Wine by numbers: vinification

Having statistically examined viticulture in part one and part two of this series of articles, let's now enter the winery to investigate the way winemaking is measured.

Grapes – ripeness

One of the first considerations of vinification relates to the amount of sugar in the juice. This is a key indicator of the ripeness of the fruit, and the potential alcohol in the finished wine. Historically, this was closely associated with quality, too – especially for less expensive wines. The theory was that more sugar equalled more flavour, which isn't necessarily true. The three most common scales used to record...