Book excerpt: Wine chemistry inspires and challenges with its complexity, and while this is intriguing, it can also be a barrier to further understanding. The topic is demystified in Understanding Wine Chemistry, Special Mention awardee in the 2018 OIV awards, which explains the important chemistry of wine at the level of university education, and provides an accessible reference text for scientists and scientifically trained winemakers alike. Understanding Wine Chemistry: Summarizes the compounds found in wine, their basic chemical properties and their contribution to wine stability and sensory properties Focuses on chemical and biochemical reaction mechanisms that are critical to wine production processes such as fermentation, aging, physiochemical separations and additions Includes case studies showing how chemistry can be harnessed to enhance wine color, aroma, flavor, balance, stability and quality. This descriptive text provides an overview of wine components and explains the key chemical reactions they undergo, such as those controlling the transformation of grape components, those that arise during fermentation, and the evolution of wine flavor and color. The book aims to guide the reader, who perhaps only has a basic knowledge of chemistry, to rationally explain or predict the outcomes of chemical reactions that contribute to the diversity observed among wines. This will help students, winemakers and other interested individuals to anticipate the effects of wine treatments and processes, or interpret experimental results based on an understanding of the major chemical reactions that can occur in wine.