The Diabetic Wine Lover’s Guide by Theodore Berland B.S. A.M. FAMWA

Author:Theodore Berland, B.S., A.M., FAMWA
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dudley Court Press
Published: 2015-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Your Alcohol

Wine is an alcoholic beverage; it contains alcohol.

Table wines range from 7-to-15 percent alcohol. Wine also contains much water and smaller amounts of an amazing number of other chemicals, some of which contribute to wine’s wonderful color and flavor, and many of which bestow health benefits to those who drink it. More about this later.

In this chapter we will examine the science of this ingredient, alcohol, that is so much enjoyed, yet heavily taxed and attacked.

As we explained in the previous chapter, wine is made during the process of fermentation of sugar by yeast from the skin of the grape when it meets the sweet juice inside. Under proper temperatures and absent of oxygen, these friendly micro-organisms convert the grape sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). During the production of most wines, the CO2 is allowed to escape. In the production of sparkling wines, such as champagne, however, this gas is contained so it can escape as bubbles when the bottle is opened and the wine poured.

Alcohol Primer

What follows are some basic facts, some a bit technical, about the chemistry, physics, and biochemistry of alcohols.

To begin with, the alcohol in wine is ethyl alcohol, usually called ethanol.

Ethanol for human consumption is produced by the fermentation of plant biologicals—not only grapes, but other fruits, such as apples and oranges, as well as vegetables such as corn and potato mashes, and grains such as barley. There are other kinds of yeasts, for other kinds of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, gin, and vodka.

(As an aside: In today’s agricultural industry, corn and grasses are fermented to produce ethanol that can be used not for drinking, but for motor fuel. Like gasoline, it is volatile and combustible; unlike gasoline, its products of combustion are not noxious.)

Alcohols are among the few substances that can both burn and also be dissolved in water. That makes them ideal fuel for cooking aboard small ships and at camp and elsewhere—and for manufacturing processes. Because alcohols also dissolve oils and greases, they are used in the manufacture of paints, lacquers, solvents, and cleaning products.

Chemistry of Alcohol

All alcohols are composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. The alcohol molecule is characterized by the OH or hydroxyl group. For instance, the chemical formula for ethanol is CH3CH2OH.

Industrial ethanol is synthesized from ethylene, silica, and phosphoric or tungstic acid. To prevent human consumption and avert taxation, manufacturers “denature” such alcohol, just as they do with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl). This means that they add colors and toxic substances which have unpleasant odors and tastes and cause severe gastric distress and other serious disorders in people foolish enough to ingest such industrial-strength “cocktails.”

Other kinds of alcohol are produced synthetically, not by fermentation, for industrial purposes. Wood alcohol, or methanol, is made by combining hydrogen with carbon monoxide. Other industrial alcohols are synthesized from such fossil fuels as petroleum, natural gas, and coal. All are poisonous.

Ethanol in the Body

Now that you know the chemical nature of wine’s ethanol, let’s see what happens after you swallow a sip of wine at dinner.

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