
Are genetically-modified wine grapes in
our future? Researchers at UC Davis and the University of Adelaide, Australia have
found an enzyme that help turn vitamin C into
tartaric acid which plays an important role in winemaking. Wine won't be replacing orange juice for your Vitamin C
needs any time soon but it is an interesting step as the art of winemaking and science begin to inform each other.
Tartaric acid has an effect on the taste of the grape and therefore the flavor of wine. In the future it may be
possible to manipulate the genes of the grapes in order to create Vitamin C rich grapes.