What is chaptalization?
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Answer: Traditionally used by winemakers in France, chaptalization involves the addition of sugar to grape juice or must before or during fermentation in order to bolster the alcoholic strength of a wine. The term derives from Jean-Antoine Chaptal, Napoleon's minister of agriculture, who encouraged the practice. Chaptalization is mainly practiced in cool wine regions, or in poor years when grapes have a low natural sugar content. It is frequently used in Bordeaux and Burgundy in France, as well as Oregon and New York, butit has been outlawed in California and Italy.
