Chapter 1: THE GIFT OF NATURE

The origins of wine
The natural cycle
Enzymes in nature
Wine and health
Alcohol
Flavonoids
Resveratrol
Potassium
Histamine
The modern paradox

Chapter 2: IN THE VINEYARD

The vine
Phylloxera & grafting
Climate
Training & pruning
Soil & water
Irrigation
Green harvest
Terroir
Vineyard systems
Viticulture Raisonée (La Lutte Raisonée)
Organic viticulture
Biodynamic viticulture

Chapter 3: INSIDE THE GRAPE

Sugars
Acids
Mineral salts
Phenolic compounds

Tannins
Anthocyanins
Flavour components
Proteins & colloids
Véraison & maturity

Chapter 4: THE ROLE OF OXYGEN

Old-style winemaking
Anaerobic winemaking
Antioxidants
Inert gases
Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen
Argon
Dissolved oxygen
Sparging
The positive role of oxygen

Chapter 5: PRODUCING THE MUST

Harvesting the grapes
Picking by hand
Machine harvesting
Transport to the winery
Sorting
De-stemming
Crushing the grapes
Draining the juice
Pressing the berries
The basket press
Horizontal screw press
Pneumatic press
Tank press
Continuous screw press

Chapter 6: ADJUSTING THE MUST

Sulphur dioxide
Clarification (white and pink wines)
Settling
Centrifuging
Flotation
Hyperoxidation
Acidification
Deacidification
Acidex
Enrichment
Must concentration
Vacuum distillation
Cryo-extraction (cryo-concentration)
Reverse osmosis
Nutrients
Other treatments
Bentonite
Activated charcoal
Tannin

Chapter 7: FERMENTATIONS

Yeasts
The action of yeasts
Natural fermentation
Cultured yeasts
Control of temperature
Monitoring the fermentation
Stopping the fermentation
A 'stuck' fermentation
Naturally sweet wines
The malo-lactic fermentation

Chapter 8: RED & PINK WINE PRODUCTION

Fermentation vessels
Maceration
Traditional process
Submerged cap process
Pumping-over systems
Délestage (Rack and return)
Autovinifier
Rotary fermenters
Thermo-vinification
Flash détente
Carbonic maceration (macération carbonique)
Variants on carbonic maceration
Whole bunch fermentation
Whole berry fermentation
Pink wines
Short maceration
Saignée
Vin d'une nuit
Double pasta

Chapter 9: WHITE WINE PRODUCTION

Cool fermentation
Skin contact (macération pelliculaire)
Tank vs. barrel
Sur lie
Bátonnage
Prevention of oxidation
Sweet wines
Carafe wines
German wines
Sauternes
Tokaji Aszú

Chapter 10: SPARKLING & FORTIFIED PROCESSES

Sparkling wines
Traditional method
Transfer method
Tank method (cuve close or Charmat)
Carbonation ('Pompe bicyclette')
The Asti method
Fortified wines (liqueur wines)
Vins doux naturelles (VDN)
Port
Port styles
Sherry
Madeira
Marsala

Chapter 11: WOOD & MATURATION

Type of wood
Oak
Size of vessel
Seasoning and toasting
Fermentation in barrel
Maturation in wood
Putting the wood in the wine
Micro-oxygenation

Chapter 12: PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS OF WINE

Alcohols
Acids
Esters
Residual sugars
Glycerol
Aldehydes and ketones

Chapter 13: CLARIFICATION & FINING

Is treatment necessary?
Racking
Protection from oxidation
Blending
Fining
Fining agents
Ox blood
Egg white
Albumin
Gelatine
Isinglass (ichthyocol or col de poisson)
Casein
Tannin
Bentonite
Silica sol (Kieselsol)
Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP)
Activated charcoal
Allergens
Blue fining
Calcium phytate
PVI/PVP copolymers
Chitin-glucan complex and chitosan

Chapter 14: TARTRATE STABILISATION

Natural and harmless?
Cold stabilisation
Contact process
Ion exchange
Electrodialysis
Metatartaric acid
Carboxymethylcellulose (cellulose gums)
Mannoproteins
Minimum intervention

Chapter 15: ADDITIVES

Sulphur dioxide
Free and total sulphur dioxide
Molecular sulphur dioxide
Ascorbic acid
Sorbic acid
Metatartaric acid
Citric acid
Copper sulphate or silver chloride
Acacia (Gum arabic)
Enzymes
Pectinolytic enzymes
Betaglucanase
Lysozyme
Laccase
Tyrosinase

Chapter 16: FILTRATION

Principles of filtration
Depth filters
Kieselguhr filtration (earth filtration)
Sheet filtration (plate & frame or pad filtration)
Surface filters
Membrane filtration (cartridge filtration)
Cross-flow filtration (tangential filtration)
Ultrafiltration

Chapter 17: PACKAGING MATERIALS

Containers
Glass bottles
Measuring container bottles (MCBs)
Plastic bottles
Aluminium cans
Bag-in-box (BIB)
Cardboard 'bricks'
Closures
Natural cork
Technical corks
Synthetic closures
Aluminium screwcaps
Glass stoppers
Other closures
Capsules
Lead foil
Pure tin
Tin-lead
Aluminium
PVA
Polylaminated

Chapter 18: STORAGE & BOTTLING

Storage without change
The final sweetening
Shipping in bulk
Bottling processes
Traditional bottling
'Sterile' bottling
Principles of modern bottling
Dimethyldicarbonate (DMDC)
Modern bottling techniques
Bottle rinsing
Thermotic, or hot bottling
Tunnel pasteurisation
Flash pasteurisation
Cold sterile filtration
Maturation in bottle

Chapter 19: QUALITY CONTROL & ANALYSIS

Quality plan
Records and traceability
Laboratory analyses
Density
Alcoholic strength
Total dry extract (TDE)
Total acidity
pH
Volatile acidity
Residual sugars
Tartrate stability tests
Protein stability tests
Permitted additives
Sulphur dioxide
Other additives
Contaminants
Dissolved oxygen
Iron and copper
Sodium
Advanced methods of analysis
Microbiological analysis

Chapter 20: WINE FAULTS

Oxidation
Reductive taint
Beyond shelf-life
Tartrate crystals
Foreign bodies
Musty taint
Volatile acidity
Second fermentation
Iron casse
Copper casse
Mousiness
Brett
Geranium taint

Chapter 21: THE TASTE TEST

Preparations for tasting
Temperature
Decanting
Tasting (or drinking) glasses
Styles of tasting
Tasting in front of the label
Comparative tasting
Blind tasting
Writing a tasting note
Tasting the wine
Appearance
Nose
Palate
Conclusion
Drinking - A few personal tips

Chapter 22: QUALITY ASSURANCE

Hazard analysis and critical control points(HACCP)
Principles of the HACCP system
The process
The application to a winery
Interpretation
ISO 9001:2008
ISO 14000:2004
ISO 22000:2005
Supplier audits
The BRC Global Food Standard
Business Excellence Model

Chapter 23: LEGISLATION & REGULATIONS

Regulation 479/2008: Common Organisation of the Market in Wine
Regulation 606/2009: Detailed rules
Regulation 607/2009: More detailed rules
Regulation 1991/2004: Declaration of allergens
Directive 1989/396: Lot marking
Regulation 178/2002: Traceability
Directive 2000/13: Labelling, presentation & advertising
Weights & Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations 2006
Weights & Measures (Specified Quantities) Regulations 2009
Food Safety Act 1990
Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995

Glossary