Using combinations of recombinant pectinases to elucidate the deconstruction of the polysaccharide‐rich grape cell wall during winemaking

During wine aging, several complex phenomena of gas transfer take place in barrels due to the wine/oak contact. The efficiency of this gas transfer varies according to oak wood’s intrinsic physical properties. This research aims to better understand oxygen transfer phenomena through dry oak staves and especially through stave gaps, in order to reevaluate the importance of barrel-making on a barrel’s supply of oxygen. Experimentation was based on the development of an innovative permeameter of laboratory scale, for which the principal operating conditions concerning applied pressure, the choice of liquid phase/gas phase, and the grain type of oak are taken into account and investigated. With a specially developed tightening system, the existing pressure at stave gaps in a barrel could be reproduced on a laboratory scale in order to estimate its influence on oxygen transfer efficiency.

Grapevine berries produce thousands of secondary metabolites of diverse chemical nature that have been largely detailed in the past due to their importance for defining wine quality. The wide Vitis vinifera diversity, resulting in thousands of different varieties well detailed in many studies regarding berries, is still not investigated in vegetative organs, leaves in particular. Deepening knowledge related to this aspect could be of great interest for many reasons (for example the possibility of using leaf extract for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutrition purposes) but, above all, for understanding the susceptibility of different grapevine varieties to pathogens.

The Ability of PVPP (Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone), PVP-DEGMA-TAIC (copolimerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and triallyl isocyanurate) and PAEGDMA
(poly(acrylamide-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)) polymers was tested as removal agents for Fumonisin B1 (FB1) and Fumonisin B2 (FB2) from model solutions and red wine. The polymers removal capacity was checked at three different resident times (2, 8 and 24 hours of contact time between the polymer and the sample), showing no differences in the percentage of FB1 and FB2 removal. Then, different polymer concentrations (1, 5 and 10 mg mL-1) were tested in model solution with and without phenolics (i.e. gallic acid and 4-methylcatechol).

Viura is a synonym for Macabeo and currently it is the most widely planted white grape variety in D.O.Ca. Rioja, with 3,569 ha, representing 84% of the white grape cultivated area. It is a generous-yielding grape, presenting low values of titratable acidity and with large and compact clusters which makes it susceptible to Botrytis cinerea. Thus, this variety not always satisfies the wine grower’s prospects. Nowadays, the available plant material is scarce, moreover, it was selected on the basis of other quality criteria, not currently requested.

Commercial oenological tannins (TECs) are widely used in the wine industry. TECs are rich in condensed tannins, hydrolyzable tannins or a mixture of both. Wine grapes are a important source of proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins while oak wood possess a high concentration of hydrolyzable tannins (Obreque-Slier et al., 2009). TECs contribute with the antioxidant capacity of wine, catalyze oxide-reduction reactions and participate in the removal of sulfur compounds and metals.