This book is aimed at the person with no formal scientific training, yet who is interested in the science behind wine and wants to know the mechanism behind the complex transformations that take place. Throughout it scientific terminology has been kept to a minimum and an attempt has been made to use everyday words and phrases. Indeed, there are places where the scientist might raise the eyebrows, places where perhaps science has had to give way to an easy understanding of a complex principle. For this I make no apologies, as I have put communication of ideas before correct scientific protocol, as this book is not intended as a learned treatise on winemaking.

Those who have had an education in the arts frequently find that anything scientific is difficult to assimilate. This is a particularly unfortunate in the world of wine, as this is one of the areas of interest where art and science come together. The modern winemaker, graduated from Roseworthy or Geisenheim or Bordeaux, to name but a few of the establishments offering advanced courses in scientific winemaking, must surely also be an artist. There must be an innate feeling for creating something of beauty, as a painter creates a beautiful picture, or a composer an interesting piece of music, so the great winemaker aims to create something which is much more than a mere beverage. Art and science become inextricably linked, which is but one of the reasons that wine is so fascinating. The great joy of wine appreciation is the infinite variety shown by wines around the world. This is due primarily to the fact that there is no fixed route to the production of good wine. At every stage of winemaking there is a choice and at many of these points totally opposed principles are available, resulting in infinite permutations. It is the correct choice at each stage that separates the brilliant winemaker from the merely good. This book finally came to fruition as a result of lecturing to students sitting the Diploma Examination of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, who had complained for many years that such a book did not exist. Hopefully, it will be useful for all future Diploma students, as well as those going on to studies for the Master of Wine examination. But, above all, I would hope that all lovers of wine will find something of interest, something that will enhance their enjoyment of what is to me the world's best and most healthy beverage.