Mega Purple in Your Wine

 Wine, it's just grapes, right? Okay, some know water can be added along with things like tannins, acids, and sugar. And, of course, there's  the influence of oak barrels. Other additives are used, usually to fix a flaw, but not all of it is there to make your wine taste better.

Introducing a wine juice concentrate called Mega Purple.

 Mega Purple is a color additive. If a red wine looks too pale it's kind of unappetizing. Added Mega Purple gives it a dark, rich, luscious look. But looks can be deceiving.

Where are you likely to run across Mega Purple? Inexpensive reds and even some higher-priced pale wines like Pinot Noir. Some winemakers have been known to add a little Syrah or Petite Sirah, a couple of very dark wines, to their Pinot to darken the color while others take the cheap, easy route.

So what's the issue? Mega Purple changes the aroma of the wine plus adds a bit of sweetness. I suppose in some really cheap and not so good quality wines this can be beneficial. On a wine that already has varietal character, that is, it already tastes like Pinot or Merlot, Mega Purple will change that by adding its own aromas and flavors. Mega Purple is why so many cheap red wines taste so similar. Unfortunately, I've noticed some Pinot Noirs tasting alike and not really smelling like Pinot.

So why use it on the better wines? It's relatively inexpensive, but mostly it's easier to acquire instead of going out into the grape market trying to find a little Petite Sirah.

Winemakers know this stuff is uncool in marketing their wine. Good luck finding one to admit to using Mega Purple on their moderate or higher-priced wines.

Wine critic Dan Berger on Mega Purple: YouTube video