(Redorbit) - The winemaking process might seem as simple as smashing up a few grapes, but commercial wineries add any number of additional ingredients to their products in order to bring out certain notes or textures.

These additives can make a great difference among wines made from the same grape and, according to a new study in the journal Analytical Chemistry Research, the difference can be so great, winemakers should list their ingredients on each bottle to let consumers know what they can expect.

In the study, researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland reviewed the chemical profiles of eight pinot noir wines from several winemaking regions around the world, including regions in the US, France, New Zealand and Chile. The researchers learned that each wine had a distinct profile, impacted by the operations and additives utilized to make it.

“We’re interested in winemaking processes and wanted to compare them by looking at high quality wines,” said study author Heli Sirén, an analytical chemist from the University of Helsinki. “Pinot Noir crops are demanding to harvest – the yield differs depending on the year. All the winemakers that produce Pinot Noir start with the same thing – grapes – and end up with very different products. We wanted to find out what causes those differences.”

A need for more specific labels

The study team said that by exploring the acids used in the pinot noir process, they could ascertain which sugars had been included during production. The team said they could also find out if sulfur dioxide was added to keep the wine from oxidizing.

Through their analysis, the team was able to determine which process was used to ferment the wine: natural fermentation, biodynamic fermentation, micro-oxygenation or cold fermentation. The team also saw that wines with the lowest acid levels were made with the newer processes: biodynamic and micro-oxygenation fermentation.

“When I pick up a bottle of wine I would like to drink, I first like to read what it contains. The alcohol content is already on the label, but it might also be helpful if there was information on the sugar, organic acid and mineral content,” Sirén said.