terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Congress on Grapevine and Wine Sciences 9 2ICGWS-2023 9 Role of anthocyanins and copigmentation in flavonol solubility in red wines 

Role of anthocyanins and copigmentation in flavonol solubility in red wines 

Abstract

Over the last years, due to climate change, several red wines, such as the Sangiovese wines, have been often subjected to loss of clarity due to the formation of deposits of fine needle-shaped crystals. This phenomenon turned out to be due to an excess of quercetin (Q) and its glycosides (Q-Gs) in wines. These compounds are synthesized to a large extent when grapes are excessively exposed to UVB radiations in vineyards[1]. Unfortunately, it is not easy to predict the degree of Q precipitation because its solubility strongly depends on the wine and matrix composition[2].  Surprisingly, some red wines rich in anthocyanins, even if contained high amount of Q, did not show any precipitates. Likely anthocyanins favour the solubility of Q since flavonols are among the most powerful cofactors involved in the copigmentation phenomenon. Thus, in this study, the role of anthocyanins in Q solubility was evaluated by adding known amounts of grape-derived anthocyanins into model solutions containing either Q or Q-Gs. The effects of pH and time on the Q solubility, copigmentation as well as on the hydrolysis of Q-Gs were determined. Our data showed that the solubility of Q passed from 5 mg/L to 25 mg/L when the amount of grape-derived anthocyanins added into the model solutions increased from 0 to 500 mg/L. Experimental samples were investigated over 30 days and significant changes in Q solubility, correlated to the variation in copigmentation and in anthocyanins/quercetin ratio, were observed. These results can assist wine producers to better evaluate the level of flavonol precipitation in red wines and to develop appropriate strategies in order to avoid undesired precipitations in bottle.   

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the Biolaffort Company for funding.

References:

1) Martínez-Lüscher J. et al. (2019). Flavonol profile is a reliable indicator to assess canopy architecture and the exposure of red wine grapes to solar radiation. Frontiers in plant science, 10, 10. DOI 10.3389/fpls.2019.00010.

2) Gambuti A. et al. (2020). New insights into the formation of precipitates of quercetin in Sangiovese wines. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 57, 2602-2611. DOI 10.1007/s13197-020-04296-7

DOI:

Publication date: October 5, 2023

Issue: ICGWS 2023

Type: Article

Authors

Alessandra Luciano1, Luigi Picariello1, Martino Forino1, Angelita Gambuti1*

1 Department of Agricultural Sciences, Section of Vine and Wine Sciences, University of Napoli ″Federico II″, Viale Italia, Avellino 83100, Italy

Contact the author*

Keywords

quercetin, quercetin glycosides, solubility, red wines, anthocyanins, copigmentation crystals, precipitation

Tags

2ICGWS | ICGWS | ICGWS 2023 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Conventional and alternative pest management strategies: a comparative proteomic study on musts

In a context of sustainable agriculture, “agroecological immunity” is an emerging concept to reduce the use of chemical pesticides to protect crops against pathogens. This alternative strategy aims to combine different levers including the use of “bio”solutions. These include biocontrol products, some of which being plant defense elicitors, as well as products authorized in organic farming such as copper or sulfur. In vineyards, depending on climate conditions, powdery and downy mildews can be devastating diseases.

Vineyard yield estimation using image analysis: assessing bunch occlusions and its dependency on fruiting zone canopy features

Performing accurate vineyard yield estimation is of upmost importance as it provides important benefits to the whole vine and wine industry. Recently, image-analysis approaches have been explored to address this issue however this approach has as main challenge the bunch occlusion, mostly by vegetation but also by neighboring bunches. The present work aims at assessing the magnitude of bunch occlusion by neighboring bunches and to evaluate its dependency on a selection of vegetative and reproductive vine parameters assessed at fruiting zone. Forty vine segments (1 m) of two vineyard plots of the white cultivars ‘Alvarinho’ and ‘Arinto’ were assessed for vegetative and reproductive features at fruiting zone and imaged with a 2D camera.

Culturable microbial communities associated with the grapevine soil in vineyards of La Rioja, Spain

The definition of soil health is complex due to the lack of agreement on adequate indicators and to the high variability of global soils. Nevertheless, it has been widely used as synonymous of soil quality for more than one decade, and there is a consensus warning of scientists that soil quality and biodiversity loss are occurring due to the traditional intensive agricultural practices.
In this work we monitored a set of soil parameters, both physicochemical and microbiological, in an experimental vineyard under three different management and land use systems: a) addition of external organic matter (EOM) to tilled soil; b) no tillage and plant cover between grapevine rows, and c) grapevines planted in rows running down the slope and tilled soil.

Advancing grapevine science through genomic research

The seminar will examine the complexities and prospects of genomic research on Vitis species, characterize by exceptionally high heterozygosity and common interspecific gene flow. The seminar will showcase case studies highlighting the critical role of diploid genome references in grape research, specifically in areas such as aroma development, disease resistance, and domestication traits. It will also address the emerging focus on pangenomes within the Vitis genus, particularly in the context of genetic studies on naturally interbreeding populations.

The environmental footprint of selected vineyard management practices: A case study from Logroño (La Rioja) Spain

Viticulture is globally important for socioeconomic and environmental reasons. The EU is globally leading grape and wine production, and Spain is among the top grape and wine producers. As climate change affects viticulture, mitigation and adaptation are crucial for protecting grape production. In this research work, data on viticultural management practices such as soil cultivation, irrigation, energy, machinery, plant protection and the use of fertilizers from vineyards located in Logroño (La Rioja) have been obtained.