Vinishko, don’t worry: how to understand that something is wrong with wine, and how to fix it

Andrey Ushakov

Director of the Marketing Management Department of the L-Wine wine project.

Wine is like art. There is a lot of subjective stuff in it, and the last argument for or against will always be “like/dislike.” But there are also objective parameters for assessing the quality of a noble drink. If you are confused by the smell of wine or an unusual taste, then it is quite possible that you have come across a defective sample. There are several life hacks that can help you recognize flaws in wine from the first sip. We tell you how to diagnose a bottle and insure yourself against purchasing a spoiled drink in the future, even if you are new to the wine world.

"Cork disease"

Symptoms: The wine has an unpleasant, pungent odor, reminiscent of wet cardboard or dog hair. If you smell “dog” or “damp cellar”, these are not the rich nuances of the original complex wine. Don't you think the wine is sick?

What to do

Pour the wine down the sink - alas, it cannot be saved. Between 1% and 7% of all cork-corked wine in the world is contaminated with “Cork taint” responsible compounds. Determination of haloanisoles and halophenols in cork matrix: A review of specific “cork” bacteria. If you don’t want to participate in the lottery, buy wine with a screw cap, there is simply nowhere for such bacteria to come from.

V.P.Nuzhny 1

, 2
, S.A.Savchuk 1
TOXICITY OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND ACETONE 1

– National Scientific Center for Narcology of the Ministry of Health of Russia (Director – Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences N.N. Ivanets), 2 – Russian Research Institute of Health (Director – Doctor of Medical Sciences V.P. Nuzhny)

A critical analysis of the reasons and expediency of classifying acetone as a marker of the food unsuitability of ethyl alcohol was carried out, taking into account the fact that vodka in the Russian Federation is most often rejected due to the presence of trace amounts of acetone in it. Data on the biosynthesis, metabolism and content of acetone in the human body, as well as data on the toxicity of acetone, are presented. Data on the acetone content in various alcoholic beverages are presented. It is proved that from a biological and medical point of view, classifying acetone as a marker of the food unsuitability of ethyl alcohol makes no sense.

Keywords:

acetone, food ethyl alcohol, vodka, alcoholic drinks.

In the Russian Federation, vodka is most often rejected due to the presence of small, trace amounts of acetone. This situation arose quite recently - after the publication of GOST R 51786-2001 Vodka and ethyl alcohol from food raw materials. Gas chromatographic method for determining authenticity

. According to this GOST, ethyl alcohol is considered unsuitable for food purposes if it contains at least one of 25 controlled substances, including acetone. Typically, the acetone content in rejected vodkas is 0.5-1.2 mg/l. This is enough to conclude that vodka does not comply with GOST. The reasons why acetone is classified as a marker of the food unsuitability of ethyl alcohol are unclear. There is no reasoning for including acetone in the list of controlled substances, either in the document itself or in the comments to it.

One might assume that the authors of this GOST had the goal of using acetone to determine the nature of ethyl alcohol, in particular synthetic alcohol, in which it is usually present. The relevance of such a plan is understandable, given the fact that synthetic ethyl alcohol is classified as a potent and toxic substance. In fact, acetone can be present in both synthetic, hydrolytic and food grade ethyl alcohols [6]. Therefore, the legality of using acetone to distinguish between edible and non-edible alcohol seems very doubtful (this issue is discussed in detail in a separate article [7]).

It can also be assumed that acetone was included in GOST due to its high toxicity. This assumption looks quite plausible, since it is consistent with the ideology of another regulatory document ( GOST R 51698-2000 Vodka and ethyl alcohol. Gas chromatographic express method for determining toxic microimpurities

), which automatically classifies acetone as a toxic microimpurity. This prompted the authors of this article to analyze the literature data concerning the toxic properties of acetone.

Acetone (propan-2-one, dimethyl ketone) is a liquid with a pungent odor and a boiling point of 56.2 ° C, which is highly soluble in water, alcohols and ethers, has the ability to oxidize and reduce, and enters into aldol and croton condensation reactions.

