Experimental vinification of withered grapes of Vitis vinifera “Muscat of Alexandria”

Abstract

AIM – The objective of the present work is to investigate wine produced from dehydrated grapes and vinified according to classical Roman manuals.

METHODS: Locally produced Muscat of Alexandria’s grapes were used for the sweet wine production, grown in the experimental vineyard of Instituto Superior de Agronomia (Lisbon, Portugal). The grapes were harvested manually slightly over-ripe and subjected to greenhouse drying. After 7-10 days dried grapes were transported to an experimental winery for various operations (e.g., grape weighing, sorting, crushing/destemming). Several maceration protocols were used comprising the addition of saltwater and white wine to whole bunches or destemmed grapes. Fermentation was conducted with the addition of commercial yeast. The standard physico-chemical parameters of wines were determined according to the OIV standards.

RESULTS: The results showed that all the samples had higher alcoholic content and residual sugar, ranging between 14.7 and 17 (% v/v), and 0.8 g/l to 18 g/l, respectively. Volatile acidity was less than 1 g/l in all wines, except in that obtained from withered grapes alone, probably due to stuck fermentations. In some of the wines, after fermentation, mousiness was clearly perceived.

CONCLUSIONS:

The obtained wines showed that it is possible to obtain acceptable products closely following the relevant protocols described in classical Roman manuals. The main problem was the detection of the mousy off-flavour that can be associated with the absence of sulphur dioxide addition to the musts before fermentation.

DOI:

Publication date: September 16, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Manuel Malfeito-Ferreira

Linking Landscape Environment Agriculture and Food (LEAF) Research Center, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal, Mkrtich Harutyunyan – Linking Landscape Environment Agriculture and Food (LEAF) Research Center, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal, Joana Granja-Soares – Enology Laboratory (DCEB), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal

Contact the author

Keywords

sweet wines; dehydrated grapes; historical wines; muscat of alexandria

Citation

Related articles…

Enological evaluation of the attitude of the grapevine fumin to give varietal wines

Initiatives have been ongoing in recent years to safeguard biodiversity in the oenological sector via a process of enhancement of ancient varieties, under a pressure of a market strongly oriented towards production deriving from native vines of specific geographical zones. In that sense, Aosta Valley
(Italy) has raised the need to preserve and characterize its minority vine varieties which have the potentiality to give varietal wines. Fumin represents the 7% of the production of the region with 16 hectares of vineyards and 753 hectolitres of derived wine. Due to its large phenolic potential, strong astringency and deep colour, it has long been, and is still today, assembled or blended with other varieties as occurs, for example, for the Torrette.

Occurrence of methyl salicylate in lugana wines: aroma impact and biogenesis 

AIM Methyl salicylate (MeSA) has been reported as a potentially impactful compound in Verdicchio wines produced in central Italy. Lugana is another white wine produced in the north-east of Italy from a grape locally known as Trebbiano di Soave, sharing a very similar genetic background with Verdicchio. The aims of this study were evaluating MeSA occurrence in Lugana, assessing its aroma impact on white wines aroma and elucidating its biogenesis during vinification. METHODS Fifteen Lugana wines were analysed for methyl salycilate content in comparison with Verdicchio, Pinot grigio and Garganega wines. MeSA impact on white wine aroma was studied by means of triangular test, adding MeSA at different concentrations. Possible routes of MeSA formation by yeast were investigated by means of a high throughput assay in which S. cerevisiae cells were put in contact with precursor such as salicylic acid (esterification) or glycosidic extracts (glycosidase). Sub-fractions of Lugana glycosidic extracts were also obtained by HPLC fractionation, allowing further evaluation of precursors role.

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

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 and late acidification was evaluated

Phenolic extraction and mechanical properties of skins and seeds during maceration of four main italian red wine grape varieties

AIM: Red grape varieties are characterized by different phenolic contents (prominently tannins and anthocyanins) found in skins and seeds.

Flanan-3-ol compositional changes in red grape berries (Vitis vinifera L. cv Cabernet franc) from two terroirs of the Loire Valley (France)

La quantité et la qualité des flavonoïdes sont des éléments importants de la qualité de la baie. En particulier, les tannins contribuent de manière essentielle aux propriétés spécifiques des vins rouges telles que la couleur, l’astringence et l’amertume. Cependant, leur synthèse et leurs propriétés sont encore mal connues. Ainsi, la