 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

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT VITICULTURAL AND ENOLOGICAL PRACTICES ON THE PHENOLIC COMPOSITION OF RED WINES

Global climate change is exerting a notable influence on viticulture sector and grape composition. The increase in temperature and the changes in rainfall pattern are causing a gap between phenolic and technological grape maturities [1]. As a result, the composition of grapes at harvest time and, consequently, that of wines are being affected, especially with regards to phenolic composition. Hence, wine quality is decreasing due to changes in the organoleptic properties, such as color and astringency, making necessary to implement new adaptive technologies in wineries to modulate these properties in order to improve wine quality.

Climate variability and its effects in the Penedès vineyard region (NE Spain)

This study present a detailed analysis of the rainfall and temperature changes in the Penedès region in the period 1995/ 96 – 2008/09, in comparison with the trends observed during the last 50 years, and its implications on phenology and yield.

Contaminations croisées avec les produits phytosanitaires dans les vins bio. Sources potentielles et mesures de prévention.

Organic wines, although resulting from a production method based on the non-use of synthetic phytosanitary products, are not always free of residues. These residues can result from cross-contamination during production in the field or in the cellar, during the production or aging of the wine. In recent years, with the improvement of analysis techniques, a molecule, phosphonic acid, the main metabolite of fosetyl-al (banned in organic farming) is regularly quantified in organic wines and its origin is not clearly identified.

A look back at 20 years of exploring the future of the vines and wines sector

What if, in 25 years, most wines were dealcoholized and flavored ? What if vines were only cultivated to combat erosion, store carbon, and provide anthocyanins…? What if climate change completely changed the list of vine varieties cultivable for wine production in France? What if food stores had completely disappeared in favor of virtual platforms? And if… because the long-term future is not predetermined and therefore not knowable, because the future is open to several possibilities, because the future does not emerge from nothing but from the present which conceals heavy trends and weak signals, prospective approaches make it possible to consider the room for maneuver that actors have to promote the advent of a future, which we can hope to be chosen, at least in part.

The effect of terroir zoning on pomological, chemical and aromatic composition of Muscat d’Alexandrie grapevine variety cultivated in Tunisia

La composition du raisin de la variété Muscat d’Alexandrie a été étudiée dans trois terroirs différents au Nord-Est de la Tunisie (RafRaf, Baddar et Kelibia).
Des échantillons de raisins ont été récoltés à maturité industrielle durant les saisons 2001 et 2002 dans les trois régions citées. Les paramètres pomologiques (poids moyen de la grappe et de la baie) et physico-chimiques