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…

Effect of biological control agents on grapevine rhizosphere microbiome and grapevine defenses

Plant diseases are a major obstacle to crop production. The main approaches to battle plant diseases, consist of synthetic chemicals to attack infecting pathogens. However, concerns are increasing about the effects of chemicals in the environment, leading to an increase in the use of biocontrol agents (BCAs), due to their assets, such as, antagonism, and competition. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the introduction of Bacillus subtilis PTA-271 (Bs PTA-271) and Trichoderma atroviride SC1 (Ta SC1) produce distinctive modifications in the composition and network structure of the grapevine rhizosphere microbial community, as well as grapevine induced defenses.

Read More

The tolerance of grapevine rootstocks to water deficit is related to root morphology and xylem anatomy traits 

Climate change is altering water balances, thereby compromising water availability for crops. In grapevine, the strategic selection of genotypes more tolerant to soil water deficit can improve the resilience of the vineyard under this scenario. Previous studies demonstrated that root anatomical and morphological traits determine vine performance under water deficit conditions. Therefore, 13 ungrafted rootstock genotypes, 6 commercial (420 A, 41 B, Evex 13-5, Fercal, 140 Ru y 110 R), and 7 from new breeding programs (RG2, RG3, RG4, RG7, RG8, RG9 and RM2) were evaluated in pots during 2021 and 2022.

Read More

Long-lasting flavour perception of wines treated with oenological additives considering the individual PROP taste-phenotype

The use of oenological additives is becoming a common practice due to the technological and sensory properties they provide to the wines. However, the number of studies focused on the impact that these additives might induce on wine flavor perception during wine tasting is still quite scarce. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of three different types of common oenological additives: two oenotannins (ellagitannin and gallotannin) and a commercial preparation of yeast mannoproteins on the long-lasting flavor perception (aroma and astringency).

Read More

The generation of suspended cell wall material may limit the effect of ultrasound in some varieties

The disruptive effect exerted by high-power ultrasound (US) on plant cell walls, natural barriers to the diffusion of compounds of interest during the maceration of red wines, is established as the reason behind the chromatic improvement that its treatment causes. However, sometimes this improvement is not observed, especially with short maceration times. The presence of a high quantity of suspended cell wall material, which formation is favored by the sonication, could be the cause of this lack of positive results since this cell wall material has a high affinity for phenolic compounds.

Read More

Energy partitioning and functionality of photosystem II in water-stressed grapevines during heatwaves revealed by continuous measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence

The increased intensity and frequency of heatwaves, coupled with prolonged periods of drought, are a significant threat to viticulture worldwide. During these conditions the more exposed leaves can show visible symptoms of heat damage. We monitored the functionality of photosystem II (PSII) in the field to better understand the impact of heatwaves on canopy performance. A factorial experiment was established in summer 2023 using Shiraz grapevines in the Barossa valley of South Australia, involving water-stressed and well-watered vines.

Read More