Home › Glossary › Letter D

Deacidification

Viniculture
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The reduction of excessive acidity in must or wine by chemical or biological means.

Detailed Definition
Deacidification may use approved additives or encourage processes that soften sharp acids, bringing a wine toward balance. Its poetic resonance lies in moderation rather than erasure: the aim is not to silence the wine but to keep brightness from becoming harshness. A poem may treat the process as a lesson in mercy, where a severe voice is tempered without losing its edge, history, or capacity to awaken the tongue.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Deacidification softened the wine’s fierce green bite,” uses the term for reducing acidity to improve balance; “After deacidification, the red no longer clenched the tongue”; A poet could make the process a metaphor for mercy tempering judgment; “Deacidification turned a sharp sentence into a more generous line.”
Additional Notes
Deacidification lowers acidity when must or wine is excessively tart or has an imbalanced pH. Winemakers may use calcium carbonate, potassium compounds, or malolactic fermentation, which converts sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid. The treatment can affect flavor, stability, and microbial balance.
Also Known As
Acid Reduction Deacidizing
Skip to main content