Effect of microwave maceration and SO₂ free vinification on volatile composition of red wines

In this audio recording of the IVES science meeting 2022, Thibaut Verdenal (Agroscope, Pully, Switzerland) speaks about managing nitrogen balance in cover-cropped vineyard. This presentation is based on an original article accessible for free on OENO One.

Bentonite fining is commonly used in oenology to remove all or parts of white wine proteins, which are known to be involved in haze formation. This fining is effective, but has disadvantages: it is not selective, thus molecules responsible for aroma are also removed, it causes substantial volume losses, and finally it generates wastes. Over the last decades, the knowledge of wine proteins has increased: they have been identified, their structures are known, some of them have been crystallized.

The SCL laboratory in Bordeaux is one of the two official control laboratories for wine and wine products in france, under the authority of the ministry of finance and two of its general directorates: the DGCCRF (directorate general for competition, consumer affairs and fraud control) and the DGDDI (directorate general of customs and excise duties). In this capacity, it verifies the regulatory compliance of wines and investigates any possible falsifications or fraud. Steviol glycosides are natural sweeteners that are not authorized as additives in wine.

Terroir leaves its mark on the accumulation of flavours in grape berries, triggering biochemical re-actions and ultimately shaping wine styles.

Vinification trials were carried out between 2018 and 2021 in the experimental winery at Laimburg Research Centre, Alto Adige, to test the effect of grape stem inclusion during fermentation of Pinot Noir.