Influence of wine-making protocol and fining agents on the evolution of the anthocyanin content,colour and general organoleptic quality of Vinhão wines

This paper reports the evolution, over two years, of the anthocyanin content, colour and organoleptic quality of red wines prepared from a single batch of Vinhão grapes by means of three different protocols (maceration/fermentation with conventional pumping-over or in rotary vats, and fermentation after initial carbonic maceration), with and without the use of four different fining agents (polyvinylpolypyrrolidine, gelatin, egg albumin, and casein). Carbonic maceration led to lower anthocyanin levels and less intense coloration than the other two methods immediately following vinification, but during storage the carbonic maceration wines underwent less colour degradation than the others, so that after two years the colour density differences among the three were negligible. Wines treated with fining agents tended to have somewhat lower anthocyanin levels and, especially in the case of PVPP, less intense colouration than untreated wines, and their colour was at best only marginally more stable during storage, but they nevertheless generally achieved higher panel ratings for organoleptic quality than untreated wines, especially as regards taste.     

Phenolic compounds and colour stability of Vinhão wines: Influence of wine-making protocol and fining agents

The purpose of this work is to study the evolution, over three selected harvests, of phenolic compounds and colour stability of red wines produced in the north of Portugal by means of two wine-making processes (conventional maceration/fermentation and fermentation after initial carbonic maceration), with and without the use of four different fining agents (polyvinylpolypyrrolidine, gelatine, egg albumin, and casein). In general, it was observed that wines obtained by conventional maceration/fermentation (PO) present the highest colour intensity and polyphenolic content (total and monomeric anthocyanins, flavan-3-ol monomers and polymers), and the lowest orange–red hue, immediately following vinification. Nevertheless, carbonic maceration (CM) afforded wines with most stability in colour density, for 26 months’ storage. Different evolutions of anthocyanins and of flavan-3-ol monomers (catechins) and polymers (procyanidins) in PO and CM protocols during storage were observed. Decrease of anthocyanins and flavan-3-ol dimmers were, in general, more remarkable in PO wines. Monomers and trimers underwent a rise, especially in CM wines. Wines treated with fining agents tended to have somewhat lower anthocyanins levels, and especially in the case of PVPP, less intense colouration than untreated wines. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that catechins and some procyanidins are mainly responsible for the separation and evolution of wines during storage according polyphenolic composition. Partial least squares (PLS) regression models confirm that colour density in wines from PO and CM protocols explains a high proportion of the variance in hue, chemical age, IFC and anthocyanins and a prediction model has been built.     

Influence of prefermentative maceration temperature on the colour and the phenolic and volatile composition of rosé wines

Prefermentative maceration for 8 h at 5, 10 and 15 °C was used to make rosé wines, and changes in their colour (colour intensity (CI), tone and CIELAB parameters), phenolic compounds (classic indices and individual compounds) and volatile compounds (major and minor) were monitored from the must stage to wines until 6 months after bottling. The 15 °C maceration temperature provided wines with the highest CI, a* and C* values, the greatest malvidin‐3‐glucoside content and the lowest alcohol and ethyl acetate levels. Only in these wines were terpenols released after 6 months in the bottle. The wines produced at 5 °C had the highest ester levels, which also remained more stable during storage. When using maceration temperature as the differentiating variable in a discriminant analysis, volatile compounds were important contributors. However, colour and phenolic compound parameters were important when sampling time was used as the differentiating variable. The best scoring wines in an informal sensory evaluation test were those subjected to 15 °C maceration, while the least appreciated were those macerated at 5 °C. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of the time of cold maceration on the evolution of phenolic compounds and colour of Syrah wines elaborated in warm climate

The effect of different cold maceration times on Syrah red wines from warm climate has been evaluated. Differential colorimetry and tristimulus colorimetry were applied to colour data at different points of the vinification stage. Virtually, all the phenolic compounds showed significantly higher content in cold macerated wines, even more when longer contact time was used. Long cold macerated (LCM) wines had the significantly (P < 0.05) highest chroma values (C*_ab) and lowest of lightness (L*) and hue (h_ab). Unexpectedly, wines submitted to short‐time cold maceration (SCM) presented the lowest chroma values, even significantly inferior to that observed in traditional macerated (TM) wines. Moreover, colour changes (ΔE*_ab) between TM and SCM were mainly quantitative (%Δ²L and %Δ²C), whereas they were also qualitative when compared TM with LCM (%Δ²C and %Δ²H). Cold maceration in warm climates characterised by common colour losses must be carefully employed because undesirable consequences on colour may occur.     

