Evaluation of grape ripeness, carbonic maceration and pectolytic enzymes to improve the chemical and sensory quality of red sparkling wines

Abstract

BACKGROUND Red sparkling wines are and innovative product for the oenology market, and oenologists are looking for technologies to improve their winemaking. The present study aimed to use both carbonic maceration and pectolytic enzymes applied to premature grapes during the winemaking of red sparkling wines. Both could modify the release of polyphenols, as well as improve the foaming, aroma and sensory properties of the wines. RESULTS Red sparkling wines made with mature grapes showed the highest content of polyphenols, ethyl esters, alcohol acetates, total volatile acids and foam stability time. They were characterised by a high foam collar and foam area, full‐body, astringency, persistence, and olfactory intensity, and were the best evaluated with respect to global perception in the sensory analysis. Treatment with pectolytic enzymes was not effective with unripe grapes. These wines showed a high content of total ethyl esters and the highest content of lactones, producing wines with high olfactory intensity and fruity aromas. Red sparkling wines made by carbonic maceration showed the lowest content of total polyphenols, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, as well as high contents of C6 alcohols and total ethyl esters, and were characterised by vegetal aroma notes. Both treatments produced red sparkling wines with good foam characteristics. CONCLUSION Winemaking of red sparkling wines with premature grapes and pectinolytic enzymes or carbonic maceration did not achieve an improvement with respect to their chemical and sensory qualities. The use of mature grapes and traditional winemaking is the best option for elaborating red quality sparkling wines. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Non-Conventional Grape Varieties and Yeast Starters for First and Second Fermentation in Sparkling Wine Production Using the Traditional Method

“…In fact, sparkling wines made with mature Tempranillo grapes, despite their high alcohol content, showed better volatile composition and foam characteristics than those obtained from pre-mature Tempranillo grapes [34]. The use of pectinolytic enzymes and/or carbonic maceration on premature Tempranillo grapes, intended to contribute to the extraction of polyphenols and varietal aromas, did not improve the chemical and sensory qualities of the sparkling wines compared with those manufactured using mature Tempranillo grapes [36]. Moreover, Tempranillo red sparkling wines made with mature grapes have shown high contents of polyphenols, ethyl esters, alcohol acetates, and total volatile acids, as well as foam stability [34,36], while wines made using unripe grapes have vegetal aroma notes [34,36].…”

“…The use of pectinolytic enzymes and/or carbonic maceration on premature Tempranillo grapes, intended to contribute to the extraction of polyphenols and varietal aromas, did not improve the chemical and sensory qualities of the sparkling wines compared with those manufactured using mature Tempranillo grapes [36]. Moreover, Tempranillo red sparkling wines made with mature grapes have shown high contents of polyphenols, ethyl esters, alcohol acetates, and total volatile acids, as well as foam stability [34,36], while wines made using unripe grapes have vegetal aroma notes [34,36]. These studies suggest that mature grapes and traditional winemaking practices are options to be preferred for elaborating red sparkling wines using the traditional method (Tables 3 and 4).…”

“…Red sparkling or semi-sparkling wines represent a small fraction of the sparkling wine production worldwide, and are mostly characterized by a slight red color and a relatively poor complexity [34,35], because red grapes harvested at the proper time for sparkling wine production (i.e., <21 • Brix), have not yet achieved adequate phenolic maturity and, due to the relatively low final content of alcohol (i.e., 10.0-11.5% v/v; Table 3), the extraction of phenolic compounds and aroma precursors from the grape berries into the base wine is relatively low [35]. To face many of the challenges associated with red sparkling wine production, various agricultural and enological practices have been proposed, including alternative harvest dates, mixing of different grape varieties, prefermentative cold maceration, rack and return, carbonic maceration, and treatment of pre-mature grapes by applying pectolytic enzymes [23,[34][35][36].…”

Effect of the cold pre-fermentative maceration and aging on lees times on the phenolic compound profile, antioxidant capacity and color of red sparkling wines

“…However, there is still no research aimed at understanding the behavior of this variety in the elaboration of red sparkling wines. The use of red grapes to elaborate this product should aim at adequate technological and phenolic maturity, such that the base wine reaches a moderate alcoholic content (10.0–11.5ºGL) and low pH value (bellow 3.5), with the acidity and phenolic compound content well-balanced to guarantee the sensory characteristics desired by the winemaker (González-Lázaro et al 2020 ).…”

Machine Vision for Ripeness Estimation in Viticulture Automation

“…Traditional ripeness estimation for commercial grape growers is performed by experts who assess the maturity grade based on sensory attributes, i.e., color and taste, in combination with exhaustive sampling followed by chemical analyses [5]. The latter is not economically feasible, especially for commercial vineyards.…”