Chaptalization
Sign in to saveright|thumb|In Alsace, chaptalization is often used to boost the alcohol level of [[Riesling grapes that have not fully ripened on the vine.]] Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation. The technique is named after its developer, the French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal. This process is not intended to make the wine sweeter, but rather to provide more sugar for the yeast to ferment into alcohol.
~8 min read
Article
7 sectionsContents
- History
- Process variations
- Current legality
- Countries and regions
- See also
- References
- External links
right|thumb|In Alsace, chaptalization is often used to boost the alcohol level of [[Riesling grapes that have not fully ripened on the vine.]] Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation. The technique is named after its developer, the French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal. This process is not intended to make the wine sweeter, but rather to provide more sugar for the yeast to ferment into alcohol.
Chaptalization has generated controversy and discontent in the French wine industry due to advantages that the process is perceived to give producers in poor-climate areas. In response to violent demonstrations by protesters in 1907, the French government began regulating the amount of sugar that can be added to wine.