Wine is an alcoholic beverage with a sharp and delightful taste such that, once you are a diehard lover of wine, you’ll deem it hard to give up on it.
On the other hand, toasting a glass of wine with your loved ones to make merry at the end of a hectic day is something you should look forward to. Now, let’s take a deeper look at wine, find out if wine is flammable or not, and other necessary pieces of information.
What Is Wine?
When compared to strong liquors like vodka which contains primarily ethanol and water, wine is just a moderately complex alcoholic beverage. Plus, wines are made by fermenting grapes or any other fruits.
During this fermentation process, ethanol (the alcohol in alcoholic drinks) and other complex chemicals like tannins in red wines are produced. Tannins help to improve red wine’s energetic quality. Thus, the unusual strength you possess when red wine intoxicates you is all thanks to the tannins in it.
The sugars involved in fermentation also give rise to several chemicals which work together to improve the wine’s taste and flavor. Moreso, wines contain a larger amount of water and about 12% alcohol by volume, which qualifies them as “non-spirits.”
Is Wine Flammable? Will Wine catch fire?
No, wine is not a flammable drink. Unlike rum, cognac, and brandy which ignite readily, the wine will not flame up. And the reason behind this is pretty clear.
Wine contains more water than alcohol. The alcoholic strength of wine (usually about 12% to 15% ABV) is too low to catch flames. Owing to this, alcohol is non-flammable at any temperature.
Can Wine Start A Fire?
Under normal conditions, wine can not start a fire, although the alcohol in it can ignite in the presence of high heat.
However, the idea of wine catching fires is a rare occurrence. And even if it does, the fire will be short-lived as the water in the alcohol will quench the fire in a matter of seconds.
Furthermore, ensure you store wines in a well-ventilated environment to avoid a fire risk completely. This is because, without proper ventilation, wine can misbehave in some ways.
If stored in an environment with little or no ventilation, the ethanol in wines will evaporate gradually because of the poor dispersion of alcohol. And with time, the ethanol vapors can start a fire, causing severe harm.
However, note that the above scenario is a 1 in a 1000 chance of wine instigating a fire. Typically, wines will extinguish a fire rather than start it.
You must be cautious about the environment to store your wines. Here’s more reason a wine bar in your living room makes much sense.
Is Wine Combustible?
Even though wine can boil, still, it will not combust under any circumstances. This is because of its characteristic high water and low alcohol ratio. Hence, wine is both non-flammable and non-combustible.
Is Wine Flammable During Fermentation?
The simple answer is no, wine is not flammable during fermentation. Often, fermentation reduces the risk of wine catching flames.
Carbon dioxide is one byproduct of the fermentation process. Plus, carbon dioxide is an important fire extinguishing component owing to its ability to put out flames.
Thus, it is okay for wines to undergo fermentation since the process does not pose a fire hazard.
What Is The flash point Of Wine?
The flash point of alcohol is the temperature at which alcohol activates its flammability nature in the presence of sparks or naked blaze.
Pure ethanol has a flash point of about 55°F to 62°F while the flash point of hard alcohols usually falls within the range of 70°F to 80°F.
Meanwhile, research reveals that all alcohols with a flash point higher than 100°F are not flammable, while those with lower flashpoints are relatively flammable. Wine has a high flash point of 126°F, which depicts it as non-flammable alcohol.
What Are The Wines That Don’t Flame Up At All?
Some wines are not flammable at all, sparkling wines and champagne are good examples. Champagne is a kind of sparkling wine with an origin traceable to the Champagne region of France.
The Champagne province of France is about 80 miles away from the northeastern direction of Paris. The first champagne was introduced into the world of sparkling wines by Dom Perignon as far back as 1693.
Champagne is made from special grapes like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier grapes, etc. Besides, the percentage of alcohol in champagne is relatively low to start a fire or ignite when compared to alcohols and some wines. Owing to this, champagne does not flame up at all.
Can You Cook With Wine?
Sure, you can cook with wine. There are exceptional cooking wines you can add to foods. Cooking wines contain 16% alcohol by volume, which means it is not a fire risk.
Therefore, no worries, you can confidently cook with wine. You can add wine to meals in a saucepan irrespective of the cooking source (oven, stove, or electric cooker). However, there are some circumstances where it is not advisable to cook with wine, e.g., when flavoring dishes artificially with wine.
Wines add moisture and quality to meals. And asides from cooking, some alcohols also flambé or flame up your foods with wines in a sauté pan.
If you visit the restaurant often, you might have witnessed the moment chefs flambé some dishes. But note that wine will not flambé due to its low alcohol content.
Moreso, in the absence of Grand Marnier or Vodka, you can flame up your desserts perfectly with whiskey or cognac.
Final Recommendations
We hope this article answers all the inner questions you have about wines. Wines are not flammable and will quench a flame rather than start it.
If you are a fan of bright atmospheres in a dining room, your glass of wine is always safe with candlelights or even a fireplace. So, make your brunch or dinner lively with a bottle of champagne.
In case you don’t know, wines also have a wide range of benefits.
