Sugars and flavors they Impart

[WeirdoWines]

I'm new to wine making and I've had a burning question that I haven't found yet on forums, pdfs or the interwebz...what flavors does each sugar source impart on the finished wine? Examples: Table sugar imparts such and such or Corn sugar imparts such and such and so forth

 

[bernardsmith]

They (not sure who "they" are but they certainly say) that table sugar imparts an apple-y flavor. But if you are adding sugar to boost the gravity and are not making a sugar based wine then you will have the flavors from the fruits or flowers or herbs etc and those flavors will by far out weigh the flavors from the sugars. Corn sugar is not supposed to impart any noticeable flavor (or perhaps it does but because brewers tend to add corn sugar in tiny amounts to bottle prime their beers any grainy flavor is drowned by the barley or other grains used in brewing. Honey imparts the flavors or the flowers the honey came from which is why mead can be delightful. Date syrup tastes of dates.

 

[WeirdoWines]

Okay. That's awesome information to know. I honestly didn't even know there was date syrup! Lol

 

[bernardsmith]

Date syrup (also known as silan) may have been the original "honey" referred to in the bible. Wild honey would have been very rare and people did not appear to keep bees to produce honey or wax until very much later. Olive oil would have been used as a source of light. Date syrup is the most likely translation of the Hebrew word DVSH and ironically (or not) a current producer of silan (sold in my local health food store) is called Devash

 

[Raptor99]

I was curious, so I decided to look into this. The Hebrew word DVSH (דְּבַשׁ) used in the Bible can mean either honey (from bees) or date honey. Like many ancient words, it had a broader range of meaning than the corresponding English word. I agree that wild honey would have been rare and expensive.

Some of the ancients did practice beekeeping. It is mentioned in Homer (Od., 13, 103 ff.) and the Wikipedia article on beekeeping states that it was practiced 9000 years ago in North Africa (Beekeeping - Wikipedia).

 

[jgmillr1]

I'm new to wine making and I've had a burning question that I haven't found yet on forums, pdfs or the interwebz...what flavors does each sugar source impart on the finished wine? Examples: Table sugar imparts such and such or Corn sugar imparts such and such and so forth

When I have to add sugar to wine must, I'm careful to only add cane sugar since that tastes fairly neutral. I've noticed that beet sugar can add an off flavor though I'm not sure how to describe it other than somewhat metalic.

 

[Raptor99]

On the other hand, I use brown sugar in my peach wine and for priming sugar for my cider because I want the flavor that it will impart.