Effect of biological ageing of wine on its nitrogen composition for producing high quality vinegar

Discrimination of some European vinegars with protected denomination of origin as a function of their amino acid and biogenic amine content

“…In our samples, proline tended to gradually decrease as a function of the age of the products, being the highest in BVM and the lowest in TBVM‐XT samples, hence apparently corroborating previous findings on its metabolisation by acetic acid bacteria …”

“…In our samples, proline tended to gradually decrease as a function of the age of the products, being the highest in BVM and the lowest in TBVM-XT samples, hence apparently corroborating previous findings on its metabolisation by acetic acid bacteria. 11,12 Interestingly, asparagine was exclusively detected in younger vinegars (BVM, VJ, VJR, VJ-M and VJ-PX) suggesting its progressive consumption by acetic bacteria during longer technological processes. As far as we know, only one other paper investigated the utilisation of amino acids by acetic acid bacteria.…”

“…As a consequence, it is often the most abundant amino acid in wine and wine vinegars . Proline was also identified as one of the main nitrogen source for acetic acid bacteria, both in submerged and in surface or traditional acetifications, with contents inversely proportional to the length of the process. However, contrasting results have been highlighted by Palacios et al and Callejon et al , the latter stressing that, depending on the prevailing strain of acetic acid bacteria, the amount of proline in vinegars may not change or may slightly increase along the process.…”

“…In vinegars, amino acid composition has been reported to be largely influenced by the applied production process and the ladder of biotransformations to which the final product has undergone. As a matter of fact, the amount of nitrogen useful for acetification may vary depending on the raw material (grape must, young wine or aged wine), the acetification technology and its duration …”

“…10 In vinegars, amino acid composition has been reported to be largely influenced by the applied production process and the ladder of biotransformations to which the final product has undergone. As a matter of fact, the amount of nitrogen useful for acetification may vary depending on the raw material (grape must, young wine or aged wine), 11,12 the acetification technology 13 and its duration. 14 Despite the number of factors influencing the quantity of amino acids and amines in wines and vinegars, some researchers have successfully used their amounts in order to differentiate wines 15,16 or vinegars.…”