terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Congress on Grapevine and Wine Sciences 9 2ICGWS-2023 9 Physicochemical behaviour of wine spirit and wine distillate aged in Sherry Casks® and Brandy casks

Physicochemical behaviour of wine spirit and wine distillate aged in Sherry Casks® and Brandy casks

Abstract

Brandy is a spirit drink made from “wine spirit” (<86% Alcohol by Volume – ABV; high levels of congeners and they are mainly less volatile than ethanol), it may be blended with a “wine distillate” (<94.8%ABV; low levels of congeners and these are mainly more volatile than ethanol), as long as that distillate does not exceed a maximum of 50% of the alcoholic content of the finished product[1]. Brandy must be aged for at least 6 months in oak casks with <1000L of capacity. During ageing, changes occur in colour, flavour, and aroma that improve the quality of the original distillate. These changes are influenced by factors such as the ageing process itself, cask characteristics (botanical origin, volume, toasting degree, previous usage), and pre-treatments like the sherry wine-seasoning process (Sherry Cask®)[2]. In this work, the physicochemical behaviours of wine spirits and wine distillates aged in Sherry Casks® and Brandy casks have been compared.

Methods: “Wine spirit” obtained at 77%ABV and “wine distillate” at 94.6%ABV were diluted with demineralized water to 68%ABV for ageing in American oak casks, medium toast, 500L of capacity and seasoned by 18%ABV Oloroso Sherry wine for 3 years (Sherry Cask®) and “Brandy casks” were only used for ageing brandy for 3 years. It was carried out in duplicate, following a static ageing for 2 years. Oenological parameters, chromatic characteristics, and total polyphenol index (TPI) were carried out according to OIV methodology. Volatile substances were determined by GC-FID.

Results: A substantial difference was observed between the distillates aged in Sherry Cask® and Brandy cask in the parameters influenced by ageing. Aged in Sherry Cask® showed greater increase in TPI and colour. These 2 types of distillates, despite their different initial characteristics, and therefore, their levels of volatile substances, show a similar evolution in the trends of these compounds.

Acknowledgements: The authors wish to thank the University of Cadiz (Spain) and Bodegas Fundador, S.L.U. (Spain) for the industrial predoctoral contract granted to the author Daniel Butrón Benítez.

References:

1) Regulation (EU) 2019/787 European Parliament and Council of 17 April 2019. L130/1-49 (Parlamento europeo y consejo de la unión europea., 2019).

2) Mosedale, J. R., & Puech, J.-L. (1998). Wood maturation of distilled beverages. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 9(3) (1998) 95–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-2244(98)00024-7

DOI:

Publication date: October 18, 2023

Issue: ICGWS 2023

Type: Poster

Authors

Butrón-Benítez, Daniel1,2*; Valcárcel-Muñoz, Manuel J.2; García-Moreno, M. Valme1; Guillén-Sánchez, Dominico A.1

1 Departamento de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Vitivinícola y Agroalimentaria (IVAGRO) Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
2 Bodegas Fundador S.L.U., C/ San Ildefonso, nº 3, 11403, Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), Spain.

Contact the author*

Keywords

Brandy, wine spirit, wine distillate, ageing, Sherry Cask®

Tags

2ICGWS | ICGWS | ICGWS 2023 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Indicators of Sustainable Vineyard Soil Management: Metrics for Assessing Environmental Impacts

The vital role of soils in supporting life on our planet cannot be overstated. Soils provide numerous ecosystem services and functions, including biomass production, carbon sequestration, physical support, biological habitat, and genetic reserve, among others. Understanding the characteristics and sensitivity of soils in a specific terroir, along with effective soil management practices, is crucial for the sustainable management of natural resources.

Read More

Lipids at the crossroads of protection: lipid signalling in grapevine defence mechanisms

Understanding grapevine molecular processes and the underlying defence responses is vital for developing sustainable disease control strategies. Lipid signalling pathways, involving the synthesis and degradation of lipid molecules, have emerged as a key regulator in plant defence against pathogens. This study aims to elucidate the role of fatty acids and lipid signalling in grapevine’s defence response to P. viticola infection. The expression of lipid metabolism-related as well as lipid signalling genes was analysed, by qPCR, in three grapevine genotypes: Chardonnay (susceptible), Regent (tolerant) with Rpv3-1 resistance loci, and Sauvignac (resistant) harbouring a pyramid of Rpv12 and Rpv3-1 resistance loci.

Read More

Phenolic composition profile of cv. Tempranillo wines obtained from severe shoot pruning vines under semiarid conditions

One of the limitations of vineyards in warm areas is the loss of wine quality due to higher temperatures during the grape ripening period. In order to adapt the vineyards to these new climatic conditions, a possible solution is to delay the ripening process of the grapes towards periods with milder temperatures, by means of management practices and thus improve the quality of the fruit and the wine produced. The technique of severe shoot pruning (SSP) has proven useful in achieving this objective.

Read More

A novel approach for the identification of new biomarkers of wine consumption in human urine using untargeted metabolomics

Wine is one of the most representative components of Mediterranean diet. Moderate wine intake together with food, has been positively correlated with reduced risk of many chronic diseases. This beneficial effect seems to be ascribed to elevated polyphenolic content of wine [1]. Traditional approaches for the identification of wine biomarkers consumption include targeted metabolomics that focuses on the quantification of well-defined metabolites, losing a valuable information about a massive number of compounds. On the other hand, untargeted metabolomics can disclose a large quantity of signals corresponding to potential biomarkers in a single analysis with high sensitivity and resolution.

Read More

Identification of a stable epi-allele associated with flower development and low bunch compactness in a somatic variant of Tempranillo Tinto

Grapevine cultivars are vegetatively propagated to preserve their varietal characteristics. However, spontaneous somatic variations that occur and are maintained during cycles of vegetative growth offer opportunities for the natural improvement of traditional grape cultivars. One advantageous trait for winegrowing is reduced bunch compactness, which decreases the susceptibility to pests and fungal diseases and favor an even berry ripening.

Read More