Macrowine 2021
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Do natural wines differ from conventionally-produced wines?

Do natural wines differ from conventionally-produced wines?

Abstract

AIM: In recent years, consumer awareness for consuming healthy and environmental sustainability products has considerably increased [1]. In an ever-changing and highly competitive environment such as the wine sector, production of wines without sulfites, or biodynamic, organic or vegan wines, has experienced an important increase to meet the new needs of consumers [2,3]. Beyond these categories of regulated products, a new concept has emerged: natural wines (NW), for which there is not an established definition or legal regulation. Rather, producers have a personal idea of naturalness under the premise of applying minimal intervention from grape to wine production [4]. In this context, it is hypothesized that self-defined natural wines are different from conventional wines (CW) in their sensory and chemical profile. The predicament of natural wine is based on anecdotic declarations and assumes that minimal intervention guarantees the production of wines with organoleptic properties able to express the “terroir” and thus promote wine diversity, plurality and sensory typicity against the risk of standardization of CW. In addition, we want to test the hypothesis that NW are healthier than conventional by evaluating toxic-related metabolites.

METHODS: Twenty-eight commercial Spanish white wines were studied. Half were NW (i.e., winemakers declare to follow minimal intervention during grape and wine production) and half were conventional wines (CW). Pairs of NW-CW sharing variety and region of production were selected. They were submitted to sensory analysis following free sorting task and chemical characterization for conventional oenological parameters, histamines, ochratoxin A, ethyl carbamate and metals. RESULTS: NW present significantly higher pH levels, volatile acidity, color intensity, turbidity and higher contents of the histamine putrescine than CW, while lower levels of malic acid and sulfites were observed in NW. No significant differences were found for the levels of heavy metals and the rest of chemicals evaluated.Concerning sensory properties, while a higher proportion of NW than CW presented winemaking-related defaults, NW with positive fruity notes could also be identified.

CONCLUSIONS:

This work could partly confirm the main hypothesis by showing certain significant sensory and chemical differences between NW and CW. It appears necessary to carry out similar studies with a wider number of wines to achieve deeper knowledge in this field.

DOI:

Publication date: September 22, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Carlota Sánchez, Alejandro, Suárez, Samuel, Rivas, Pablo, Alonso, Eva, Parga,  Jordi, Ballester,  María-Pilar, Sáenz-Navajas,

Instituto De Ciencias De La Vid Y Del Vino (Ur-Csic-Gr). La Rioja, Spain.
 Instituto De Productos Naturales Y Agrobiología, Csic, Tenerife, Spain
Université De Bourgogne, Dijon, France Purificación, 

Contact the author

Keywords

wine, natural, conventional, production method , sensory characterisation, sorting task

Citation

Related articles…

Cartes thématiques: applications au vignoble champenois

Quel est l’intérêt des cartes en viticulture? Celles-ci répondent à plusieurs usages.
Formalisation au sein d’un référentiel codifié et normalisé de la connaissance relative au milieu, aux observations biologiques et aux pratiques culturales.

Response of different nitrogen supplementation on Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolic response and wine aromatic profile

The wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can highly affect wine aromatic profile by producing and/or mediating the release of a whole range of metabolites (such as thiols, esters, and terpenes), which in turn contribute to enhanced aroma and flavor. These metabolites depend on yeast metabolism activated during fermentation which can constitute the ‘’metabolic footprint’’ of the yeast strain that carried out the process.

Rootstock drought tolerance under dry-farmed conditions in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

Rootstocks are used in vineyards worldwide and have been the focus of many studies. However, rootstock performance varies based on regional climates and soil types. As Oregon experiences warmer seasons and variable precipitation patterns, growers are interested in rootstocks with more drought tolerance than the commonly planted rootstocks: 3309C, Riparia Gloire, and 101-14 Mgt. In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, annual precipitation is typically sufficient to make dry-farming possible and use of irrigation is limited.

Differential responses of red and white grape cultivars trained to a single trellis system – the VSP

Commercial grape production relies on training grapevine cultivars onto a variety of trellis systems. Training allows for well-lit leaves and clusters, maximizing fruit quality in addition to facilitating cultivation, harvesting, and diseases control. Although grapevines can be trained onto an infinite variety of trellis systems, most red and white cultivars are trained to the standard VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) system. However, red and white cultivars respond differently to VSP in fruit composition and growth characteristics, which are yet to be fully understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the influence of the VSP trellis system on fruit composition of three red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, and three white, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer cultivars grown under uniform growing conditions in the same vineyard. All cultivars were monitored for maturity and harvested at their physiologically maximum possible sugar concentration to compare various fruit quality attributes such as Brix, pH, TA, malic and tartaric acids, glucose and fructose, potassium, YAN, and phenolic compounds including total anthocyanins, anthocyanin profile, and tannins. A distinct pattern in fruit composition was observed in each cultivar. In regards to growth characteristics, Syrah grew vigorously with the highest cluster weight. Although all cultivars developed pyriform seeds, the seed size and weight varied among all cultivars. Also varied were mesocarp cell viability, brush morphology, and cane structure. This knowledge of the canopy architectural characteristics assessed by the widely employed fruit compositional attributes and growth characteristics will aid the growers in better management of the vines in varied situations.

La viticoltura veneta in un contesto di città e industria diffusa: per una lettura integrale del paesaggio della collina pedemontana veronese orientale

l Veneto, come è noto, rappresenta una delle estensioni di superfici a vigneto più importanti in Italia e nell’Europa stessa. Il paesaggio viticolo fino ad oggi è stato ampiamente letto nelle sue componenti