Isabella and Lydia grapes - real benefits and far-fetched harm. Isabella grapes

Has anyone ever seen elite wine from the Isabella grape variety? Probably not. Have you ever asked yourself why is this so? Why is this wine most often sold for bottling in "one and a half" or cardboard boxes? In this article, we will talk about the undesirability of buying wine from Isabella and, in principle, about its harm.

Why is Isabella wine banned in Europe and the US?

Wines from grape varieties "Isabella", "Lydia" and their analogues, as well as the Isabella group (Seibel, Kuderk, Raindor, Tiras and some others) were banned in the United States and the European Union (EU). The reason is painfully simple: harm from high content methyl alcohol (or methanol).

During fermentation (fermentation) of Isabella grapes (and the above), the pectins contained in the skin of the berries are converted into harmful to the body methyl alcohol. There are much more of these pectins in this variety than in the same European ones. As a result, the content of dangerous methyl alcohol (by the way, it is also present in other wines) is several times higher than for wines from other permitted varieties.

And the accumulation of methanol in the body leads to damage to the optic nerve (eye, in other words), liver, kidneys, central nervous system and so on. Here the authorities of these developed countries (Europe and the USA) decided to restrict their citizens from dangerous wine from these varieties, banning it.

Is Isabella grape itself harmful?

However, it is worth mentioning that methyl alcohol is formed only in the process of fermentation or fermentation. That is, by itself, Isabella grapes and other prohibited ones are not harmful and can be eaten. But this should be done with some caution. Because the:

The grapes of the Isabella group contain a large amount of carbohydrates that provoke increased gas formation ... well, you understand;
They contain large amounts of glucose. In other words, sugar. Therefore, if there are problems with overweight it is worth limiting yourself from this joy;
because of a large number polyphenols, people with liver and kidney problems should generally bypass Isabella, as she becomes dangerous to health;
It is highly not recommended to combine this grape with milk, vegetables, fruits, carbonated drinks. Otherwise, disorder in the stomach is guaranteed;
After eating grapes, dentists recommend brushing your teeth immediately to prevent cavities.

This list harmful qualities You can continue, but I don’t want to catch up with excessive horror. Too many bans on one article is obtained.

Is the danger of wine from Isabella imaginary or real?

In fairness, we note that in addition to the obvious harm, this grape also has beneficial features. Many producers and growers write about its benefits. They, as a conclusion from the listed advantages, declare that Europe and the USA only unfairly restrict competition. Like, they are afraid of rivalry with their wines.

But for some reason, wines from the same Australian Shiraz, Chilean Carmener, Georgian Saperavi and an infinite number of other popular overseas varieties are not prohibited? Although they are very, very uncomfortable competition for local producers.

In general, it is up to you to decide whether these European-American fears of harm to the body are justified. It is quite possible that the oak-aged wine from Isabella of the great year will smash all these insulting prohibitions to smithereens. But I’m afraid that this very wine is carefully hidden from us somewhere. Maybe you should look on the store shelf for cardboard boxes with cheap Isabella!

Isabella is a favorite grape variety in the south of Russia, Moldova and Ukraine. He is loved for his unpretentiousness - he grows on his own, almost like a weed, without treatments and care. For productivity - Isabella's clusters, although not large, but there are a lot of them. For special, no matter what similar taste and a flavor that many people really like. But why is this grape so disliked in Europe, disliked so much that the official production of commercial wine, wine "for sale" from this variety is prohibited by law?

"Isabella varieties" is a colloquial term used to refer to grape varieties obtained by interspecific crossing of the European vine Vitis vinifera with the American Vitis labrusca. Yes, yes, few people know, but Isabella is not at all a Russian variety and not even a European one, she is an immigrant from America, where she was born from the marriage of a local wild vine and an imported European variety, which remains unknown.

Quite a lot of such hybrids were produced: at the end of the 19th century, the most dangerous pest of grapes, the phylloxera root aphid, was brought from the USA to Europe, which destroyed, according to various estimates, from 60 to 90% of all European vineyards in several decades. In the hope of somehow escaping from it, numerous attempts were made to develop hybrids suitable for high-quality winemaking. These include such varieties as Lydia, Othello, Concord, Noa, Moldova and, directly, Isabella.

