 IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Macrowine 9 Macrowine 2021 9 Grapevine diversity and viticultural practices for sustainable grape growing 9 Exploring the effect of ripening rates on the composition of aroma and phenolic compounds in Cabernet-Sauvignon wines

Exploring the effect of ripening rates on the composition of aroma and phenolic compounds in Cabernet-Sauvignon wines

Abstract

AIM: The study of cultural practices to delay ripening and the characterization of their effect on wine composition is important in the mitigation of accelerated ripening caused by higher temperatures and frequent water stress events. The desynchronization between sugar accumulation and anthocyanins and organic acids during advanced ripening reported in previous studies frequently results in sub-optimal phenolic and aromatic maturity at the targeted sugar levels for winemaking. In this study, the effect of different rates of ripening on the chemistry of Cabernet Sauvignon wines was studied to explore if delayed ripening would result in higher quality wines.

METHODS: Fruit sugar accumulation rates were manipulated by means of crop load manipulation treatments and late season irrigation. Fruit was harvested at 26 °Brix and submitted to small-lot research winemaking. The basic chemistry and the composition of phenolic and aroma compounds were analyzed in the final wines.

RESULTS: The vineyard treatments returned three kinetics of sugar accumulation. A faster sugar accumulation (1 week earlier) was obtained by reducing crop load while a combination of crop removal and late season irrigation delayed ripening (2 weeks later) compared to untreated vines. Such effects of crop load and late season irrigation were already reported previously. In the final wines, there were little or no changes in the basic chemistry in response to the ripening rate. Crop load affected mainly the profile of wine aroma compounds, including both grape-derived and fermentation-derived compounds. On the other hand, an increase of irrigation late in the season led to an increase in phenolic compound levels, resulting in improved color and mouthfeel characteristics. Ripening was delayed by the interaction of cluster thinning and late season irrigation, which in turn led to higher concentrations of both volatile and phenolic compounds and further improvement of wine quality. In response to a slower sugar accumulation, an improvement of primary quality indicators of grape quality, such as lower green compounds and higher anthocyanins, translated into higher wine quality. Similar effects on these wine components were already observed in studies in which ripening was delayed by other means.

CONCLUSION

This study provides further confirmation that delayed ripening is beneficial to improve wine quality in late-ripening varieties. Amelioration of accelerated ripening is especially critical in warm and dry viticulture regions with long seasons, while the treatments investigated may not be necessary nor result in the same outcomes in cool wine regions. It was also shown that crop load and late season irrigation have a specific effect on aroma and phenolic compounds respectively, which deserves to be further explored in future studies.

DOI:

Publication date: September 2, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Pietro Previtali

The University of Adelaide and Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production,Nick DOKOOZLIAN, E. & J. Gallo Winery and Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production Luis SANCHEZ, E. & J. Gallo Winery Bruce PAN, E. & J. Gallo Winery Kerry WILKINSON, The University of Adelaide and Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production Christopher FORD, The University of Adelaide and Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production

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Keywords

aroma compounds; delayed ripening; phenolic compounds; ripening rates; wine metabolites

Citation

The impact of Saccharomyces yeasts on wine varietal aroma, wine aging and wine longevity

The objective of the present work is to assess yeast effects on the development of wine varietal aroma throughout aging and on wine longevity.

Three independent experiments were carried out; two fermenting semi-synthetic musts fortified with polyphenols and aroma precursors extracted from Tempranillo (1) or Albariño (2) grapes and with synthetic precursors of polyfunctional mercaptans (PFMs), and a third in which a must, mixture of 6 different grape varieties was used. In all cases, fermentations were carried out by different Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains and one S. kudriavzevii, and the obtained wines were further submitted to anoxic accelerated aging to reproduce bottle aging. The volatile profile of the wines was analyzed using several chromatographic procedures, in order to provide a comprehensive evaluation of wine aroma. Aroma compounds analyzed included fermentation volatile metabolites, grape-derived aroma compounds including PFMs, and Strecker aldehydes (SA).

Results revealed that the effects of yeast on wine aroma throughout its self-life extend along three main axes:

1. A direct or indirect action on primary varietal aroma and on its evolution during wine
aging.

2. The direct production of SA during fermentation and/or their delayed formation by producing the required reagents (amino acids + dicarbonyls) for Strecker degradation
during anoxic aging.

3. Producing acids (leucidic, branched acids) precursors to fruity esters. More specifically, and leaving aside the infrequent de novo formation, the action of the different strains of yeast on primary varietal aroma takes four different forms:

1.- Speeding the hydrolysis of aroma precursors, which leads to early aroma formation without changing the amount of aroma formed. In the case of labile molecules, such as linalool, the enhancement of young wine aroma implies a short-living wine. 2.- Metabolizing the aroma precursor, reducing the amounts of aroma formed, which can be of advantage for negative aroma compounds, such as TDN or guaiacol; 3.- Transforming grape components into aroma precursors, increasing the amounts of aroma formed, as for ethyl cinnamate, leucidic acid or vinylphenols; 4.- Forming reactive species such as vinylphenols able to destroy varietal polyfunctional mercaptans.

Overall, it can be concluded that the yeast carrying alcoholic fermentation not only influences fermentative wine aroma but also affects to the wine varietal aroma, to its evolution during aging and to the development of oxidative off-odors

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