Key learnings about the chemical bases of wine uniqueness and quality, essential companions for future developments

Abstract

This presentation aims to demonstrate that the value attributed to wine as we today know it is based on three factors: 1) sensory balance, 2) personality, and 3) bioactivity. All three factors have an indisputable chemical basis that can be traced and is essentially related to the secondary metabolism of grape, yeast metabolism, and the chemical processes associated with ageing. In this presentation, this chemical basis will be unraveled point by point, showing the most recent advances and highlighting some of the points that remain unclear. The main corollary is that, if we want our industry to survive while maintaining its essential identity, we must consider how to translate and exploit these aspects in products (wine, non-alcoholic wine, and other new ideas) compatible with the needs and tastes of 21st-century societies.