However, the idea turned out to be not fully justified - not only do hybrid varieties for the most part have a very strong and specific tone in the aroma (someone considers it strawberry, and someone finds in it a variety of shades that are far from being so joyful, up to cadaverous ), but not everything is perfect with general chemistry either.

In the mid-60s, when wine began to be seriously studied from the point of view of chemistry, it was quickly discovered that wines from hybrid varieties contain significantly more methanol (methyl alcohol) than wines from European vines. Methanol in Wines in Relation to Processing and Variety (1976) reported 4 successive harvests of Concorde grapes, which produced wines with 400-500ppm (parts per million) methanol levels, while averages for wines from European vines are usually in the 100-200ppm range.

Within a few years, the mechanism for this difference was also clarified: if you remember the Isabella berry, then it is not at all like an ordinary grape. Isabella's pulp is such a slimy greenish lump that easily pops out of the skin, which exists, as it were, by itself, like a sac. This structure is the result of hybrid varieties containing more pectins than V. vinifera. During the fermentation (fermentation) of high-pectic juices, pectin methylesterase, an enzyme that promotes the hydrolysis of the methoxyl group of pectins, comes into action, resulting in methyl alcohol.

Certainly, even with the most simple methods control over the winemaking process, the concentration of methyl alcohol in wines does not reach dangerous levels, but this fact itself was enough to prohibit the commercial planting and vinification of hybrid varieties and the sale of wines from them in Europe. In some places, the old vineyards of "Isabella" varieties are still preserved (in particular, in Italy, where the Fragolino variety from this group and the wine of the same name from it were once popular), but their areas are rapidly declining. As a result, the few modern wines labeled "Fragolino" are produced from safe varieties using artificial flavors and are wine drinks.

In Russia, the production of wine from hybrid varieties is allowed, but in fact, not many of their own wines are produced from them. A significant part of the "Isabella" that stands on domestic shelves is either wines from other grape varieties, flavored with the appropriate essence (methyl anthranilate), or purchased bulk wine ("bulk") from Brazil (mainly), where, due to climatic conditions, hybrid varieties are still quite a lot is grown and the production of wine from them is not prohibited.

Methyl alcohol is not officially recognized as a carcinogen, but is the most powerful poisonous substance among all found in wine in appreciable quantities. According to some reports, it has the property of partial accumulation in the human body, which is worth remembering when buying wine from Isabella, especially if it is a home-made (not official) wine.

vladimirkrym:
The content of methyl alcohol in "hybrid" wine is so low that all these "European bans" are, in fact, unjustified reinsurance or deliberately commercial conspiracy in order to exclude varieties that do not require special care from cultivation (lobbying for the interests of chemical corporations).

How things really are with methyl alcohol in Isabella grapes:
Methyl alcohol is formed not only in wine, but simply in ripening grapes and in general in any other ripening berries, fruits and vegetables. This is the unique feature of methyl alcohol. Unlike all other heavier alcohols, the source of methyl alcohol in wine is not fermentation, but the destruction of pectin. Jelly-like pectin is initially located in the elastic walls of cells in order to tightly bind long polymeric cellulose molecules, which, as a skeleton, serve as the outer frame of plant tissues. When the fruit ripens, an enzyme (pectinase) is formed in it that dissolves pectin, and the fruit becomes soft. By the way, rotting fruits and vegetables also become soft due to the hydrolysis of pectin in the cell walls.

Pectin polymolecules consist mainly of galacturonic acid methyl ester molecules. Pectinase catalyzes the breaking of ester bonds in pectin, resulting in the formation of methyl alcohol and pectin acid. The same enzyme is also used in winemaking to soften the cell walls of wine grapes and create more favorable conditions for the extraction of juice and tannins (in the case of red wine) from grapes. In this case, pectin residues are destroyed and an additional portion of methyl alcohol is formed. The most aggressive extraction means are used to produce cheaper wines. That is, due to biochemistry, crafty winemakers squeeze grapes to last drop juice at the cost of increasing the content of methyl alcohol in it.

