Reaction Mechanisms of Copper and Iron with Hydrogen Sulfide and Thiols in Model Wine

The chemical composition of wines depends on series of variables such as the type of grape, edaphoclimatic conditions, and viticulture and winemaking practices employed during production. Metallic elements play a significant role during winemaking (e.g. as catalysts of oxidation reactions) and have been previously employed for the classification of wines according to provenance. In this work, we focused on the analysis of metallic elements (K, Na, Ca, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Cr, Al, Pb, Cd, Hg, Se, Co, Sn and As) in 145 Chilean wine samples (102 reds and 43 white wines), of seven grape varieties, and five of the major wine producing regions in Chile.

Laboratório de Análisis del Aroma y Enologia (LAAE). Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain, During alcoholic fermentation, fusel (or Strecker) aldehydes are intermediates in the amino acid catabolism to form fusel alcohols following the Ehrlich Pathway (1). One of the main enzymes involved in this pathway is Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH), whose activity is highly strain dependent and determines the rate of conversion of aldehydes into fusel alcohols (2). This enzyme has a Zn2+ catalytic binding site, which suggests that the must Zn2+ levels will most likely influence the rate of reduction of aldehydes into alcohols. On the other hand, SO2 is commonly used in winemaking for its antiseptic and antioxidant properties.

Limited information is available on grape wall-derived polymeric structure/composition and how this changes during fermentation. Commercial winemaking operations use enzymes that target the polysaccharide-rich polymers of the cell walls of grape tissues to clarify musts and extract pigments during the fermentations. In this study we have assessed changes in polysaccharide composition/ turnover throughout the winemaking process by applying recently developed cell wall profiling approaches to both wine and pomace polysaccharides. The methods included gas chromatography for monosaccharide composition (GC-MS), infra-red (IR) spectroscopy and comprehensive microarray polymer profiling
(CoMPP) using cell wall probes.

The composition of wine is largely determined by the composition of pre-fermentation juice, which is influenced by extraction of grape components. Different grape harvesting and processing conditions could affect the extraction of grape components into juice. Among these grape components, pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are of great concern for white wine maker as they are the main cause of haze formation in finished white wine. If not removed before bottling, these PR proteins may progress into haze through the formation of complex with phenolics under certain conditions. Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) and chitinases are the main constituents of PR proteins found in protein haze.

Ellagitannin, anthocyanin and woody volatile composition of Cabernet Sauvignon wines aged in oak barrels for 12 months was evaluated. Depending on the container where malolactic fermentation (MLF) was carried out, two wine modalities were investigated: wines with MLF carried out in stainless steel tanks and barrel-fermented wines. Three toasting methods (medium toast, MT; medium toast with watering, MTAA; noisette) were considered for ageing of each wine modality. Sensory analyses (triangle and rating tests) were also performed. Two-way ANOVA of the raw experimental data revealed that the toasting method and the container where MLF took place, as well as the interaction between both factors, have a significant influence (p < 0.05) on ellagitannin, anthocyanin and woody volatile profiles of Cabernet Sauvignon wines.