Amphora Wines: To Pitch Or Not To Pitch

The Spotted lanternfly (SLF), first detected in the U.S. in 2014, is an invasive phloem-feeding planthopper that poses a growing threat to grape and wine production in the U.S. In Pennsylvania, where it was first detected, reductions in grapevine production and fruit quality have been reported by commercial growers. Recent advances have begun to elucidate how SLF affects grapevine physiology and resource allocation, but no research has identified how SLF affects wine chemical composition and quality. Documented reductions in fruit sugar allocation due to heavy SLF phloem-feeding may have downstream effects on wine fermentation dynamics. Additionally, secondary metabolic responses stimulated by SLF may also influence berry chemical composition. The present study investigated SLF-mediated effects on wine composition through analysis of the volatile composition of wines produced from white- and red-fruited varieties of different Vitis parentage (e.g., Vitis vinifera vs. interspecific hybrids) following prolonged exposure to adult SLF phloem-feeding.

Polyphenols, bioactive secondary metabolites abundantly found in various grapevine components such as stalks, skins, and seeds, have attracted considerable attention in recent decades due to their potential health benefits. These compounds, including flavan-3-ols, flavanols, flavones, and stilbenes, are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Polyphenols are important compounds involved in many chemical and sensory wine features. In winemaking, adding oenological tannins claims to have positive impacts on wine stability, protection from oxidation and aroma persistence. Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds by either scavenging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species or chelating Fe2+ ions (1). However, as tannins oxidation leads to the formation of highly reactive species (i.e. ortho-quinones), it is still unclear if they have an effective role toward oxidation of wine aromas (2). In this work, we aim at studying the effect of two commercial tannins (proanthocyanidins, ellagitannins) on red wine flavour (mainly aroma) before and after air exposition.

This study aimed to determine mineral composition in red wine obtained from cv. Teran (Vitis vinifera L.), autochtonous Croatian grape variety. Six different vinification treatments, including the control treatment (7-day standard maceration), were performed to study the effects of: 48-hour pre-fermentative mash cooling (8 °C) followed by prolonged post-fermentative maceration of 13 days (C15), 28 days (C30), and saignée technique (juice runoff) proceeded with prolonged post-fermentative maceration of 13 days (CS15); and effect of 48-hour heating (50 °C) followed by prolonged post-fermentative maceration of 13 days (H15) and 28 days (H30) on macro- and microelements in wine.

Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), mainly hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol (H2S and MeSH), are the responsible for reductive off-odor in wine.