Macrowine 2021
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 How the management of ph during winemaking affects acetaldehyde evolution and the formation of polymeric phenolics over the red wine aging

How the management of ph during winemaking affects acetaldehyde evolution and the formation of polymeric phenolics over the red wine aging

Abstract

AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of pH on both the acetaldehyde chemistry and wine phenolics evolution over the aging period. In addition, the effect of both an early (on musts) and late (on wines soon after the end of the fermentation) acidification was evaluated.

METHODS: The experimental design consisted in the preparation of 7 wines from the same batch of grapes fermented in a first tank at the original pH of 3.2 (3.2W) and two other tanks in which the pH was adjusted to 3.5 (3.5W) and 3.9 (3.9W). On the third day of fermentation, and one week after the end of the fermentation-maceration process some aliquots of both 3.5W and 3.9W were treated to reach a 3.2 pH to afford four more wines. Polymeric pigments and phenolics were evaluated by spectrophotometry, MS and NMR techniques, acetaldehyde and anthocyanins by HPLC-DAD and reactivity of tannins towards saliva by electrophoresis. Wines were analyzed soon after the end of the fermentation and after one-year aging.

RESULTS: By increasing the pH level from 3.2 to 3.9, the amount of low polymerized flavans, individual anthocyanins and tannins reactive to BSA and saliva decreased. Conversely, an increase of acetaldehyde, of pigments resistant to the bleaching, and of ethylene-linked polymeric pigments was detected. After one year of aging, wines treated to reach a 3.2 pH significantly differ from 3.2W in acetaldehyde, tannins reactive towards proteins and polymeric pigments. This behavior was more evident when the acidification was carried out soon after the end of the fermentation-maceration process.

CONCLUSIONS

High pH values favor the polymerization of phenolics over the wine aging and results suggested that the effect is predominant when pH was increased during the fermentation, hence successive pH modulations have little (if any) effect on some typical reactions occurring during wine aging.

DOI:

Publication date: September 14, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Angelita Gambuti

Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Napoli “Federico II”- Enology Sciences Section, Viale Italia, 83100, Avellino, Italy, Luigi PICARIELLO, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Napoli “Federico II”- Enology Sciences Section, Viale Italia, 83100, Avellino, Italy. Martino  FORINO, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Napoli “Federico II”- Enology Sciences Section, Viale Italia, 83100, Avellino, Italy Alessandra RINALDI, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Napoli “Federico II”- Enology Sciences Section, Viale Italia, 83100, Avellino, Italy. Biolaffort, 126 Quai de la Souys, 33100 Bordeaux, France. Luigi MOIO, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Napoli “Federico II”- Enology Sciences Section, Viale Italia, 83100, Avellino, Italy.

Contact the author

Keywords

red wine, aging, ph, polyphenols

Citation

Related articles…

NEW TOOL FOR SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND COLOUR MODIFICATIONS IN WINES

Measuring the effect of oxygen consumption on the colour of wines as the level of dissolved oxygen decreases over time is very useful to know how much oxygen a wine is able to consume without significantly altering its colour. The changes produced in wine after being exposed to high oxygen concen-trations have been studied by different authors, but in all cases the wine has been analysed once the oxygen consumption process has been completed. This work presents the results obtained with the use of an equipment designed and made to measure simultaneously the level of dissolved oxygen and the spectrum of the wine, during the oxygen consumption process from saturation levels with air to very low levels, which indicate the total consumption of the dosed oxygen.

Multivariate data analysis applied on Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy for the prediction of tannins levels during red wine fermentation

Red wine is a beverage with one of the highest polyphenol concentration, which are extracted during the maceration step of the winemaking process.

Application of satellite-derived vegetation indices for frost damage detection in grapevines

Wine grape production is increasingly vulnerable to freeze damage due to warming climates, milder winters, and unpredictable late spring frosts. Traditional methods for assessing frost damage in grapevines which combine fieldwork and meteorological data, are expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Remote sensing could offer a rapid, inexpensive way to detect frost damage at a regional scale. Remote sensing approaches were used to assess freeze damage in grapevines by evaluating satellite-derived vegetation indices (VIs) to understand the severity and spatial distribution of damage in several New York vineyards immediately after a frost event (May 17th-18th, 2023). PlanetScope 3m satellite images acquired before and after the freeze were used to map damage and measure changes in VIs for vineyards in the Finger Lakes region.

Enhancing grape traceability from grower to consumer through GS1 Standards: A case study of the Australian table grape industry

The traceability of agricultural products, including grapes, is essential for ensuring food safety, quality control, and supply chain transparency. This paper investigates the implementation of GS1 standards in enhancing the traceability of grapes from grower to consumer.

Observatoire Grenache en vallée du Rhône : démarche et premiers résultats après une année d’étude

Face à l’enjeu d’affirmer et de mieux comprendre la spécificité des vins en relation avec leur origine, la notion de « terroir », avec la richesse de sens et la diversité des perspectives qui l’éclairent, se révèle la clef de voûte de la production et de la valorisation de vins personnalisés et typiques. Asseoir la connaissance des principaux terroirs de la Vallée du Rhône sur des bases autres que celles, jusqu’alors essentiellement empiriques, invoquées dans la seconde grande région française productrice de vins d’AOC, constitue un projet conforme à l’intérêt voué à cet enjeu d’actualité.