I have heard that mass-produced wines, or cheaper wines, i.e. those under $6 or so at TJ's (we're talking Two Buck Chuck and Barefoot) have terrible chemical additives that you should avoid at all costs. I looked into this further and found out that there are over 60 federally approved additives for wine. Why!?
The cost to produce wine has risen over 17 percent in the past decade (California grape prices increased over 46 percent). Large wineries have been turning to chemical additives and other technology to keep up the pace of demand for cheap wine with a "quality taste" and lower overall costs.
For example, mass-produced wines often pass through huge steel vats with hundreds of gallons of wine and are infused with oak extract, chips, or a liquefied product to create the flavor of real oaken barrels, for instance.
The worst process I discovered though is the addition of mega-purple or mega-red. Mega-purple is concentrated syrup made from Rubired grapes and is a thick goo that winemakers use to correct color issues. It can change a bottle from a "weak salmon blush to an appealingly intense crimson" and ensure consistency. For scale: in 119-liter barrel, 200 milliliters is all you need.
Little surprise that mega-purple is made by Constellation Brands. Most winemakers will not admit using it, but industry insiders say that even high-end winemakers have used it to earn better ratings and prices.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/science-behind-your-cheap-wine-180962783/
https://www.wired.com/2014/04/how-to-make-wine-taste-good/
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