On average, pectin content in grapes is about 600 mg/kg. In apples, for example, it is twice as much. In grape pectin, about 5% by weight are CH3- methyl groups (30 mg/kg). Only half of them are unhooked at the stage of grape ripening, thanks to natural pectinase (15 mg/kg). After adding OH to water, the CH3-OH molecule becomes methanol and, therefore, in a weight ratio, the content of methyl alcohol in grapes easily reaches 30 milligrams per kilogram of harvest. The artificial addition of the pectinase enzyme at the winery to the must releases the remaining half of the methanol, and if this must is still infused with the skin of the grapes, as in the case of red wines, then the methanol in the wine becomes about twice as much, since most of the pectin is in grape skin. Therefore, on average, each bottle of inexpensive white wine contains about 50 mg of methyl alcohol, and about 100 mg per bottle of red wine. Of course, this is only an estimate, and the methanol content may vary slightly depending on the grape variety.

I must say that a kilogram of apples contains about the same amount of methyl alcohol as in a bottle of cheap white wine. This is the result of the natural ripening of this pectin-rich fruit. decontes.

Thus, the wine from "Isabella" is absolutely harmless in terms of the presence of methyl alcohol in it.

If you have vacationed in the summer on the Black Sea coast of Russia or Ukraine, you are familiar with Home wine"Isabella" with pronounced bright aroma, which many locals make for sale and for home consumption. The raw material for this wine is grapes of the same variety, which grows in the south in almost every courtyard of a private house. But in Europe this variety is banned. Why is he so harmful?

The history of the variety Isabella

When the first European settlers began to explore America, they discovered local varieties of the wild grape Vitis labrusca and tried to cultivate it. For breeding work, seedlings of those varieties that were grown in Europe - Vitis vinifera, were transported to America. Planting material was also sent from the New World to the Old. And here a very unpleasant surprise awaited European winemakers: together with wild seedlings, hitherto unknown diseases of the vine were brought in: phylloxera and oidium, or powdery mildew. It turned out that American grapes are not susceptible to these diseases, and for gentle "Europeans" they were literally fatal.

European winegrowers began to panic - local varieties began to die in whole plantations and, in order to somehow preserve them, hybrid varieties were bred when the European vine began to be grafted onto the roots of V. labrusca resistant to these diseases. This is how the Isabella and Lydia varieties were obtained, which are immune to diseases and unpretentious in care - for a good yield, they only need to prune in a timely manner. These non-covering varieties quickly spread not only throughout Europe, but took root in the Caucasus, Abkhazia, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, Moldova, where they were grown not only by private traders, but also on an industrial scale. Due to the unpretentiousness of Isabella, her landings can be found in the Black Earth Region, the Moscow Region and even Siberia. According to its properties, Isabella belongs to technical varieties, therefore, mainly wine is made from it.

Dangerous features of the variety Isabella

The berries of this grape are black in color, covered with a whitish bloom. It ripens quite late - in the southern regions of Russia, the harvest is carried out in early October-mid-November. Mucous pulp and skin specific smell and taste: if you pass by the courtyard in autumn, in which Isabella ripens, you will be able to recognize this by wonderful aroma, which penetrates through any fences. Since ancient times, Isabella has been eaten, although not everyone likes her taste and smell, and they also made excellent semi-sweet wine from her, especially tasty if it is first pressed. True, these wines are not stored for a long time - a maximum of 2-3 years. Then the wine has a pronounced aftertaste of rot.

AT fresh Isabella berries have exactly the same nutritional and beneficial properties as berries of any other variety. But hybrid varieties have one more difference, which can only be found out by doing their chemical analysis. As it turned out, their skins contain more pectins than the skins of traditional European grape varieties. For this reason, during the fermentation in Isabella's wine large quantities methyl alcohol is formed, which is hazardous to health. The concentration of methanols in wines from hybrids is much higher than in those obtained by fermentation of varietal grapes Vitis vinifera, which, empirically, can lead to blindness and chronic diseases of the internal organs.

That is why in 1999 the European Union with its directive (EC No. 1493/1999, Article 19 and EC No. 883/2001, Article 21) imposed a restriction on the import of red wines produced from those varieties that were obtained as a result of interspecific crossing. Apart from Isabella, such varieties as Lydia, Seibel, Kuderk, Tiras, Raindor and others fell under this ban. It is impossible to circumvent this prohibition, since, in addition to the specific aroma, wines from Isabella or a blend from it contain the pigment malvidin-3,5-diglycoside (MDG) in concentrations exceeding the established tolerance of 15 mg / l.

