terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Congress on Grapevine and Wine Sciences 9 2ICGWS-2023 9 Sparkling wines and atypical aging: investigating the risk of refermentation

Sparkling wines and atypical aging: investigating the risk of refermentation

Abstract

Sparkling wine (SW) production entails a two-steps process where grape must undergoes a primary fermentation to produce a base wine (BW) which is then refermented to become a SW. This process allows for the development of a new physicochemical profile characterized by the presence of foam and a different organoleptic profile.

Atypical aging is a sensorial fault that can occur soon after bottling. Characterized by the appearance of unpleasant scents (mothballs, damp towel and furniture polish) and the loss of varietal aroma, its chemical and sensorial origin is attributed to the presence of 2-aminoacetophenone (AAP), a degradation compound of indole-3-lactic acid (IAA). While at biological level this plant auxin is carefully regulated via bonding with amino acids or sugars, during fermentation, yeast is capable of freeing up unbound IAA. In the presence of oxidizing agents, its conversion into AAP leads to the appearance of ATA in wine.[1] Since yeast-related biochemical mechanisms are involved in the development of this fault and SW production entails a double fermentation process, the final product deserves extra attention in terms of ATA development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the likelihood of producing tainted SW. To do so, 55 grape musts of 12 different varieties harvested over three vintages were fermented twice, initially to make the BWs and then the SWs. Interestingly, it was found that not only refermentation and storage increased the AAP content but also that the danger of producing ATA-tainted wines does not end with the making of SW. Indeed, upon an accelerated aging test, it was observed that the concentration of AAP was even increased. By using the data obtained from the BW samples, an ANCOVA model of linearization able to predict the formation of AAP upon refermentation with a R2 of 0.7 was created.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Cavit sc. for the technical and financial support.

References: 

1)  Schneider V. (2014) Atypical aging defect: Sensory discrimination, viticultural causes, and enological consequences. Rev. Am. J. Enol. Vitic., 65:277–284, DOI 10.5344/ajev.2014.14014
2)  Christoph, N., et al. (1998) Bildung von 2-Aminoacetophenon und Formylaminoacetophenon im Wein durch Einwirkung von schwefliger Säure auf Indol-3-essigsäure. Vitic. Enol. Sci 53.2, 79-86.

DOI:

Publication date: October 5, 2023

Issue: ICGWS 2023

Type: Article

Authors

Simone Delaiti1,2*, Tomas Roman2, Tiziana Nardin2, Stefano Pedo’2, Roberto Larcher2

1C3A, Center Agriculture Food Environment, Via Edmund Mach, 1, San Michele all’Adige, TN, 38010 Italy
2Technology Transfer Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Italy

Contact the author*

Keywords

atypical aging, sparkling wine, refermentation

Tags

2ICGWS | ICGWS | ICGWS 2023 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Metabolomic profiling of heat-stressed grape berries 

The projected rise in mean air temperatures together with the frequency, intensity, and length of heat waves in many wine-growing regions worldwide will deeply impact grape berry development and quality. Several studies have been conducted and a large set of molecular data was produced to better understand the impact of high temperatures on grape berry development and metabolism[1]. According to these data, it is highly likely that the metabolomic dynamics could be strongly modulated by heat stress (HS).

Read More

Polyphenol content of cork granulates at different steps of the manufacturing process of microagglomerated stoppers treated with supercritical CO2 used for wine bottling

The wine closure industry is mainly divided into three categories: screw caps, synthetic closures, and cork-based closures. Among this latter, microagglomerated cork stoppers treated with supercritical CO2 are now widely used, especially to avoid cork taint contaminations[1]. They are designed with cork granules obtained from cork offcuts of the punching process during the natural cork stoppers production. A previous study[2] showed that these stoppers released fewer polyphenols in 12 % (v/v) hydroalcoholic solution than natural cork stoppers.

Read More

Influence of irrigation frequency on berry phenolic composition of red grape varieties cultivated in four spanish wine-growing regions

The global warming phenomenon involves the frequency of extreme meteorological events accompanied by a change in rainfall distribution. Irrigation frequency (IF) affects the spatial and temporal soil water distribution but its effects on the phenolic composition of the grape have been scarcely studied. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of four deficit irrigation frequencies of 30 % ETo: one irrigation per day (T01), two irrigations per week (T03), one irrigation per week (T07) and one irrigation every two weeks (T15) on berry phenolic composition at harvest.

Read More

Extreme vintages affect grape varieties differently: a case study from a cool climate wine region

Eger wine region is located on the northern border of grapevine cultivation zone. In the cool climate, terroir selection is one of the foundations of quality wine making. However, climate change will have a significant impact on these high value-added vineyards. This study presents a case study from 2021 and 2022 with the investigation of three grape varieties (Kadarka, Syrah, Furmint). The experiment was conducted in a steep-sloped vineyard (Nagy-Eged hill) with a southern exposure.

Read More

White grape must processed by UHPH as an alternative to SO2 addition: Effect on the phenolic composition in three varieties

The quantity and distribution of polyphenols in musts play a fundamental role in the white winemaking. This is because these substances are exposed to oxidation reactions, which are catalysed by the polyphenol oxidase (PPO), leading to a decrease in the quality of the wines produced. PPO is inactivated by SO2, but currently, due to the restrictions of the legislation, other methodologies are being investigated. Ultra-High Pressure Homogenization (UHPH) is a non-thermal physic technology that exerts an ultrahigh pressure pumping (>200 MPa) of a fluid through a valve in a continuous system.

Read More