strict control over yeast strain purity is the  key
to non-headache generating wines. It also makes for better wines.

                                           Jere M. Marrs
                                           Tektronix, Inc.
                                           Beaverton, Oregon
                                           tektronix!tekgvs!jerem