Mean temperatures above which value in the final month of ripening can lead to rapid loss of acidity?

Mean temperatures above which value in the final month of ripening can lead to rapid loss of acidity?

• A. 21 C
• B. 19 C
• C. 23 C
• D. 25 C

Answer: (A)

During the final month of ripening, acidity in grapes is mainly malic acid, and it’s consumed as the berries respire. Warmer conditions speed up respiration, so malic acid is used up more quickly. When the mean temperature in that last phase rises into the low twenties Celsius, the rate of acidity loss becomes rapid. Cooler temperatures slow this process, helping keep acidity more stable. So the value that marks the onset of brisk acidity loss is the threshold in the low twenties, which is why that option is the best choice.

During the final month of ripening, acidity in grapes is mainly malic acid, and it’s consumed as the berries respire. Warmer conditions speed up respiration, so malic acid is used up more quickly. When the mean temperature in that last phase rises into the low twenties Celsius, the rate of acidity loss becomes rapid. Cooler temperatures slow this process, helping keep acidity more stable. So the value that marks the onset of brisk acidity loss is the threshold in the low twenties, which is why that option is the best choice.