Comparative study of browning and flavan‐3‐ols during the storage of white sherry wines treated with different fining agents

White sherry wines were treated with three fining agents (activated charcoal, PVPP and Riduxhigh), in addition to an initial treatment with casein and bentonite, in four different combinations. The wines were stored at 20 or 30 °C for 1 year with a view to examining changes in their flavan‐3‐ol fraction and differences in their degree of sensitivity to browning. Flavan‐3‐ol monomers and dimers, as well as browning measured as absorbance at 420 nm, increased during storage in all the wines. After this period the wines treated with fining agents containing activated charcoal, PVPP and Riduxhigh exhibited less marked browning, with no significant differences among them at both 20 and 30 °C. However, taking into account the higher initial colour of bottled wines treated with Riduxhigh in relation to those treated with activated charcoal or PVPP, this fining agent showed higher capacity to control browning. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of sulphur dioxide and must extraction on colour,phenolic composition and sensory quality of red table wine

Red wines were made during 1992 from Vitis vinifera var Roriz grapes using a high and a low level of extraction and three levels of total sulphur dioxide (0, 75 and 150 mg SO₂ kg⁻¹). From this single experiment, the effects of total SO₂ and extraction on anthocyanin composition and colour were observed by HPLC, spectrophotometry and tristimulus colorimetry. High extraction produced a wine with more total pigments and total phenols than low extraction and increased the amount of organic acids extracted during fermentation. More anthocyanins were extracted with increasing SO₂ levels. On maturation, all wines lost colour and increased in brownness. Wines made without SO₂ browned more than the wines made with SO₂. The anthocyanins normally present in wines were all rapidly lost to trace levels at 24 months. Vitisin A, a more stable and highly coloured anthocyanin than malvidin 3-glucoside, showed a slower decrease in concentration than malvidin 3-glucoside and contributed significantly to the wine colour during aging. At the first analysis, the wines made without SO₂ had a higher percentage colour due to polymers than the wines made with SO₂. Polymerisation progressed during maturation, although the initial differences were maintained. Sensory analysis after 6 and 18 months storage by expert tasters revealed differences mainly related to the colour attributes, indicating that when wines are made using modern hygienic techniques, total SO₂ has a negligible effect on aroma and flavour attributes. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry.     

Effect of high pressure treatments on the physicochemical properties of a sulphur dioxide-free red wine

The application of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) in winemaking for substitution of the use of sulphur dioxide is still at a very early stage of development, since knowledge about the effect on physicochemical and sensorial characteristics of the wine during storage is very scarce. In this work, the evolution of colour, antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds of SO₂-free red wines treated by HHP and aged in bottles was followed for 12 months. The pressurised wines were compared with wine samples prepared with addition of 40 ppm of SO₂ and without any of these two treatments. After 12 months, the pressurised wines presented higher values of CIELab parameters (a^∗, b^∗, and L^∗) and a lower monomeric anthocyanin content (45–61%) when compared to the unpressurised ones. The pressurised wines showed also a better global sensorial assessment, with the pressure treatments imparting aged-like characteristics to the wines. The wine deposits of pressurised wines had higher total phenolic content, namely proanthocyanidins (3- to 10-fold). The results demonstrate that HHP can influence long term red wine physicochemical and sensorial characteristics, hypothesised to be due to an increase of condensation reactions of phenolic compounds, forming compounds with higher degree of polymerisation that became insoluble in wine along storage.     

Effects of pH,sulphur dioxide,alcohol content,temperature and storage time on colour composition of a young Portuguese red table wine

In a young Portuguese red table wine (Douro Valley) a significant relationship between the colour composition (anthocyanins, polymeric pigment, colour density) and five parameters (pH, SO₂, alcohol, temperature, time of storage) were found. Higher temperature increased the loss of individual and total anthocyanins (as measured fay HPLC) during the ageing, while the wines with higher SO₂ content contained a greater amount of anthocyanins. Malvidin 3-glucoside acetate was the only anthocyanin not affected by the SO₂ content, but its concentration was related with the interaction term (time of storage × SO₂ content). Peonidin and malvidin 3-glucoside-p-coumarate were the two anthocyanins affected by the quadratic term of temperature. Three different groups of equations corresponding to the three different states of the glucoside moiety were found. The polymeric pigment absorbance increases daring conservation and with higher temperature, while the pH and SO₂ content decreased the polymeric pigment formation. The colour density of the experimental wine was related significantly to the changes of the coloured anthocyanins and to the polymeric pigment content.     

