PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Raul T. De Soto
AU  - Richard Huber
TI  - The Effect of Tannic Acid on the Secondary Fermentation of Champagne
AID  - 10.5344/ajev.1968.19.4.246
DP  - 1968 Jan 01
TA  - American Journal of Enology and Viticulture
PG  - 246--253
VI  - 19
IP  - 4
4099  - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/19/4/246.short
4100  - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/19/4/246.full
SO  - Am J Enol Vitic.1968 Jan 01; 19
AB  - High tannin levels were shown to produce marked inhibition of yeast growth rate during the secondary fermentation of champagne. There appears to be a direct relation between tannin level and the development of yeast under these conditions, Maximum viable cell counts were reduced 3.6, 11.7, 22.5, and 29.7% by tannin additions of 0.5, 1.7, 2.9, and 4.1 g/l to a wine substrate containing 0.03 g/100 ml. The reduction of yeast growth resulted in lower final pressures and higher residual sugars. The reduced final pressures in the champagne containing 0.32 g/100 ml tannin or more would be substantial enough to be considered a serious problem in champagne production. Secondary effects apparently related to the higher tannin level were also observed: exceedingly high false pressures, rapid evolution and loss of carbon dioxide, foaming, and "gushing." Suggested as corrective measures are routine tannin analysis of red wines to be used in sparkling burgundy, judicious bending, and possibly, the use of a larger inoculum to provide a higher concentration of enzymes at the beginning of the secondary fermentation.