wein.plus
Attention
You are using an old browser that may not function as expected.
For a better, safer browsing experience, please upgrade your browser.

Log in Become a Member

UV light

Electromagnetic radiation invisible to humans with wavelengths shorter than "normal" and visible light and beyond the violet. Ultraviolet radiation causes chemical reactions in many substances. It is also involved in the formation of ozone in the atmosphere. In living organisms, prolonged exposure can lead to harmful changes and mutations. Due to its physical and biological properties, UV radiation is further subdivided into UV-A radiation (wavelength 400 - 315 nm), UV-B radiation (315 - 280 nm) and UV-C radiation (280 - 100 nm). UV-A radiation directly adjoins visible light. UV-C radiation borders directly on the range of ionising radiation. The shorter the wavelength, the more energetic the radiation and the more damaging it is. The Italian pomologist Alberto Piròvano (1884-1973) experimented with irradiating grapevine cultivation material with UV light as early as 1912 in order to deliberately induce changes in the cell material.

UV-Licht - Tabelle

Various plants as well as the vine form phytoalexins such as resveratrol as a defence mechanism against UV light, which is contained in higher quantities especially in dark grapes. Vineyards at high altitudes are exposed to more UV light. This can positively enhance the colour in red wines. Due to the influence of UV rays, the wine defect Käseln (light taste) can be caused in bottles that are not stored under darkness. Therefore, mainly bottles with dark bottle colour (brown, green, black) are used. Meanwhile, UV-C radiation is used in the fight against viruses and other microorganisms such as fungi (for example mildew). See Robots in viticulture.

Graphic: by Horst Frank / Phrood / Anony - Horst Frank,
Jailbird and Phrood, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Voices of our members

Andreas Essl

The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.

Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena

The world's largest Lexicon of wine terms.

0 Keywords · 0 Synonyms · 0 Translations · 0 Pronunciations · 0 Cross-references
made with by our author Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer. About the Lexicon

EVENTS NEAR YOU

PREMIUM PARTNERS