Effect of a cold‐active pectinolytic system on colour development of Malbec red wines elaborated at low temperature

The effect of a new cold‐active pectinolytic system on colour of Malbec wines was studied under the following winemaking conditions: (i) fermentation at low temperature (20 °C) and (ii) prefermentative cold maceration (PCM) (5 °C–7 days) followed by traditional fermentation (28 °C). The pectinolytic system was mainly composed of polymethylgalacturonase and pectin lyase activities, detected under similar conditions to those in winemaking (pH 3.6–20 °C). The results show that the enzyme system significantly accelerated colour extraction by reducing the maceration time necessary for vinification at low temperature and shortening the PCM stage. Enzyme‐treated wines exhibited better chromatic parameters than their controls at devatting and after 6 months of storage. The cold‐active enzyme compensated the decrease in colour extraction due to the low maceration temperature, achieving high‐quality wines with chromatic characteristics similar to those of traditional wines.     

Spectral evaluation of young red wines: Anthocyanin equilibria,total phenolics,free and molecular SO2, “chemical age”

Red wine colour is an integration of contributions from monomeric anthocyanins and polymeric pigment forms. Because of gross differences between the two fractions in their responses to pH change and to SO₂ addition, approximate measures of the states of anthocyanin equilibria in young red wines can be routinely made. Recent correlations of such measures with independent assessments of relative wine quality have prompted further examination and development of the original analytical concepts. The equilibria may be described in terms of two percentage parameters α and α ', the values of which are related to wine pH and to SO₂ added after fermentation. Measures of free SO₂ and also molecular SO₂, anthocyanin content and total phenolics are obtained from the same set of spectral data. The interpretations are based upon a number of analytical premises for which certain approximations have been necessary. These appear to be well justified in comparative evaluations because of the wide range of parameter values observed in surveys of current vintage wines. Observations of ageing changes in the composition of wine colour, with proposed spectral indices of “chemical age”, are also presented.     

Changes in Chemical and Microbial Qualities of Dried Apricots Containing Sulphur Dioxide at Different Levels During Storage

Effects of different sulphur dioxide (SO₂) concentrations (188, 452, 791, 1,034, 1,236, 2,899 and 3,864 mg SO₂ kg^?1) and storage temperatures (5, 10, 20 and 30 °C) on the physical, chemical and microbial qualities of sulphited-dried apricots (SDAs) were evaluated. Analysis of kinetic data suggested first-order models for losses of moisture and SO₂ and formation of brown colour. Strong correlations were found between SO₂ concentrations and moisture loss constants (r?=??0.943), and brown colour values (r?=?0.949). β-carotene contents in SDA samples ranged from 26.6 to 36.2 mg 100 g^?1 dry weight, depending on SO₂ content of dried apricots. The SO₂ concentration over 791 mg per kg of dried apricots effectively protected carotenoids in dried apricots during drying. While storage times had significant effect on β-carotene contents, storage temperatures did not have such effects. The number of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria in all SDA samples ranged from 8.20?×?10¹ to 1.84?×?10² CFU g^?1. The number of total psychrophilic aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, yeast and mould, xerophilic mould, Staphylococcus spp. and total Enterobacteriaceae were below the detection limits (<4 CFU g^?1) in samples containing SO₂ even at the lowest level (188 mg SO₂ kg^–1) throughout the storage. Regardless of SO₂ concentration in dried apricots, low storage temperatures (below 20 °C) should be preferred to prevent the characteristic golden yellow colours of dried apricots.     