Isabella contains substances that help cleanse and remove toxins and waste from the body, increase tone and stimulate recovery

Among experts, there is an opinion that the harmful concentration of methanols in Isabella wine is just an excuse for the winemaking lobby of European producers, who are trying to keep a high price bar for their wines. Since isabella varieties, as hybrids are also called, are less whimsical, the cost of wine from them is lower, which makes it more affordable and popular. In light of the fact that the products of winemakers from Australia and many countries are literally “coming” to the European wine market North America, local producers have to maintain the brand and introduce such restrictions, the validity of which is questionable. Despite the threat of penalties, some small private wineries in Europe continue to cultivate hybrid varieties and produce wines from them. True, they are forced to call them "fermented fruit-based drink."

Thus, if we talk about the dangers of this famous variety, this can only be attributed to the fermentation products from this grape. You can use Isabella fresh without fear for your health, if you have no contraindications. These include diabetes, gastric and duodenal ulcer, diarrhea, any degree of obesity. It is not recommended to use it often and for those who have problems with their teeth.

Among the varieties of red grapes are French, Italian and American. And among the latter there is one well known in Europe and Russia - this is Isabella grapes. In European countries, it has been cultivated since the middle of the 17th century, and the American state of South Carolina is considered its homeland.

Isabella was also called “fox grapes”: the smell and taste of this grape was unusual for Europeans, and they decided that it smelled like a fox during the mating season, and wine with such a taste was considered low-quality. Today, such a name may seem ridiculous: did the growers really catch foxes to sniff them? However, it has stuck with this grape variety that so many people like.

Variety Isabella is considered table-technical: this means that it is better to make grapes table wine or juice than to consume it fresh. This variety ripens later than others, and is often used for landscaping and decorating different places: in the city, in the countryside, gardens and parks. It is also used as a stock: other, less “hardy” grape varieties are grafted to the cuttings of the Isabella vine to make them more stable and protect them from pests.

Isabella is frost-resistant- can withstand very low temperatures, and this variety can be grown in different climatic conditions - you don’t even need to cover, but in the most northern regions this may not be practical - because the grape ripens late. Isabella tolerates high humidity better than drought - this variety does not grow well in arid areas.

Berries of Isabella are medium in size, oval or round shape, and are covered with a wax coating; their color is black, with a bluish tinge. Although the skin of the berries is rough, the flesh is very tender, and its quality is best manifested in the manufacture of juices and wines.

It must be said that today in all countries European Union, and in the USA too, commercial production of wines from Isabella grapes is prohibited. This is explained by the fact that a lot of methanol is formed in cooked wines - a toxic substance that causes chronic diseases liver, kidney, blurred vision, etc. Prohibited production wines from Isabella and in Russia, although pasteurized juice from this grape is absolutely safe. In the US, this grape is also used to make homemade wines and juices.

Nevertheless, in our regions such as the Krasnodar Territory, the Caucasus, and Moldova, they continue to make table wines from it - although their commercial production is still not allowed. They know how to do this best in Azerbaijan: table wine turns out to be light pink, and many people, especially women, really like its taste.

Isabella grape harvest

To get a good harvest Isabella grapes, you need to be more careful when cultivating it: when the shoots are neglected, the berries ripen unevenly, become unsweetened, and the quality of the crop deteriorates. This variety is also amazing in that it can produce young shoots from an old vine if the main buds and shoots freeze - this allows you to get a crop in any case. It is also necessary to thin out the leaves in a timely manner - this will make the harvest better.

Medicinal properties of Isabella grapes

Isabella possesses medicinal properties , like any grape variety: for example, berries and wine can be used as an expectorant for acute colds and respiratory diseases.

Isabella grape wine: recipe and preparation

Controversy over whether to use wine from Isabella, are still underway, however, at home, such wine is prepared quite often in our country - after all, in Russia this grape is grown everywhere. How to make wine from Isabella grapes at home?

There are many ways - let's talk about one of them first.