Acetone is a natural metabolite of the human and animal body. It is part of a triad of compounds (beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone) referred to as ketone bodies. Acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate are formed in the liver from acetyl-CoA as products of a specific biosynthetic process called the Linene cycle. The physiological role of these compounds is that they are natural energy substrates (fuel) for the muscles and brain. It has been established that 75% of the energy expenditure of the brain can be provided by the oxidation of ketone bodies. Under conditions of glucose deficiency (fasting) or when its bioavailability decreases (diabetes mellitus), the content of ketone bodies in the blood can increase tenfold. At the same time, they also act as part of a feedback regulatory mechanism, blocking the excessive mobilization of fatty acids from adipose tissue and thereby weakening the toxic effect of the latter [2, 4].

Excessive accumulation of ketone bodies in the blood during diabetes mellitus and prolonged fasting leads to the development of ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis can also develop with alcohol intoxication and therapy with teturam [3, 10].

Acetone is formed by the non-enzymatic decarboxylation of acetoacetic acid. Under normal conditions, the content of acetone in human blood serum usually does not exceed 6 mg/l (0.1 mmol/l). A three-day fast leads to an increase in serum acetone concentration in obese individuals to 17 mg/l, and in healthy non-obese individuals to 44 mg/l [11].

Acetone is the least toxic of all ketone bodies. Unlike acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate, it does not play a role in the development of acidosis. Up to 30% of endogenously formed acetone is excreted in urine and exhaled air. The rest of the acetone undergoes oxidation with the subsequent inclusion of its fragments in biosynthesis processes. Carbon moieties of acetone are found in glucose, glycogen, cholesterol, proteins and amino acids [11].

Acetone has long been widely used in the national economy. The toxicity of acetone entering the body from the outside has been well studied. Acute toxicity of acetone (LD50) entering through the stomach is, according to various authors, for rats - 5.8-9.8 g/kg, for mice - 3.0-5.25 g/kg, for rabbits and dogs - 3, 8-8.0 g/kg. In this indicator, acetone differs little from ethanol. The effective single effective dose (EDmin) of acetone for humans, determined by its effect on the nervous system, kidneys and blood when administered through the stomach, is 2.9 g/kg. The dose with minimal toxic effect (MDx.), determined in rats subject to intragastric administration of acetone for 6 months. is 7 mg/kg. Its maximum permissible concentration (MPC) in public water is 2.2 mg/l [5, 8]. From the data presented it follows that with occasional or systematic consumption of any amount of vodka containing acetone in a concentration of 1-2 mg/l, this compound a priori cannot have a negative effect on the human body.

However, we cannot exclude the possibility that acetone may enhance the toxicity of ethyl alcohol. We have not found any information on the effect of acetone on the toxicity of ethanol in the available literature. In order to somehow assess the likelihood of such a negative interaction, we tried to analyze the acetone content in various, including surrogate, alcoholic drinks.

Chemical analysis of the studied samples was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using an Agilent 5973N mass selective detector (MSD) and an Agilent 6890 gas chromatograph [1]. The results are presented in Table 1.

Table 1

Acetone content in various alcoholic beverages and alcohol-containing liquids (authors’ data)

Similar data on the acetone content in various industrially produced strong alcoholic drinks are presented in the works of other authors [9] (Table 2).

table 2

Acetone content in some drinks

From the presented materials it follows that acetone is present in almost all alcoholic beverages produced by distillation. The latter, in addition to acetone, contain a significant amount of other microimpurities (components of the ether-aldehyde fraction and fusel oil), also classified by the authors of GOST R 51698-2000

to toxic. Meanwhile, there is no evidence that distilled alcoholic beverages have a more pronounced toxic effect on the human body and the population as a whole.

It remains to be assumed that the authors of GOST R 51786-2001

may have been concerned that acetone negatively affects the organoleptic properties of vodka. The authors of this article do not have information about the effect of acetone in concentrations of 1-2 mg/l on the taste and aroma of vodka. It is known, however, that the threshold concentrations of acetone for its effect on the organoleptic properties of water are 24 mg/l (smell) and 12 mg/l (taste) [5]. Taking this into account, it is difficult to imagine that acetone in similar concentrations can damage the organoleptic properties of vodka.

Thus, from a biological and medical point of view, classifying acetone as a marker of the food unsuitability of ethyl alcohol makes no sense.

