Wine Word of the Week: Photosynthesis



By Kori ~ September 11th, 2010.

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is photosynthesis.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Photosynthesis is a biochemical reaction which combines water and atmospheric carbon dioxide using the energy of the sun to form sugars in plants, including vines. Important in this process are the green chlorophyll pigments in leaves which capture the sun’s energy. Photosynthesis is the essential first step in the wine-making process, as the sugars formed in photosynthesis, along with other chemical products derived from sugar, are transported to grape berries and eventually fermented into ethanol to produce wine.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Photosynthesis is the process by which chlorophyll in the leaves uses sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen, thereby ripening the grapes.


Filed under: Wine Word of the Week

Reader's Comments

  1. Jenny | September 12th, 2010 at 7:37 am

    I love your words of the week. Thanks!

  2. Kori | September 30th, 2010 at 9:51 am

    Jenny,
    Thanks. Glad to hear it. Cheers!

  3. Wine Basics: Some Study Notes | Toronto Wine Drinker | June 5th, 2014 at 10:50 am

    […] takes carbon dioxide and turns it into energy. Somehow, sunlight is involved. Let’s go to the magic of the interweb to find out more: Photosynthesis is the process by which chlorophyll in the leaves uses sunlight to […]