IVAS 2022 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 IVAS 9 IVAS 2022 9 The inhibition of hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol accumulation in wine by Cu(II): The influence of temperature on the duration of protection

The inhibition of hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol accumulation in wine by Cu(II): The influence of temperature on the duration of protection

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol are recognised as two of the most significant contributors to reductive off-flavours in wine. Cu(II) in wine is known to interact with both sulfhydryl compounds, lowering the concentration of their aroma-active forms while transitioning Cu(II) to a sulfhydryl-bound form. Both hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol can form during the aging of wine in low oxygen conditions, such as during bottle aging, and
their production is known to be accelerated by wine storage temperature. Consequently, the protection offered by Cu(II) to inhibit accumulation of the reductive aroma compounds during bottle aging will be limited by the Cu(II) concentration at the bottling and of rate sulfhydryl compound formation. Although insights have been made on the typical rates of binding of Cu(II) in wines in cellar conditions (i.e., 14 °C), the impact of elevated storage
conditions is not certain, but likely to influence the duration of time that Cu(II) can inhibit reductive wine characters. This study determines the rates of Cu binding during the storage of wine at variable temperatures.

Four red and three white wines were bottled with low (< 0.2 mg/L) and high (0.6 mg/L) Cu(II) concentrations. The wines were stored at 14 °C and 40 °C and measured at 0, 1, 3, 7 and 12
months, and 0, 3, 5 and 12 days, respectively. The different forms of Cu were quantified by colorimetry for white wine, and stripping potentiometry for red wine, and enabled calculation of Cu(II) binding rates during wine aging and estimation of activation energies for binding. The formation of free and salt-releasable hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol were determined by gas chromatography with chemiluminescence detection.

The results showed that the rate of Cu(II) binding was dramatically higher at 40 °C than 14°C, with complete binding of Cu(II) in the order of 3 – 8 months and 1 – 5 days, respectively, for the wines bottled with high Cu(II). The relative order of Cu(II) binding rates amongst wines was temperature dependent, whereby Cu(II) binding rates became more uniform across wines when stored at the higher temperatures. This implied limitations in utilising high storage temperatures to predict Cu(II) binding at lower storage temperatures. The accumulation of the aroma active forms of sulfhydryl compounds, that is, the free hydrogen
sulfide and free methanethiol, only occurred after Cu(II) was converted to its bound form and then also required a further lag time. These results provide critical insights into the time-line of protection afforded to wines by Cu(II) against the emergence of reductive characters during bottle aging.

DOI:

Publication date: June 23, 2022

Issue: IVAS 2022

Type: Article

Authors

Zhang Xinyi1, Langford Kylie2 and Clark Andrew C1

1Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
2Treasury Wine Estates, 97 Sturt Highway, Nuriootpa, SA 5355, Australia

Contact the author

Keywords

Copper, reduction, hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, bottle-aging

Tags

IVAS 2022 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Grape must quality and mesoclimatic variability in Fruška Gora wine-growing region, Serbia

The Fruška Gora mountain is a traditional wine-growing region in Serbia situated in the Pannonian Basin. Due to such a position, the vicinity of the Danube River and the presence of concave configuration, it is suitable for grape production. This paper provides analyses of spatial variations in meteorological parameters and grape juice quality within Fruška Gora wine region over three consecutive vintages (2018-2020). The examined period can be defined as warm with cool nights during September (AVG 18,9°C; GDD 1918°C; CI 12°CF) and with the presence of mesoclimatic variability. The East part of the study area was somewhat drier and hotter compared to other parts of the region. The analyses of grape must samples (190 in total) of five cultivars (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Grašac (Welschriesling)) commonly grown across the region (19 sites), were performed using Fourier Transform Infrared Technology (FTIR). Among all cultivars, Sauvignon blanc was harvested first in the East area (DOY=246±5, GDD at harvest=1552±74, 22.2±0.7 °Brix), while the latest harvest was recorded for Cabernet-Sauvignon in the West (DOY=283±5, GDD at harvest=1936±187, 23.4±1.0 °Brix ). Both the red and white cultivars had higher acidity and YAN in the grape must if the vines were grown in the North and East compared to South and West areas. According to PCA analysis, Grašac showed the lowest variation in grape must chemical composition. Thus, the results confirm that Grašac is the most stable cultivar in Fruška Gora. All monitored cultivars reached technological fruit ripeness by the end of the growing season. However, it was difficult to reach full ripeness of red cultivars, mostly beacuse of uncoupling of technolocical and phenolic ripeness. Thus, Cabernet-Sauvignon had higher variations in GDD sums at harvest compared to other cultivars, which probably increased variations in grape must quality.

