Grape pomace, an active ingredient at the intestinal level: Updated evidence

Targeted analytical methods can overlook compounds that are a priori unknown to play a role in the mouthfeel sensations. This limitation can be overcome with the information provided by untargeted metabolomic analysis using UPLC‐QTOF-MS. To this end, an untargeted metabolomic approach applied to 42 red wines has allowed development of a model with predictive capacity by cross-validation for the “dry”, “oily” and “unctuous” sensations perceived by a sensory panel. The optimal PLS model for “dry” retained compounds with positive regression coefficients (≥ 0.17) including a trimer procyanidin, a peptide, and four anthocyanins.

Brandy de Jerez (BJ) is a spirit drink made exclusively from spirits and wine distillates and is characterized by the use of casks for aging that previously contained Sherries. The quality and sensory complexity of BJ depend on the raw materials and some factors: grape variety, conditions during processing the wine and its distillation, as well as the aging in the cask. Therefore, the original compounds of the grapes from which it comes are of great interest being in most cases the Airén variety. Their relationship with the quality of the musts and the wines obtained from them has been studied (1) and varies each year of harvest depending on the weather conditions (2).

The yeast ecosystem in grape musts is quite broad and depends on the region and the health of the grapes. Within this, there are yeasts that can generate fermentative deviations and/or cause defects in the wine. It is very important to address this issue because there are significant economic losses in the wine industry when the fermentation process and/or the organoleptic characteristics of the wine are negatively affected, even more today since climate change has a marked effect on the composition of this ecosystem. The aim of this work is to characterize the behavior regarding detrimental oenological features of potential spoilage yeasts isolated from viticultural environments.

The first vineyards in Northern Europe were in Denmark in the 15th century, in the southern parts of Sweden and Finland in the 18th century at 55–60 degrees latitude. The grapes grown there have not been made into wine, but the grapes have been eaten at festive tables. The resurgence of viticulture has started with global warming, and currently the total area of viticulture in the Nordic countries, including Norway, is estimated to be 400–500 hectares, most of which is in Denmark. Southern Finland, like all southern parts of Northern Europe, belongs to the cool-cold winegrowing area.

Contamination problems arising from the use of pesticides in viticulture have raised concerns. One of the alternatives to reduce contamination is the use of elicitors, molecules capable of stimulating the natural defences of plants, promoting the production of phenolic compounds (PC) that offer protection against biotic and abiotic stress. Previous studies on Cabernet-Sauvignon seedlings demonstrated that foliar application of elicitors methyl jasmonate (MeJ) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) increased proteins and PC involved in grapevine defence mechanisms. However, no trials had been conducted on Monastrell seedlings, a major winegrape variety in Spain.