WA Wine | WAVEx Webinar | July 14, 2021 | Working with High pH Wines
In winemaking, the pH of the grapes and must can affect microbial populations, fermentation rate, flavor and color. Washington’s red grape varieties often contain low amounts of malic acid and the musts have a high pH. In higher pH musts, there is potential for growth of spoilage bacteria. A better understanding of how wine pH affects the final wine composition can help winemakers produce high quality and consistent styles of wine. Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling, director of Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology Program, and co-investigator Dr. Hailan Piao, WSU research associate, evaluated various methods to adjust must pH and studied how effective starter culture additions are in managing microbial populations in wines of different pH. Results of their research are shared in this webinar.