I'll drink to that

Abstract

Wine Microbiology: Science and Technology (Science and Technology Series Vol. 108)by Claudio Delfini and Joseph V. FormicaMarcel Dekker, 2001. $195.00 (hbk) (496 pages)ISBN 0 82470 590 4The art of wine-making is probably the oldest form of biotechnology that is practised systematically. Without knowing anything about the underlying mechanisms, human beings have carried out the deliberate alcoholic fermentation of grapes for millennia. Over the timespan that people have been making and drinking wine, this situation has changed only recently. With the discovery of microorganisms and the biochemical principles of enzymatic fermentation, wine-making has come into the realm of scientific investigation and, as a result of the great advances in microbiological knowledge in the 20th century, the production of wine has slowly but inevitably turned from a (black) art into, if not a true area of science, then a science-influenced art.Today, to compete within the worldwide marketplace for wine, it is not sufficient for wine-makers simply to use their inherited, traditional knowledge. To generate produce that is fit for pampered consumers around the globe, and to do so consistently and reproducibly, wine-makers must use a wide variety of techniques that affect all steps of the manufacturing process. How much more there is to making a wine than the simple fermentative breakdown of sugar into ethanol by yeast cells is described in Wine Microbiology.The book, as the title aptly suggests, deals with the microbial stage of the delicate process of wine-making, which indeed is the decisive action that turn grape juice into the ‘divine nectar’. The black-and-white-only layout makes the book look slightly old-fashioned; however, closer inspection reveals very detailed discussions of the respective topics of the book's 25 chapters. As readers of this textbook are likely to come not only from microbiology departments within university schools of biological science, the only prerequisite is an understanding of basic chemistry and biology. One-fifth of the book is concerned with basic microbiological techniques such as microscopy and sterilization methods. Although full-blown microbiologists might find these sections unnecessary, readers from different backgrounds will benefit from the comprehensive coverage. Later chapters address topics specifically relevant to wine fermentation, for example, the use and the molecular action of sulfur dioxide is discussed extensively. The bulk of the central chapters describe in great detail all aspects of yeast biology relevant to wine-making, from the taxonomy and identification of the microorganisms a wine-maker might find in his or her fermenters all the way to specialized aspects of intermediate metabolism.Wine Microbiology is an English translation of a well-known Italian textbook. This latest translation would have been an opportunity to include some recent developments aimed at altering yeast characteristics by genetic engineering but the primary literature is only covered until 1997. Although wine-makers in general are a conservative lot and wine-making is, despite all the modern technology involved, deeply immersed in tradition, genetic engineering in one form or another is likely to have an impact on this worldwide industry in the 21st century, either by manipulating the fermenting yeast used or by targeted genetic changes in the vine plants. Unfortunately, Wine Microbiology does not cover any of these novel subjects, which any aspiring wine-maker will have to have a sound basic knowledge of in the future. Although this is a drawback, it is not such a grave one as to make the book useless. On the contrary, Wine Microbiology gives a very sound introduction to a fascinating area of applied microbiology, one of the true ‘ars amabilis’ areas of science, and those who are properly primed by reading this book will easily find up-to-date literature in learned journals [1.xTailoring wine yeast for the new millennium: novel approaches to the ancient art of winemaking. Pretorius, I.S. Yeast. 2000; 16: 675–729Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (525)See all References, 2.xGene technology in winemaking: new approaches to an ancient art. Pretorius, I.S. Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus. 2001; 66: 27–47See all References].One of the outstanding features of this book is the clarity of the text and figures. Admittedly, in several cases the photographs look slightly old-fashioned, probably because they are black-and-white, with the exception of one set of colour plates. However, as Wine Microbiology is a textbook rather than a manufacturer's catalogue, this is more than forgivable, and it helps keep production costs down. As such costs can be a limiting factor for a learned specialist's treatise such as this one, it must not go unnoticed that the overall production quality of the book is excellent from the paper to the printing and binding. Rather than being a simple textbook, Wine Microbiology qualifies as a practical handbook for aspiring applied microbiologists. Whether directly involved in the alcoholic fermentation of grape juice or just theoretically interested in the subject matter, readers of Wine Microbiology will look at the next bottle he or she encounters with more appreciative eyes.