Bibliography

1. Vyazmina N.A., Savchuk S.A.
   Study of the impurity composition of ethyl alcohol and its rectification products. // Partners and Competitors. – 2002. – No. 2. – P. 30-40.
2. Leninger A.
   Fundamentals of biochemistry. T. 2. – M.: Mir, 1985. – 348 p.
3. Nuzhny V.P., Uspensky A.E.
   Ketosis and acetonemia in alcohol intoxication and the action of teturam. Possible causes and mechanisms of development. // Pathological physiol. and experiment. therapist – 1983. – No. 6. – P. 78-81.
4. Newsholme E., Start K.
   Regulation of metabolism. – M.: Mir, 1977. – 407 p.
5. Russian Register of Potentially Hazardous Chemical and Biological Substances. Sampling according to registration number 426 (acetone).
6. Savchuk S.A., Vlasov V.N., Appolonova S.A., Arbuzov V.N., Vedenin A.N., Mezinov A.B., Grigoryan B.R.
   Application of chromatography and spectrometry to identify the authenticity of alcoholic beverages. // Journal. Analytical chemistry. – 2001. – t. 56, no. 3. – P. 246-264.
7. Savchuk S.A., Nuzhny V.P.
   On the issue of identifying the nature of ethyl alcohol. Acetone in vodkas and alcohols of various origins. // Partners and Competitors. – 2005 (in print).
8. International Registry of Potentially Toxic Chemical Substances. – Geneva, UNEP/IRPTC, 1993.
9. Shatirishvili I.Sh.
   Chromatography in oenology. – Tbilisi: Ganatleba, 1988. – 86 p.
10. Leferve A., Adler H., Lieber Ch.S.
    Effect of ethanol on ketone metabolism. // J. Clin. Invest. – 1970. – V. 49. – P. 1775-1782.
11. Reichard CA, Haff AC, Skutches CL, Paul P., Holroyde CP, Owen OP
    Plasma acetone metabolism in the fasting human. // J. Clin. Invest. – 1979. – V. 63. – P. 619-626.

VP Nuzhnyi1, 2, CA Savchuk1

Alcoholic beverage toxicity and acetone

1
— National Research Center of Addiction of Russian Ministry of Health (Director- corresponding member of RAMS NN Ivanets), 2 — Russian Research Institute of Health (Director –MD VPNuzhnyi)
The reasons of acetone consideration as a marker of ethanol inedibility were closely examined when taking into account the fact that vodka is often rejected in Russia if it contains minute amount of acetone. The data concerning acetone biosynthesis, metabolism and content in the human body are cited, as well as of acetone toxicity. The values ​​are also present that show acetone contents in various alcoholic beverages. It has being proven that considering acetone as a marker of ethanol inedibility makes no sense in the view of medicine and biology.

Reduction, or “hydrogen sulfide bouquet”

Symptoms: The wine smells like boiled cabbage, garlic or a rotten egg.

What to do

This case is not at all hopeless. This smell appears if the wine lacks oxygen and the yeast begins to release thiols - organic sulfur compounds. You can improve the smell with the help of aeration - saturating the wine with oxygen.

Pour the wine into a decanter (a process called decanting) and let the drink “breathe” until the smell dissipates. Not ready to wait a few hours? Stir the wine with a silver spoon or drop a clean copper coin into the decanter to precipitate the sulfur compounds.

Wine made from unripe grapes

Symptoms: The wine smells of cat urine, grass and green capsicum.

What to do

The patient is more dead than alive. Unfortunately, if the wine is made from low-quality raw materials, “medicine” is powerless. This usually happens if, for example, weather conditions did not allow the grapes to ripen and gain all the necessary qualities, but the winemaker still decided to put them into production.

Well-known manufacturers who value their name do not allow themselves to do this. So choose wines from trusted brands to avoid this defect.

Wine turns to vinegar

Symptoms: The wine smells like vinegar or acetone or nail polish remover.

What to do

Only Jesus could turn water into wine, but no one could turn vinegar into wine. The maximum you can hope for with such a bottle is to use the wine for culinary purposes.

We are used to hearing that wine only gets better with age, but this is only true for noble, complex wines with great storage potential. Simple, inexpensive wines “for every day” should be drunk, as they say, here and now: white wines are best consumed in the first two years, red wines should not be stored for longer than 3–5 years. So, if you see a 2011 Sauvignon Blanc in a regular chain store for 800 rubles, then leave it on the shelf.

How to fix sour wine?

Excess acidity is the most common taste problem in homemade wine. The main reason is incorrect determination of the wort acidity level. It is reduced by diluting the wort with water or using a variety of acidity suppressors.

