Raed Dweik, in Breathborne Biomarkers and the Human Volatilome (Second Edition), 2020 9.2.4 Methanol The concentration of ethanol and other flavor compounds achieved with distillation augments the methanol content of the distillate.ĭavid Smith. Adding distilled spirits to a wine also may slightly increase the methanol content. Pectolytic enzymes, added to juice or wine to aid clarification, can inadvertently increase the methanol content. As a result, wine generally has the lowest methanol content of any fermented beverage. Unlike most fruits, grapes are low in pectin. Thus, the methanol content of fermented beverages is primarily a function of the pectin content of the substrate. After degradation, methyl groups associated with pectin are released as methanol. The limited amount of methanol found in wine is primarily generated from the enzymatic breakdown of pectins. Methanol never accumulates to toxic levels under legitimate winemaking procedures. One of the first targets of formaldehyde toxicity is the optic nerve, causing blindness. Both metabolites are toxic to the central nervous system. The concern occasionally about methanol relates to its metabolism to formaldehyde and formic acid. Of the over 160 esters found in wine, few are associated with methanol. Within the usual range found in wine (0.1–0.2 g/liter), methanol has no direct sensory effect. Methanol is not a major constituent in wines. Jackson PhD, in Wine Science (Third Edition), 2008 METHANOL

Methanol molecule diameter