Macrowine 2021
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Prediction of astringency in red wine using tribology approach to study in-mouth perception

Prediction of astringency in red wine using tribology approach to study in-mouth perception

Abstract

AIM: Astringency is described as a ‘dry puckering‐like sensation’ following consumption of tannins1 that affect consumer preference of foods and beverages, including red wine2. To improve the understanding of astringency, which is a complex interaction due to multiple mechanisms occurring simultaneously, further studies are needed. In this view, oral tribology is considered a useful technique for beverage study to evaluate the thin-film lubrication properties of saliva resulting in oral friction‐related sensations3. The aim of this study was to examine the film behavior of selected protein-based fluids under controlled friction conditions, to understand polyphenol-protein interactions involved in the sensation of astringency.

METHODS: A mini-traction device was self-assembled to evaluate friction during a dynamic process under different test conditions. Moreover, several oenological tannins and red wines were analyzed to relate instrumental and sensory results, and the effect of selected parameters involved in astringency perception (acidity, ethanol, polysaccharides) was investigated.

RESULTS: After a preliminary screening of several proteic fluids based on friction behavior, the addition of oenological tannins at increasing levels showed empirical evidence of linear range of interaction with protein (R2 up to 0.97) with increasing friction values. Results were greatly affected by the botanical origin of tannins, their degree of purity and the tannin-to-protein ratio. The tribological findings were confirmed by the chemical and sensory analysis of red wines, which highlighted the great contribution of phenolic compounds, in particular tannins.

CONCLUSIONS:

The inherent properties of the selected protein-based fluid allow a satisfactory prediction of astringency in wine and future work will focus on friction and film formation across a broader set of conditions to improve the characterization of wine astringency based on tribology-sensory relationship.

DOI:

Publication date: September 22, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Andrea Versari , Arianna RICCI, Giuseppina Paola PARPINELLO, Luigi RAGNI, Elena BABINI, 

Università degli Studi di Bologna (ITALY), 

Contact the author

Keywords

sensory analysis; red wine; astringency; phenolic compounds; tribometry

Citation

Related articles…

Implementation of hyperspectral image analysis for evaluating table grape quality on bunch and berry level

Typically, subjective, and visual methods are used by grape growers to assess harvest maturity. These methods may not accurately represent the maturity of an entire vineyard – especially if extensive and representative sampling was not used. New technologies have been investigated for improved harvest management decisions. Spectroscopy methods utilizing the near-infrared region of the light spectrum is one such technology investigated as an alternative to classic methods and particularly the application of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has recently gained attention in research. HIS is a spectroscopic technique that obtains hundreds of images at different wavelengths collecting spectral data for each pixel in the sample i.e., providing both spectral and spatial data.

Re-examination and meta-analysis of previous research as a tool to evaluate the suitability of rootstocks in adaptation to global change. A study case from Spanish viticulture

Meta-analysis (MA) is a method that allows statistical synthesis of the results of several similar individual studies (Figure 1). This term was introduced by Glass in 1976 as a useful tool for the scientific community to pool and summarise the enormous amount of information collected in the literature.

Effect of early defoliation on volatile composition and sensory properties of aglianico red wines

The aim of this work was to study the influence of early defoliation in the vineyard on Aglianico wines quality from Apulia region (Italy). Early defoliation was conducted in commercial Aglianico

Climatic zoning of viticultural production periods over the year in the tropical zone: application of the methodology of the Géoviticulture MCC system

L’objectif de cette recherche est le zonage climatique des périodes viticoles de l’année dans la Vallée du São Francisco, région brésilienne productrice de vins située en climat tropical semi-aride. Dans cette région, la production peut être échelonnée sur tous les mois de l’année.

Vine plant material: situation and prospect

vine plant material is one of the major factors of terroir. The vine numbers over 1,000 species, of which the main cultivated species, Vitis vinifera, includes some 6,000 varieties. For the last forty years, selection has been carried out on these, mainly through clonal selection. However, today, only 300 varieties present one or more clones. A dozen varieties are considered as international. The extreme requirements of selection, in terms of diseases, provoke the elimination of the majority of selected plants. This approach to selection is not thorough because it focuses mainly on elimination of virosis and phytoplasma diseases.