"Are there animal by-products in wines?"

Friday, 1 March, 2013
Shante Hutton, wine.co.za
Dear Chard O’Nay,

I was wondering whether wine-makers add animal by-products to their wines because I keep hearing reference to the word Moose.

Kind regards,

Helena
Dear Helena,

Without me becoming the second person in history to die from laughing, I shall endeavor to answer this question as respectfully as I can.

A Moose is a large species of the deer family predominantly found in slightly colder climates. It is in no way related to the wine industry unless of course you wish to use it in a food pairing (I would say Cabernet or Merlot) or happen to want one of these Moose wine bottle holders.

The Mousse that the wine industry is referring to is the frothy, foamy texture that appears when you pour bubbly into a glass. It can be described either as soft, meaning not too fizzy or hard which can often resemble carbonated drinks - not the ideal.

The more premium the sparkling wine, the more the mousse resembles a constant string of small bubbles like tiny pearls of awesomeness.

For other bubbly related questions, you can watch SA's top wine makers answer them via our Festive fair videos here


Cia,

Chard

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