Wine Faults: State of Knowledge in Reductive Aromas, Oxidation and Atypical Aging, Prevention, and Correction Methods

Abstract

The review summarizes the latest scientific findings and recommendations for the prevention of three very common wine faults of non-microbial origin. The first group, presented by the reductive aromas, is caused mainly by excessive H2S and other volatile sulfur compounds with a negative impact on wine quality. The most efficient prevention of undesirable reductive aromas in wine lies in creating optimal conditions for yeast and controlling the chemistry of sulfur compounds, and the pros and cons of correction methods are discussed. The second is browning which is associated especially with the enzymatic and non-enzymatic reaction of polyphenols and the prevention of this fault is connected with decreasing the polyphenol content in must, lowering oxygen access during handling, the use of antioxidants, and correction stands for the use of fining agents. The third fault, atypical aging, mostly occurs in the agrotechnics of the entire green land cover in the vineyard and the associated stress from lack of nutrients and moisture. Typical fox tones, naphthalene, or wet towel off-odors, especially in white wines are possible to prevent by proper moisture and grassland cover and alternating greenery combined with harmonious nutrition, while the correction is possible only partially with an application of fresh yeast. With the current knowledge, the mistakes in wines of non-microbial origin can be reliably prevented. Prevention is essential because corrective solutions for the faults are difficult and never perfect.

A Review on Wine Flavour Profiles Altered by Bottle Aging

“…In contrast, small amounts of negative aromas are thought to contribute to aromatic complexity. The three most important VSCs are associated with these sensory descriptors, including H 2 S, MeSH, and ethanethiol (EtSH) [ 34 ].…”

“…The mechanisms of the oxidation reaction [ 5 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], esterification reaction, and hydrolysis reaction [ 28 , 29 ] during the aging process of wine bottles have been widely studied. Recently, more attention has been paid to the mechanism of the Strecker reaction [ 30 , 31 , 32 ], the influences of closures [ 14 , 33 ], and the alterations of specific compounds which can affect the flavour of wine [ 12 , 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”

Studies on the Enhancement of Sparkling Wine and Chocolate Pairing through Compositional Profile Analysis

“…Samples with values above 12 g/L reductive sugar will usually be characterized as more balanced, while a higher content of sugar covers up the acidity and freshness [ 28 ]. This is confirmed by our results.…”

“…For example, even if P8 samples presented the highest total acidity ( Table 1 ), it was not perceived by the tasters due to its high level of sugar (31.6 g/L reductive sugar). According to Ailer et al [ 28 ], the reductive sugar level accentuates the threshold concentrations of negative sensory descriptors like mousiness, atypical wine aging, oxidation or yeast decay. The possible negative attributes were not included in this study.…”

From polyphenol to o‐quinone: Occurrence, significance, and intervention strategies in foods and health implications

“…Despite considerable o ‐quinones produced by enzymatic oxidation, thermal processing and various novel non‐thermal technologies have been widely used to inhibit PPO activity (Mayookha et al., 2023; Moon et al., 2020; Nogales‐Delgado, 2021). However, polyphenols can hardly avoid contact with oxygen during the processing of fruits and vegetables, so nonenzymatic oxidation occurs throughout the whole process of juice or wine production and contributes significantly to the formation of o ‐quinones (Ailer et al., 2022; Su et al., 2022). As a result, future studies should pay more attention to nonenzymatic oxidation and seek to mitigate it during production, storage, transport, and consumption.…”