 IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Influence of must fining on wine pinking: relationship between electrochemical and colorimetric measurements and pinking attitude of wine

Influence of must fining on wine pinking: relationship between electrochemical and colorimetric measurements and pinking attitude of wine

Abstract

AIM: “Pinking” is a term used to define an abnormal pink coloration assumed by white wines in certain cases. Despite the are many hypotheses about the causes of this phenomenon, pinking still represents an issue for the wine industry. In the absence of reliable preventive strategies, wineries often rely on treatments such as charcoal fining, which is also negatively impacting wine aroma. This study aims at evaluating the potential of different fining agents based on animal or vegetal proteins to prevent wine pinking when applied at the level of must clarification. The work was carried out on Lugana wines, which is well-recognised as sensible to pinking problems.

METHODS: Two experimental Lugana musts were obtained by applying a standard winemaking protocol and were then clarified with different commercial preparations based on vegetal proteins or casein, alone or in combination with PVPP. A control only using pectolytic enzyme was also prepared. Finings were carried out at 4°C for 16h, and the clear must (200 NTU) was then fermented in controlled conditions. At the end of fermentation all wines were bottled with 25 mg/L of free SO2. Musts and wines were submitted to linear sweep voltammetry, colorimetric (CIELab) and spectrophotometric analyses. Pinking was assessed by CIELab.

RESULTS: Must fining with products based on combination of vegetable proteins and PVPP allowed significant reduction of must content in oxidizable compounds assessed by voltammetry, and this difference was still detected in the finished wines. After one month of bottle aging (free SO2 being 20 mg/L in all wines) pinking was detected for all wines except for those obtained from musts treated with potato or pea protein combined with PVPP. Voltammetric features of the must were shown to be well correlated with the risk of wine pinking. Analysis after one year of bottle aging confirmed the potential of fining to prevent pinking.

CONCLUSIONS: The type of fining agent used in must fining affects the occurrence of pinking in the finished wines. Vegetable proteins in combination with PVPP showed high potential for pinking prevention. Voltammetric analyses could be a promising tool for rapid assessment of the efficacy of fining treatments towards pinking.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

The present work was financially supported by Biolaffort.

DOI:

Publication date: September 28, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Maurizio Ugliano 1, Riccardo MANARA 1, Eduardo VELA ROMAN 1, Virginie MOINE 1, Arnaud MASSOT 2, Davide SLAGHENAUFI 2.

1 University of Verona, Italy.
2 Biolaffort, France.

Contact the author

Keywords

pinking, fining, vegetable proteins, linear sweep voltammetry

Citation

Biological control of the vineyard: new microbiological findings from CREA-VE

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), 75.866 km2 of the world is dedicated to grape cultivation. About 71.0% of the world’s grape production is destined for winemaking, 27.0% for consumption as fresh fruit and 2.0% as raisin. Grape production is mainly hindered by fungal infections, that can develop both in field and post-harvest.

Comparison of aroma-related compounds of carbonic maceration and traditional young red winemaking in case of Merlot by means of targeted metabolomic approach

Winemaking decisions and techniques are known to affect the final aromatic composition of red wines. Winemakers put a constant effort into the improved controlling of vinification procedures to achieve better quality. Anyway an increased customer’s demand for uniqueness is often forcing them to adjust and offer new and new interesting products. To support the producers, an improved knowledge on aromatic potential as affected by classical and alternative strategies is needed.

Phenological stage dependency of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache response to water and nutrient limitation

As the frequency and intensity of drought events increase, understanding the mechanisms of plant resilience to water deficit is crucial. To maintain an appropriate plant yield, a common practice is the application of high amounts of fertilizers with negative environmental impacts. The single and combined effect of water deficit and nutrient availability, namely nitrogen (N) and potassium (K), in Vitis Vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache was evaluated. Two-year-old grapevine plants grafted on SO4 rootstock were transferred in pots under semi-environmental conditions. During the growing season, plants were either maintained well-watered (100% ETc) or subjected to a controlled water deficit irrigation (33% ETc).

Physiological response of new cultivars resistant to fungi confronted to drought in a semi-arid Mediterranean area

Water is one of the most limiting factors for viticulture in Mediterranean regions. Former researches showed that water shortage hampers both vegetative and reproductive developments. INRA is running programs to breed varieties carrying QTL of tolerance to major fungi, i.e. powdery and downy mildews. Some varieties have been already certified or are close to be certified. However, little is known about the response of these varieties to water deficit, which behavior is critical for their development. This study characterized physiological responses of 4 new varieties to water deficit and described relationship between them.

Recent observations in wine oxidation

The chemistry of wine oxidation is captured in the reactions between the oxidation products, mostly reactive electrophiles, with other wine constituents. An understanding of both components and their reactions can lead to ideas and techniques to control and mitigate or enhance these reactions to allow for the desired development of the wine. Current investigations are yielding much useful information about oxidation reactions in wine.