What to do if you missed the point and did not adjust the acidity of the wort?

There are several ways to try to correct the taste of sour wine.

Dilution with water

The simplest and most hopeless method you can use. Only very rich wine with a dense and persistent taste can be diluted. As a rule, it is obtained from southern grape varieties.

Pasteurization

The wine is tightly closed and the bottles are immersed in water. It is heated to a temperature of 60–70 degrees and maintained at this heating level for 15–20 minutes. After this, let the water cool naturally and then remove the bottles.

Pros:

• Does not require additional costs.
• The acidity of the finished wine is significantly reduced.

Minuses:

• It is necessary to strictly follow the technology.
• There is a high probability of deterioration in the taste of the wine: the appearance of an unpleasant hint of boiling, lethargy and inexpressiveness of taste.

Cryostabilization or cooling

Tightly closed bottles are cooled to a wine temperature of 2–4 degrees and kept under these conditions for several days. During this time, the acid salts sink as sediment to the bottom of the bottle. Then the wine is removed from the sediment and bottled again.

Pros:

• Simplicity.

Minuses:

• Increased labor costs.
• Slight reduction in acidity. The method is only suitable for correcting the bouquet, but it will not radically improve the taste of the wine.

There are different ways to correct the taste of wine, but none gives a 100% guarantee of success.

Addition of sulfides

Pyrosulfide reduces the activity of yeast colonies and stops fermentation, and also helps reduce the level of acid compounds in wine. It is added diluted to the finished wine. If you make a mistake with the proportion, the wine will acquire an unpleasant aroma and an acrid sulfurous taste.

Pros:

• Easy to use.

Minuses:

• You can completely ruin the wine.

Wine mount

If the wine tastes too sour, you can add sugar or fructose to the finished product. But then you need to stop the fermentation to prevent the yeast colony from converting the sugar into alcohol. To do this, a strong distillate is added to the wine along with a sweetener: brandy, grape alcohol or cognac.

Pros:

• You can get good fortified wine.

Minuses:

• You need to accurately calculate the proportion.
• Additional costs apply.

Try fixing the taste of wine by fixing it with strong alcohol

Blending

If the wine is too sour, it can be mixed with sweet or dessert wine to correct the taste. This method has many subtleties.

• Grape wine can only be blended with grape wine. There are different opinions regarding other fruit wines. Some people think that it is better to mix within one, or maximum two, fruits. Someone boldly embarks on experiments and blends blackberries with apples, and raspberries with plums. Personally, I take a conservative view and prefer blends from the same raw material.
• It is not recommended to combine young and old wines. The finished drink will most likely change its taste after several months of infusion, and it is not a fact that you will like the end result.
• Blending is used only to correct the taste, but not to radically correct it. If you mix bad wine with good wine, you will simply end up with a lot of below-average wine.

The blending method is first tried on small volumes of wine.

"Sunstroke"

Symptoms: The wine smells like dust and cardboard.

What to do

A slight but noticeable smell of dust, which clogs the natural aromas of wine, appears if it has been stored for a long time in bright light or even in the sun. It's up to you to decide whether to drink this wine or not (we wouldn't).

When choosing wine in a regular store, always pay attention to storage conditions. If the bottles are directly under the lamps or the room is too hot, then it is better to look for another place for wine shopping.

Oxidase cass, or browning of wine

Symptoms: the wine takes on a brownish tint and a faint smell of Madeira, hazelnuts and rotten apples. Red wine takes on a dry, bitter taste, while white wine vaguely resembles apple cider.

What to do

This defect occurs at the production stage and, unfortunately, is not corrected in any way. In the skin of rotten or moldy grapes, oxidative enzymes - oxidases - are actively produced. If a large amount of rotten grapes gets into production, then when the finished wine comes into contact with oxygen, an oxidation process occurs and the drink changes its properties.

Disadvantages (flaws, defects) of wine

Undesirable changes in the taste and color of wine, spoiling its organoleptic properties. Often the causes of defects lie in the mistakes or inexperience of the winemaker. Fortunately, they are easily removable, and many go away on their own over time without outside intervention.

1. Cloudiness. Typical for homemade wines made from pears, plums and other fruits containing little tannic acid. Cloudiness also occurs when the temperature of unfermented sweet wine increases, for example, when the drink is transferred from the cellar to a warm room. Under suitable conditions, the yeast is reactivated, causing secondary fermentation.