Wine Knowledge

Two essential components are indispensable for winemaking. One is grapes, the raw material. The other is yeast. Yeast is utilized in the production of fermented beverages such as wine, beer, and sake. It is also employed in the fermentation of bread dough …

Minerals and tannins. Can anyone truly claim they have never used these terms? That’s how established minerals and tannins have become as tasting expressions in wine. However, few people can properly explain the specific meanings these expressions refer t …

I once encountered an observation that “rosé wines are difficult to imagine even when you know their origin and grape variety.” While this is a fascinating perspective, as someone actually involved in winemaking, I find myself thinking, “Yes, that might i …

Whenever I occasionally post about “natural wine” on X (formerly Twitter), those posts tend to be shared relatively widely for my account size. This simply indicates how many people react to this particular keyword. In recent years, especially in Japan, t …

Overview In our previous article “Is Orange Wine Natural Wine?”, we explored the definition, origins, and relationship between orange wine and natural wine. This article provides a detailed examination of orange wine from a winemaking perspective. This ar …

Yeast is indispensable in winemaking. It is only through the presence of yeast that grape juice can transform into wine. While yeast may be considered the protagonist of winemaking, its stage of activity is not limited to the period of alcoholic fermentat …

Wine occasionally develops unpleasant odors, defects, or off-flavors—unwelcome, sometimes distinctly repulsive aromas. Among the various unpleasant odors found in wine, “reduction” stands out as one of the most representative. Without fear of misunderstan …

You open a bottle of wine you’ve been looking forward to and pour it into your glass. As you bring your nose close to enjoy the aromatic bouquet rising from the wine, something seems off. Many of you have probably had this experience. Wine that produces u …

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is an oenological technique actively employed to reduce wine acidity and impart distinctive aromatic characteristics and nuances. MLF represents one of the microbial-mediated approaches in winemaking, and its appeal as a more …

Many people who study wine have encountered the term “VA” at some point. Initially, the meaning of this abbreviation may not be immediately clear. VA stands for Volatile Acid, which translates to “volatile acidity” in Japanese. More precisely, volatile ac …

You tasted a white wine at a winery or wine shop and liked it enough to purchase it. However, you felt it was still a little early for drinking, so you decided to let it rest a bit longer in your home cellar. Six months later, at the dinner table. You kne …

Light-struck flavor, or “nikkoushuu” in Japanese. The name might evoke images of freshly laundered white sheets fluttering under a clear blue sky, or the pleasant scent of sunshine when wrapped in those sheets. Unfortunately, that is not what this term re …