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…

FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY IN MONITORING THE WINE PRODUCTION

The complexity of the wine matrix makes the monitoring of the winemaking process crucial. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) along with chemometrics is considered an effective analytical tool combining good accuracy, robustness, high sample throughput, and “green character”. Portable and non-portable FTIR devices are already used by the wine industry for routine analysis. However, the analytical calibrations need to be enriched, and some others are still waiting to be thoroughly developed.

The effect of pedoclimatic conditions on the yeast assimilable nitrogen concentration on white cv. Doral in Switzerland

Aims: Agroscope investigated the efficiency of nitrogen fertilization via foliar urea application at veraison with the aim of raising the YAN (yeast assimilable nitrogen) content in the musts. The observations were conducted on the white grapevine cultivar Doral (Chasselas x Chardonnay) in several pedoclimatic conditions of the Leman wine region, Switzerland, in the years 2012 and 2013. Knowing that the YAN in must plays a key role in wine quality, the aim was finding the main parameters affecting the final YAN level in order to better control them.

Vine selection in France: An assessment after more than 60 years of work

It was at the end of the second world war that professor Branas laid the foundations of french vine selection. He was also behind the creation of domaine de vassal (1949) and antav (1962), which were to become the bridgeheads of the french strategy for the conservation, selection and multiplication of viticultural diversity. Initially based on visually virus-symptom-free massal selections, with the main aim of providing healthy, clearly-identified plant material, the process evolved as knowledge gained towards clonal selection.

Soil management of interrow spacing as an important factor to protect the vineyard soils from runoff and erosion under the Mediterranean climate

Nearly one third of the Herault vineyard (south of France) is planted on soils very sensitive to water runoff and erosion

Effects of long-term drought stress on soil microbial communities from a Syrah cultivar vineyard

Changes in the rainfall and temperature patterns affect the increase of drought periods becoming one of the major constraints to assure agricultural and crop resilience in the Mediterranean regions. Beside the adaptation of agricultural practices, also the microbial compartment associated to plants should be considered in the crop management. It is known that the microbial community change according to several factors such as soil composition, agricultural management system, plant variety and rootstock.