Port wine chemistry: Types, colours, ageing and flavours

Infographic on the chemistry of port. There are several different types of port: ruby port is aged for a short time in oak vats; tawny port is aged in oak barrels for longer periods; rosé port is a newer style of port made with minimal contact with grape skins; and white port is made from white grapes. The colour of port is caused by anthocyanins found in grape skins. As ports age, anthocyanins form pyranoanthocyanins and polymeric pigments, leading to a change towards an orange hue. Sotolon is a key odour molecule in aged port, and its concentration correlates with the length of aging. Barrel-aged ports gain some compounds from barrel wood which also contribute to favour and aroma.
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Port’s often relegated to the festive period, and forgotten about for the rest of the year (at least, in the UK). This is a shame as if you look beyond the standard ruby port, there are several other delicious types, particularly the varieties that are aged for longer periods of time. There’s also some interesting chemistry behind these varieties and how they transform during ageing.

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What is swimwear made of and why can it fade and stretch? – in C&EN

Promo image for graphic on C&EN site, titled 'the materials science of swimwear' and featuring images of swimming trunks, water and sun. Full graphic is available at the click-through link with full alt-text
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Hitting the swimming pool this summer? Swimwear relies on a range of materials to keep you comfortable and prevent it from breaking down. This edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN looks at what swimsuits are made of, and how a little chemistry knowledge goes a long way when it comes to keeping them in good shape and stopping their materials from fading and stretching.

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Six surprising side effects of medicines – in C&EN

Click to view the full graphic on the C&EN site

This month’s edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN comes off of the back of my ending up on tetracyclines for a chest infection a month or so ago. This alerted me to their ability to make the skin of people taking them more sensitive to sunlight. It turns out that there are a number of odd and unexpected side effects of medications people take for a variety of conditions, so this graphic rounds up some of the oddest I came across. View the full graphic on the C&EN site.

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