Why Egg Whites Are Used to Make Wine

Did you know that egg whites play quite an important role in the making of red wine? They work as a fining agent. Interested in finding out more? Read on to find out why and how egg whites are used to help make wine!

Most of us expect that when we pour a glass of wine it will be clear and bright. Unfortunately when a wine finishes fermenting it is far from so. It is cloudy and hazy with suspended particles of dead yeast cells, fragments of grape pulp, skins and stems, tartrates and colloids (tannins, proteins and phenolic particles).

To render a wine clear and free of suspended particles, it is clarified. Most wines, if left long enough will self-clarify by gravity and the particles that fall to the bottom can be siphoned off. However, in the interests of efficiency and in getting the wine to market in a timely manner, most winemakers help the process along, by using a variety of aids such as fining agents.

Egg whites, or albumen, is one such fining agent used to clarify red wines. Egg whites are particularly good for removing tannin particles, especially green or harsh tannins, rendering the wine more round and soft in texture. Depending on the size of the egg it takes between 3 and 8 egg whites to fine a 225 L barrel (barrique) of red wine.

That leaves a lot of egg yolks doesn't it? You often find that eggy desserts or cakes are traditional or customary in regions noted for red wine production. For example let's take Bordeaux, where you can find 'canels' everywhere. These are small cylindrical custard type cakes with a dark caramelized crust. These are delicious with your morning or afternoon coffee if you like eggy things.

It is important to point out that fining agents are not wine additives and typically precipitate out with the hazy molecules during fining.

Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW (Master of Wine), is a New York based wine educator, freelance writer and consultant.

Related: Discovering Vegan Wine: What! Isn't All Wine Vegan?

(Images: Laborant/Shutterstock; antos777/Shutterstock)

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The Perfect Egg

In case you haven't noticed, it's Egg Week here at The Kitchn. There are plenty of egg projects I'd love to share with you scrambling an ostrich egg, making my beloved rye sours with leftover egg whites but instead I want to talk about the perfection of an egg.

I'll take eggs in most forms, but to me it's a soft boiled egg six minutes that makes the best breakfast. My perfect egg has no runny whites and a yolk that is on the brink of setting, but hasn't yet. A pinch of flakey sea salt, a few cranks of the pepper mill, a small silver spoon, and a chipped porcelain egg cup. That's all I need.

I've been eating them this way all my life. I grew up having a soft boiled egg scooped out over torn-up wheat toast almost every morning before school. In college, I learned to make them in my dorm room, carefully navigating an electric gadget meant only for tea and Top Ramen noodles, boiling the egg in a cramped mug right there in the middle of my open books and scrawled notes.

In England I discovered the more composed version of my childhood breakfast called Egg and Soldiers; the top of the egg surgically removed with a special instrument and served with razor-straight strips of crust-less white toast for dipping pinky lifted as if to sip tea into the waiting yolk. Voyaging through Southeast Asia I found soft boiled eggs served boldly alongside soups and noodles, and I fell in love with the way these dishes made breakfast crash violently into lunch and dinner, decorated with chili flakes, fish sauce, and fried slices of garlic.

My girl starts kindergarten on Monday, and so does the ritual and tradition of sending her off with what's now her favorite breakfast, her "yolky egg," and I will join her.

Tell us about your perfect egg.

The Perfect Soft-Boiled Egg

1 large organic egg
salt
pepper

Have a timer set for six minutes but do not start it. Fill a small but deep-sided saucepan with about four inches of water. Bring it to a boil then lower the heat so that the water simmers gently. Lower in the egg. Start the timer. After six minutes remove the egg and run it under a cold tap for 15 second. Place in an egg cup and slice off the top third. Season with salt and pepper.

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Have Hard Boiled Egg Leftovers? Try Freezing Them!

I've been focused on high-protein snacks lately, and a tried-and-true taste is a hard boiled egg. I love them dearly and usually boil a full dozen at a go. Some weeks I eat them all and some weeks I turn to the freezer for help!

Although egg whites don't take too kindly to freezing (they will leak water and turn funny colors), the yolks are perfect for freezing. To try, simply cut your egg in half, discard or eat the whites, and then toss your yolks in a zip top bag. Freeze and thaw when needed.

They can be great additions to deviled eggs when you want a little extra filling. You can also crumble them on salads, in wraps or on sandwiches.

Related: How To Hard-Boil an Egg

(Image: Flickr member Andrea_Nguyen licensed for use by Creative Commons)

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