Effect of storage conditions on the volatile composition of wines obtained from must stabilized by PEF during ageing without SO2

The aim of this work was to study the effect of the storage conditions on the evolution of volatile composition of white wines aged in bottles without the addition of SO₂. Therefore Parellada must was stabilized by pulsed electric fields (PEF) and fermented without the employment of SO₂ and later on the wine was aged in bottles, without addition of this preservative, at low and controlled temperature and at room temperature. The obtained results showed that the concentration of some important compounds for wine aroma such as isoamyl acetate, and ethyl esters of fatty acids was higher in the wines stored at low and controlled temperature than in those aged at room temperature. However, the temperature favoured the formation of total alcohols during the aging of wines in the bottles. Consequently, from the point of view of the aromatic quality, the conservation of white wines obtained from fermentation of must processed by PEF and aged in bottles without the addition of SO₂ was improved under controlled storage conditions than at room temperature.

Industrial relevance

SO₂ is used as a preservative agent in wine due to its multi-action in the wine conservation. Although neither carcinogenicity nor mutagenic effects have been found in SO₂, this compound has an influence on human health. For that reason, several competent international organizations (WHO, FAO, OIV) have set down maximum limits for wines as well as promote a reduction of its concentration in wines. Therefore, potential industrial applications of this work include the possibility to produce and store wines without SO₂. This has been achieved by stabilizing the musts with PEF. The wines produced under these conditions can be conserved without this additive when used under controlled conditions of storage.     

Influence of some technological practices on the quantity of resveratrol in wine

A study of the effects of some prefermentative and fining practices on the resveratrol concentration in wine was carried out. The trans- and cis-resveratrol contents in a red wine obtained using must hyperoxidation were reduced to about 50% compared with those of control wines; this decrease was greater than that observed for total phenols and catechins. In contrast, sparging the red grapes with SO₂ and ascorbic acid before crushing them resulted in the trans-resveratrol concentration being greater than that of the control wines. Moreover the amounts of trans- and cis-resveratrol in commercial and synthetic wines were determined before and after addition of charcol, polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP), bentonite, casein, gelatine, and two inert materials, cellulose and diatomaceous earth (kieselgur), used as a filter aid. The results showed that PVPP, charcoal and casein were more effective at removing trans- and cis-resveratrol both in synthetic wine and in commercial wines. In all the wines tested the other fining agents gave a limited decrease (2?–?5%) of trans- and cis-resveratrol. After charcoal and PVPP treatments, significant correlations were observed between the percentage of residual resveratrol and the total phenols in the wines.     

Influence of skin maceration time on the proanthocyanidin content of red wines

This paper studies the influence of different maceration times (5, 10 and 20?days) during the elaboration of Monastrell, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon wines on the proanthocyanidin composition and sensory characteristics of the resulting wines. Significant differences were found between wines elaborated with different maceration times. The different maceration times affected the qualitative and quantitative proanthocyanidin composition of the resulting wines, the total proanthocyanidin content increasing with the maceration time. The percentage of skin-derived proanthocyanidins was always higher than that of seed-derived proanthocyanidins for all the maceration time assayed, although the contribution of seed proanthocyanidins to wine composition increased for the longest maceration time. However, the study also shows that differences exist between wines elaborated with the same maceration time but with different varieties, indicating the importance of two factors, the initial concentration of grape phenolic compounds and their extractability, on the final concentration of wine proanthocyanidins. In this way, the wines obtained from Syrah had the highest proanthocyanidin content compared with the corresponding wines from Cabernet Sauvignon or Monastrell, even though Syrah grapes presented the lowest proanthocyanidin content in skins and similar seed proanthocyanidin content to Cabernet and Monastrell grapes.     

Effect of the Winemaking Practices and Aging on Phenolic Content of Smederevka and Chardonnay Wines

Changes of the polyphenolic content, including total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), and total flavan-3-ols (TF_3-ols) determined by spectrophotometric methods, have been studied in Macedonian white wines from Vitis vinifera L. cv, Smederevka and Chardonnay, obtained under different vinifications and analyzed during 16 months of aging in bottles. Winemaking treatments for both varieties included an addition of two doses of SO₂ (50 and 100 mg/L) and two commercial yeasts for fermentation, Vinalco and Levuline, both Saccharomyces cerevisiae species, in order to study the influence of SO₂ and yeasts on the phenolic content of the wines. Comparing the two varieties, Chardonnay wines contained higher levels of total phenolics, flavonoids, and flavan-3-ols, probably as a result of the cultivar differences. Sulfur dioxide protected the phenolic oxidation, resulting in higher phenolic content in the wines with higher SO₂ dose, while the yeast did not show significant influence on the total phenolics. During aging, the TP, TF, and TF_3-ols in the wines from both varieties decreased significantly up to the second month of storage and remained stable till the sixth month. The Student–Newman–Keuls test has been applied to ascertain possible significant differences between the studied wines, and a principal component analysis has been employed, showing separation and grouping of the wines according to the cultivar and time of aging.     

