NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY FOR THE ESTIMATION OF TEMPRANILLO BLANCO VOLATILE COMPOSITION ALONG GRAPE MATURATION

The balance between the different flavours of a wine largely determines its perception and appreciation by the consumers. In white wines, sweetness and sourness are usually the two poles balancing the taste properties. The bitter flavour, on the other hand, is frequently associated with a loss of equilibrium and all white wines (dry and sweet, young and aged) are affected.
Several bitter compounds are already well-described in wines.

Selected strains of non-Saccharomyces yeasts showed a positive effect on sensory characteristics and aromatic complexity of wine. A sequential microbial culture of non-Saccharomyces and S. cerevisiae species is usually inoculated due to poorer fermentability of non-Saccharomyces species. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the production of white wines. We evaluated how individual combinations of sequential inoculations of non-Saccharomyces and S. cerevisiae species affect the aromatic compounds (volatile thiols and esters) and sensory characteristics of the wines.

Changes in the low molecular weight phenolic fraction, obtained by liquid-liquid microextraction technique, were studied after controlled oxidation of two typologies of Sangiovese wines (Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico) belonging to two vintages (2017 and 2018). The fractions were characterized by LC-MS and quantified by HPLC. The most abundant extracted compounds were the phenolic acids. The effect of oxidation, vintage, and wine typology was stated by a three-ways ANOVA. Gallic and syringic acids significantly increased after oxidation while (–)-epicatechin decreased the most.

Vitis vinifera L. cv. Pinot noir can be challenging to manage in the winery as its thin skins require careful handling to ensure sufficient extraction of wine colour to promote colour stability during ageing.1 Literature has shown that fermentation with flocculent yeasts can increase red wine colour density.2 As consumers prefer greater colour density in red wines,3 the development of tools to increase colour density would be useful for the wine industry. This research explored the impact of interspecies sequential inoculation and co-flocculation of commercial yeast on Pinot noir wine colour.

Powdery mildew, caused by Erysiphe necator, is a widespread disease that causes high economical losses in viticulture. The main strategy to control the disease is the recurrent application of sulphur based phytochemical compounds. However, in order to reduce their accumulation in the environment and promote the sustainability of the sector, the European Commission has applied restrictions to the number of pesticide treatments and the maximum quantity of fungicides to be applied in viticulture. Seaweeds, in particular macroalgae, are marine resources rich in sulphated polysaccharides with bio-protective potential for the plant, representing an environmentally-friendly alternative approach for sustainable wine production.