Rootstock regulation of scion phenotypes: the relationship between rootstock parentage and petiole mineral concentration

Grapevine is grown as a graft since the end of the 19th century. Rootstocks not only provide tolerance to Phylloxera but also ensure the supply of water and mineral nutrients to the scion. Rootstocks are an important mean of adaptation to environmental conditions, because the scion controls the typical features of the grapes and wine. However, among the large diversity of rootstocks worldwide, few of them are commercially used in the vineyard. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which rootstocks modify the mineral composition of the petioles of the scion. Vitis vinifera cvs. Cabernet-Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Syrah and Ugni blanc were grafted onto 55 different rootstock genotypes and planted in a vineyard as three replicates of 5 vines. Petioles were collected in the cluster zone with 6 replicates per combination. Petiolar concentrations of 13 mineral elements (N, P, K, S, Mg, Ca, Na, B, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu, Al) at veraison were determined. Scion, rootstock and the interaction explained the same proportion of the phenotypic variance for most mineral elements. Rootstock genotype showed a significant influence on the petiole mineral element composition. Rootstock effect explained from 7 % for Cu to 25 % for S of the variance. The difference of rootstock conferred mineral status is discussed in relation to vigor and fertility. Rootstocks were also genotyped with 23 microsatellite markers. Data were analysed according to genetic groups in order to determine whether the petiole mineral composition could be related to the genetic parentage of the rootstock. Thanks to a highly powerful design, it is the first time that such a large panel of rootstocks grafted with 4 scions has been studied. These results give the opportunity to better characterize the rootstocks and to enlarge the diversity used in the vineyard.

Analysis of Cabernet Sauvignon and Aglianico winegrape (V. vinifera L.) responses to different pedo-climatic environments in southern Italy

Water deficit is one of the most important effects of climate change able to affect agricultural sectors. In general, it determines a reduction in biomass production, and for some plants, as in the case of grapevine, it can endorse fruit quality. The monitoring and management of plant water stress in the vineyard

Legacy of land-cover changes on soil erosion and microbiology in Burgundian vineyards

Soils in vineyards are recognized as complex agrosystems whose characteristics reflect complex interactions between natural factors (lithology, climate, slope, biodiversity) and human activities. To date, most of the unknown lies in an incomplete understanding of soil ecosystems, and specifically in the microbial biodiversity even though soil microbiota is involved in many key functions, such as nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. Soil biological properties are indicative of soil quality. Therefore, understanding how soil communities are related to soil ecosystem functioning is becoming an essential issue for soil strategy conservation. Here, we propose to assess the importance of land-cover history on the present-day microbiological and physico-chemical properties. The studied area was selected in the Burgundian vineyards (Pernand-Vergelesses, Burgundy, France) where land occupation has been reconstructed over the last 40 years. Soil samples were collected in five areas reflecting various land cover history (forest, vineyards, shifting from forest to vineyards). For each area, physico-chemical parameters (pH, C, N, P, grain size) were measured and DNA was extracted to characterize the abundance and diversity of microbial communities. The obtained results show significant differences in the five areas suggesting that present-day microbial molecular biomass and bacterial taxonomic is partly inherited from past land occupation. Over longer period of time, such study of land-uses legacies may help to better assess ecosystem recovery and the impact of management practices for a better soil quality and vineyards sustainability.

Making sense of available information for climate change adaptation and building resilience into wine production systems across the world

Effects of climate change on viticulture systems and winemaking processes are being felt across the world. The IPCC 6thAssessment Report concluded widespread and rapid changes have occurred, the scale of recent changes being unprecedented over many centuries to many thousands of years. These changes will continue under all emission scenarios considered, including increases in frequency and intensity of hot extremes, heatwaves, heavy precipitation and droughts. Wine companies need tools and models allowing to peer into the future and identify the moment for intervention and measures for mitigation and/or avoidance. Previously, we presented conceptual guidelines for a 5-stage framework for defining adaptation strategies for wine businesses. That framework allows for direct comparison of different solutions to mitigate perceived climate change risks. Recent global climatic evolution and multiple reports of severe events since then (smoke taint, heatwave and droughts, frost, hail and floods, rising sea levels) imply urgency in providing effective tools to tackle the multiple perceived risks. A coordinated drive towards a higher level of resilience is therefore required. Recent publications such as the Australian Wine Future Climate Atlas and results from projects such as H2020 MED-GOLD inform on expected climate change impacts to the wine sector, foreseeing the climate to expect at regional and vineyard scale in coming decades. We present examples of practical application of the Climate Change Adaptation Framework (CCAF) to impacts affecting wine production in two wine regions: Barossa (Australia) and Douro (Portugal). We demonstrate feasibility of the framework for climate adaptation from available data and tools to estimate historical climate-induced profitability loss, to project it in the future and to identify critical moments when disruptions may occur if timely measures are not implemented. Finally, we discuss adaptation measures and respective timeframes for successful mitigation of disruptive risk while enhancing resilience of wine systems.