Polyphenolic content of Vranec wines produced by different vinification conditions

Macedonian Vranec wines were analysed by HPLC coupled with DAD and MS detections and by spectrophotometric methods. ESI-IT MS and MS–MS methods with alternating ionisation polarity were used for identification of the phenolic compounds. Both, nonflavonoids (stilbens, hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives) and flavonoids (flavonols, flavan-3-ols and anthocyanins) were detected in the samples. Vranec wines were produced under different fermentation conditions: maceration time of 3, 6 and 10 days, two doses of SO₂ (30 and 70 mg l⁻¹) and two yeasts for fermentation, in order to examine their effects on the extraction of phenolic compounds from grapes into the wine.     

Effect of the prefermentative addition of copigments on the polyphenolic composition of Tempranillo wines after malolactic fermentation

The influence of the prefermentative addition of copigments and different winemaking technologies on the polyphenolic composition of Tempranillo red wines after malolactic fermentation was studied. Six experiments dealing with the prefermentative addition of caffeic acid, rutin, (+) catechin, white grape skin tannin, white grape seed tannin and control wines were realised. Three different winemaking technologies (traditional vinification, prefermentative cold maceration at 6–8 °C and cold soak at 0–2 °C with dry ice) were studied. Prefermentative addition of copigments increases anthocyanin copigmentation reactions and produces wines with a greater colour, a higher anthocyanin concentration, a superior contribution of anthocyanins to the colour of the wine, a superior percentage of tannins polymerised with polysaccharides and less astringency. Cold prefermentative maceration increases the extraction of polyphenols, the anthocyanin copigmentation reactions and the polymerisation reactions between tannins and polysaccharides. The effectiveness of the combination of copigments and prefermentative maceration treatments was demonstrated by the increase of the concentration of the polyphenolic compounds.     

Anthocyanin profile of young red wines of Tannat,Syrah and Merlot made using maceration enzymes and cold soak

Anthocyanins are the main pigments of young red wines. The aim of this work was to evaluate the anthocyanin composition of red wines produced by alternative procedures of winemaking and different grape varieties. For this purpose, wines of Tannat, Syrah and Merlot were made by traditional maceration (TM), addition of maceration enzymes (ENZ) and cold soak (CS). Syrah wines had the highest proportions of malvidin (86.0 ± 1.0) and peonidin (5.5 ± 0.4), while Tannat wines had the highest of delphinidin (6.9 ± 0.8), petunidin (13.2 ± 0.6) and nonacylated glucosides (73.6 ± 0.6). Cold soak increased the anthocyanins contents in Tannat and Merlot wines. In turn, maceration enzymes affect the anthocyanin profile and the stability of the colour of wines. Discriminant analysis of data showed significant separation of the wines of each variety as the anthocyanin profile showed the varietal fingerprint, despite the different winemaking procedures.     

Influence of some technological practices on the quantity of resveratrol in wine

 A study of the effects of some prefermentative and fining practices on the resveratrol concentration in wine was carried out. The trans- and cis-resveratrol contents in a red wine obtained using must hyperoxidation were reduced to about 50% compared with those of control wines; this decrease was greater than that observed for total phenols and catechins. In contrast, sparging the red grapes with SO₂ and ascorbic acid before crushing them resulted in the trans-resveratrol concentration being greater than that of the control wines. Moreover the amounts of trans- and cis-resveratrol in commercial and synthetic wines were determined before and after addition of charcol, polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP), bentonite, casein, gelatine, and two inert materials, cellulose and diatomaceous earth (kieselgur), used as a filter aid. The results showed that PVPP, charcoal and casein were more effective at removing trans- and cis-resveratrol both in synthetic wine and in commercial wines. In all the wines tested the other fining agents gave a limited decrease (2 – 5%) of trans- and cis-resveratrol. After charcoal and PVPP treatments, significant correlations were observed between the percentage of residual resveratrol and the total phenols in the wines. Received: 16 June 1997