🍷 Acetic acid
The acid of vinegar; wine has a lot of it only when spoiled.
Acetic acid is the acid that gives vinegar its sour taste and sharp smell. It is always present in wine, but only in small amounts.
It is produced by acetic acid bacteria when they get into wine or juice and have oxygen. They turn alcohol into acetic acid. So a large amount of acetic acid means the wine has spoiled, and it smells like vinegar or nail polish remover.
In winemaking, acetic acid is the main part of volatile acidity. "Volatile" means the acid evaporates easily and its smell is noticeable. It is part of total acidity, but not the part anyone wants. In a small amount it gives light notes and does no harm; in a large amount it ruins the wine. To avoid it, the winemaker keeps barrels full and clean and protects wine from extra air.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Acetic acid → kind of → 🍷 Acidity ← contains ← 🍷 Wine
Links
- What affects it
- 🍷 Volatile acidity
- Part of
- 🍷 Acidity
Frequently asked questions
What is acetic acid in wine?
It is the acid that gives vinegar its smell and taste; wine has a little, and a spoiled wine has a lot.
Where does acetic acid in wine come from?
Acetic acid bacteria make it by turning alcohol into acid when air is present.
What is volatile acidity?
It is mostly acetic acid, which evaporates easily and gives a noticeable smell.
Similar
🍷 PH of wine · 🍷 Citric acid · 🍷 Malic acid · 🍷 Tartaric acid · 🍷 Balance (wine) · 🍷 Wine faults
Sources
- Wikipedia (en): Acetic acid
- Wikipedia (de): Essigsäure
- Wikipedia (fr): Acide acétique
- Wikipedia (uk): Оцтова кислота
- Wikidata Q47512