Resins

resins, used in winemaking are natural or synthetic materials usually composed of long chains of simpler molecules that are capable of polymerizing. Gum acacia is a natural resin used to stabilize the pigments in red wine. Another natural resin is Aleppo pine resin, which is used in the preparation of retsina.

Synthetic resins, manufactured by polymerization processes, have several uses in winemaking. One of the commonest is epoxy resin, which can be used in the form of a two-part paint for coating the inside of concrete vats, producing an inert and easily cleaned surface. Epoxy-resin compounds are also used for surfacing floors in wineries and bottling halls, being much more resistant than concrete to the acids in wine.