Applications of natural ingredients in alcoholic drinks - Natural Food Additives, Ingredients and Flavourings - page 398

Sugar-enrichment regulations for wine production in the EU 1 Table 16.20

Zone Examples of countries

or viticultural regions

Allowable increase in ethanol
content by enrichment (sugar
addition)

Maximum % ABV
after enrichment

A England and Wales,

Luxembourg, most
German regions 2

Up to 3% ABV (24 g/l)) 11.5 (white wine),

12 (red wine)

B Alsace, most of Austria,

Baden, Champagne

Up to 2% ABV (16 g/l) 12 (white wine),

12.5 (red wine)

C CI: Bordeaux,

Burgundy, Hungary,
much of Portugal

Nil in many regions 3 , but up to
1.5% ABV (12 g/l) in CI zones

12.5-13.5,
depending on
region

CII: Langedoc, N. Italy,
N. Spain
CIIIa: Cyprus, Greece
CIIIb: Mediterranean
France, Italy, Spain

Notes:
1 The fi gures are based on increase in ethanol concentration assuming all the added sugar is
fermented; permission may be granted to gain an extra 0.5% ABV in very poor seasons.
2 Enriched wines cannot be labelled Qualitätswein mit Prädikat.
3 Concentrated grape must is allowed for certain wines in the warmer zones.

that prevent the use of sugar ('brew length' or 'wort extension'), but good practice
ensures sugar is a minor adjunct, and if the brewer lists ingredients on the bottle
label, then sugar should be included, if used.
In winemaking, enrichment is carefully regulated in all countries; regulations
for the EU vine growing regions are summarised in Table 16.20. Enrichment (as
sugar or syrup) is allowed in the production of cider and perry in England (but not
for cidre in France) and fruit or country wines, provided this is included on any
label ingredient list. In traditional sparkling wine production around the world
(including Champagne), sugar syrup (sometimes with brandy) is allowed in the
'dosage' step to enable a second fermentation to occur in the bottle.

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16.4 Yeasts, bacteria and fermentation aids
The organoleptic characteristics of a particular fermented beverage depend on
several factors (see Section 16.2), but one of the most important infl uences is that of
the identity of the microorganisms that perform the fermentation(s). Some of the
world's alcoholic beverages are still made by 'spontaneous' fermentation, that is, by
allowing natural yeasts and/or bacteria in the ingredients and on processing
equipment to promote fermentation (Table 16.21). However, for the majority of
alcoholic drinks, fermentation is performed by the addition of specifi c microbiological
cultures or special 'starters' after partial or (more usually) total suppression of
natural microbiological activity, either by boiling (beer), steaming (rice wine) or by
use of preservatives (cider, wine) (see Section 16.3.2) (Table 16.22). Thus, in