1st Isabella wine recipe

First, of course, the grapes must be harvested, and then carefully sorted out, removing unripe and spoiled berries, debris, twigs and leaves. It is not necessary to wash the grapes before making wine, but they must be clean, which is why careful sorting is required.

Then you need to squeeze the juice out of the grapes: with a press, with a wooden pusher, even with your feet - as in a famous Italian film.

The pulp is placed in enamel pan or food container made of plastic. Water is added about 30-40% of the pulp volume, and sugar - at the rate of 40 g per liter, and left for 3-4 days. After this period, the pulp will begin to ferment, and a "cap" will form - it is necessary to interfere with the pulp and destroy the "cap". After a while, the "cap" will begin to form very quickly - then it must be removed and the pulp squeezed out using 2 layers of gauze.

Boiled water must be added to the resulting liquid - approximately 40% of the weight of the pulp and the removed “cap”, and again left for fermentation. Then pour the wort into glass bottles, filling them ¾, and close the necks with cotton swabs so that foam does not come out. When the fermentation of the wort becomes calmer, you can put a medical glove on the neck of each bottle, fixing it on it and piercing it with a needle in some place - so that gas comes out during fermentation.

When the glove falls, add sugar to the wort - 200 g per liter. It is necessary to pour the wort from the bottle, dissolve sugar in it, heat it, stir it and pour it back. When all the sugar has fermented, you need to leave the bottle for a month, and then use a vinyl tube to pour the wine into bottles for long storage. You can add more sugar - to taste, without stirring.

2nd Isabella wine recipe

The description of the next method is much shorter, but the result is likely to be almost the same. You need to take 5 kg of grapes, 3 kg of sugar and 12 liters boiled water; crush the grapes, add sugar to it and leave for a week. Then add water and leave for another month, after which strain the wine and bottle it.

Is it even worth making homemade wine from Isabella grapes if it is so unhealthy? Is there any serious evidence for this, and should people be warned against using it?

There is no particularly strong evidence in this regard yet, and no studies on this topic have yet been published. It may well be that manufacturers expensive wines it's just not profitable for people to use inexpensive wine and quite tasty too.

Wine from Isabella it is much cheaper, because this variety is unpretentious in care, sugar and gives good yields. Some wine producers say that their products are often praised at closed tastings, but publicly they say something completely different.

What is harmful wine from Isabella grapes

For example, talk about the formation of tartar. What is harmful tartar? The most unpleasant thing that can happen due to the presence of cream of tartar in the bottle is that it will be difficult to carefully uncork it, and the wine may spill out. Tartar crystals do not spoil the properties of wine - they are safe and have no taste. Many consumers think that this is a defect, and producers cool the wine to near freezing point and then filter it. At the same time, the aromaticity of the wine deteriorates, so it is the tartar in the bottle that can indicate that the product is of high quality.

Glycosides- substances contained in the fruits of many plants are also called harmful. Indeed, some of them are toxic to humans, but this happens in cases where large quantities are involved. In addition, glycosides are found not only in isabella grape varieties, but also in other grapes, and even in other berries - currants, etc.

methanol which is spoken of in connection with isabelle wines, indeed they have, and it is toxic - it is a poison. However, a dose hazardous to health may be contained in 200 or 300 liters of such wine.

If we recall what our alcohol industry produces today, then wines from Isabella seem absolutely harmless - although any alcohol is harmful, especially in excessive quantities.

A variety of beers, so widely advertised today, contain a lot of toxins, but this is not emphasized.

Today, there are many varieties of wines sold in stores with different beautiful names, and often they contain ingredients that are really dangerous to health.

If you look deeper, then alcohol as such is one of the most dangerous poisons in the world. Enough to drink 2 liters of any alcoholic drink- wine, moonshine, vodka, to get a dose dangerous to health. And there are many problems in our world due to the use of alcohol: catastrophes, tragedies, death of people, broken destinies - but at the same time drinking non-alcoholic wine there will be few people.

No one thinks about the dangers of alcohol, so they often talk about the harmfulness of a particular wine just to avoid competition.

As for the wines home cooking, then you can ruin even the best, elite variety grapes, if it is wrong to prepare and store wine from it, and even use it without measure.

