Advances in the chemistry of rosé winemaking and ageing

Abstract

The market share of Rosé wine in France has grown from 11 % to 32 % over the last 20 years. Current trends are towards rosé wines of a lighter shade of pink, and where possible, containing a greater concentration in varietal thiols. Grape varieties, the soil on which they are grown, viticultural practices and winemaking technology all impact the polyphenols, color and aromas of rosé wines. To investigate the terroir effect, a study on the influence of origin of rosé wine was  performed using semi-targeted polyphenomics. 60 commercial wines from Bordeaux, Languedoc and Provence regions were used as two independent sample and data sets (30 wines each). An original LC-QTOF-MS method and a specific data analysis genetic algorithm gave good discrimination of the wines based on their origin of production [1].

Apart from the origin or terroir of the grapes, winemaking technology plays a crucial role in determining the color and aroma profile of rosé wine, including the widespread use of polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) to adjust the color and polyphenol content. The specific adsorption of coumaroylated anthocyanins was greater than that of other anthocyanins [2], and a molecular modelling approach was used to further understand this specific binding affinity. We showed that using PVPP, the thiol aroma content of rosé wine can be increased up to 200 % as compared to the control wines [3]. This might explain the increase in demand for lighter colored rosé wines over the last number of years.

When the desired color and aroma are obtained, a remaining challenge is to understand and predict the sensitivity of rosé wines to oxidation. Accelerated ageing tests based on heat and chemical oxidation are currently under investigation in our laboratory. These tests and mass spectrometry show that the anthocyanins are appropriate biomarkers of chemical ageing in rosé wines.

References

[1] Gil, M., Reynes, C., Cazals, G., Enjalbal, C., Sabatier, R., & Saucier, C. . Scientific reports. 2020, 10(1), 1-7
[2] Gil, M.,  Avila-Salas, F., Santos, L.S.,  Iturmendi, N., Moine, V ., Cheynier, V., Saucier C.  J. Agric.  Food Chem. 2017 65, 10591-10597
[3] Gil, M.,  Louazil,P., Iturmendi, N., Moine, V ., Cheynier, V., Saucier C. Food Chem. 2019, 295, 493-498