Vitamins in wine: Which, what for, and how much?

Abstract

Vitamins are essential compounds to yeasts, and notably in winemaking contexts. Vitamins are involved in numerous yeast metabolic pathways, including those of amino acids, fatty acids, and alcohols, which suggests their notable implication in fermentation courses, as well as in the development of aromatic compounds in wines. Although they are major components in the course of those microbial processes, their significance and impact have not been extensively studied in the context of winemaking and wine products, as most of the studies focusing on the subject in the past decades have relied on relatively insensitive and imprecise analytical methods. Therefore, this review provides an extensive overview of the current knowledge regarding the impacts of vitamins on grape must fermentations, wine‐related yeast metabolisms, and requirements, as well as on the profile of wine sensory characteristics. We also highlight the methodologies and techniques developed over time to perform vitamin analysis in wines, and assess the importance of precisely defining the role played by vitamins in winemaking processes, to ensure finer control of the fermentation courses and product characteristics in a highly complex matrix.

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Red and White Wines Produced from Autochthonous Croatian Varieties: Effect of Moderate Consumption on Human Health

“…These results correspond with vitamin B1 levels in wines investigated in this study, where concentrations were generally low, and much lower in white wines in comparison with red wines. In addition, Evers et al [ 62 ] reported that red wines appear to have higher thiamine concentrations than white wines, indicating that skins and seeds are richer in this compound than pulp and juice are. Concentrations of vitamin B2 were significantly highest in young Malvazija istarska among white wines, and in young Teran among red wines.…”

“…Concentrations of vitamin B2 were significantly highest in young Malvazija istarska among white wines, and in young Teran among red wines. Evers et al [ 62 ] reported that it is highly probable that riboflavin in musts and wines results from yeasts rather than from the solid parts of grapes. It is important to note that in all the investigated wines, the concentration of vitamin B2 was much lower in aged wines compared with young wines; this is in agreement with results of Moreno and Peinado [ 63 ], who concluded that the photosensitivity of riboflavin may often lead to rapid depletions in its levels in wine with aging.…”

Unripe grapes: an overview of the composition, traditional and innovative applications, and extraction methods of a promising waste of viticulture

“…Data on vitamin C content in ripe grapes are scarce. Evers et al (2021) reported a concentration range of vitamin C in grape must from 30 to 572 mg/L. The same authors indicated that these data derived from experiments performed many years ago when the sensitivity of the methods employed was low.…”

“…Liposoluble vitamins such as vitamin E and carotenoids have been identified in grapes (Evers et al 2021). Vitamin E consists of four tocopherols (α‐, β‐, γ‐ and δ‐forms) and the corresponding unsaturated forms, such as the tocotrienols.…”

Characterisation of Extracts Obtained from Unripe Grapes and Evaluation of Their Potential Protective Effects against Oxidation of Wine Colour in Comparison with Different Oenological Products

“…Grapes contain liposoluble and water-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins generally display polar or ionizable groups, whereas liposoluble vitamins are more commonly characterised by aromatic and aliphatic groups [ 53 ]. Liposoluble vitamins include vitamin E and carotenoids.…”