You can finish the discussion on the harmfulness of isabelle wines with a well-known quatrain, the author of which is considered one of the greatest scientists and physicians of all times and peoples - Avicenna.

“Wine is our friend, but deceit lives in it:
Drink a lot - poison, drink a little - medicine.
Don't hurt yourself too much
Drink in moderation - and peace and kingdom will last.

The Isabella variety is considered table-technical: this means that it is better to make table wine or juice from grapes than to use it fresh. This variety ripens later than others, and is often used for landscaping and decorating different places: in the city, in the countryside, gardens and parks. It is also used as a stock: other, less “hardy” grape varieties are grafted to the cuttings of the Isabella vine to make them more stable and protect them from pests.

Isabella berries are medium in size, oval or round in shape, and covered with a waxy coating; their color is black, with a bluish tinge. Although the skin of the berries is rough, the flesh is very tender, and its quality is best manifested in the manufacture of juices and wines.

I must say that today in all countries of the European Union, and in the United States too, commercial production of wines from Isabella grapes is prohibited. This is explained by the fact that a lot of methanol is formed in cooked wines - a toxic substance that causes chronic diseases of the liver, kidneys, visual impairment, etc. Prohibited production wines from Isabella and in Russia, although pasteurized juice from this grape is absolutely safe. In the US, this grape is also used to make homemade wines and juices.

Isabella grape harvest

Medicinal properties of Isabella grapes

Isabella has healing properties, like any grape variety: for example, berries and wine can be used as an expectorant for acute colds and respiratory diseases.

Isabella grape wine: recipe and preparation

There are many ways - let's talk about one of them first.

1st Isabella wine recipe

Then you need to squeeze the juice out of the grapes: with a press, with a wooden pusher, even with your feet - as in a famous Italian film.

The pulp is placed in an enamel pan or plastic food container. Water is added about 30-40% of the pulp volume, and sugar - at the rate of 40 g per liter, and left for 3-4 days. After this period, the pulp will begin to ferment, and a "cap" will form - it is necessary to interfere with the pulp and destroy the "cap". After a while, the "cap" will begin to form very quickly - then it must be removed and the pulp squeezed out using 2 layers of gauze.

When the glove falls, add sugar to the wort - 200 g per liter. It is necessary to pour the wort from the bottle, dissolve sugar in it, heat it, stir it and pour it back. When all the sugar has fermented, you need to leave the bottle for a month, and then use a vinyl tube to pour the wine into bottles for long-term storage. You can add more sugar - to taste, without stirring.

2nd Isabella wine recipe

The description of the next method is much shorter, but the result is likely to be almost the same. You need to take 5 kg of grapes, 3 kg of sugar and 12 liters of boiled water; crush the grapes, add sugar to it and leave for a week. Then add water and leave for another month, after which strain the wine and bottle it.

Is it even worth making homemade wine from Isabella grapes if it is so unhealthy? Is there any serious evidence for this, and should people be warned against using it?

There is no particularly strong evidence in this regard yet, and no studies on this topic have yet been published. It may well be that it is simply unprofitable for producers of expensive wines that people drink inexpensive wine, and besides, it is quite tasty.

What is harmful wine from Isabella grapes

If we recall what our alcohol industry produces today, then wines from Isabella seem absolutely harmless - although any alcohol is harmful, especially in excessive quantities.

A variety of beers, so widely advertised today, contain a lot of toxins, but this is not emphasized.

Today, there are many varieties of wines sold in stores with different beautiful names, and often they contain ingredients that are really dangerous to health.

If you look deeper, then alcohol as such is one of the most dangerous poisons in the world. It is enough to drink 2 liters of any alcoholic beverage - wine, moonshine, vodka - to get a dangerous dose. And there are many problems in our world due to alcohol consumption: catastrophes, tragedies, loss of life, broken destinies - but at the same time, few people will drink non-alcoholic wine.

No one thinks about the dangers of alcohol, so they often talk about the harmfulness of a particular wine just to avoid competition.

As for home-made wines, even the best, elite grape variety can be spoiled if it is not properly prepared and stored wine from it, and even consumed without measure.

“Wine is our friend, but deceit lives in it:
Drink a lot - poison, drink a little - medicine.
Don't hurt yourself too much
Drink in moderation - and peace and kingdom will last.