Effect of aging time, dosage and toasting level of oak chips on the color parameters, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of red wines (var. Fetească neagră)

The Influence of Active Compounds of Chips Made from Different Wood Species on the Antioxidant, Oenological and Sensory Properties of Apple Wines

Wood chips contain numerous active compounds that can affect the wine's characteristics. They are commonly used in red grape wines, whisky, cherry and brandy, but in fruit wines, production is not typically utilised. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of an oak barrel ageing with the effect of the addition of chips made from various types of wood (oak, maple, cherry, apple) and with various degrees of toasting to the apple wines on their antioxidant, oenological and sensory properties. The oenological parameters, the polyphenols content, antioxidant activity and content of volatile odour-active compounds were assessed. It was shown that ageing in the presence of wood chips had a less noticeable effect on the oenological and sensory parameters of the wine than barrel ageing. Moreover, wood chips used did not significantly affect the acidity, alcohol and extract content of apple wines. Wines aged in the presence of oak chips (particularly lightly toasted) exhibited the greatest increase in polyphenols, while the polyphenol content of wines aged in the presence of other chips was not dependent on their toasting degree. The ageing of fruit wines with wood chips influences the volatile profile and the olfactory sensations, which can improve their quality.

Metabolomics of Red Wines Aged Traditionally, with Chips or Staves

Traditionally and alternatively aged wines' odour activity values (OAVs) are investigated to differentiate and highlight the differences between the selected methods. An analysis of the volatile aroma compounds of wines derived from ageing in barrels, oak chips, and staves was performed using stir bar sorptive extraction chromatography-mass spectroscopy (SBSE-GC-MS). The results showed that alcohols, esters, and oak compounds were the main contributors to aroma, and their OAVs were higher in the stave samples after 3 months than in the samples from the other two systems of ageing. Furthermore, wines aged with staves have stronger fruity, spiced, and woody aromas, while samples aged in barrels present more chemistry-driven, floral, caramelly, and creamy aromas. The staves-medium plus toast (SMPT at 3 months > 225) and chips-medium plus toast (CMPT at 3 months > 170) showed the highest levels of aromatic series, suggesting that alternative systems provided more powerful aromas than traditional systems, such as barrels-medium plus toast (BMPT at 3 months > 150). A principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) analysis, and cluster analysis allowed for a clear differentiation to be made between red wines according to ageing systems and ageing times. The odour activity values fingerprint in winemaking is a feasible approach to characterise and distinguish wines. Moreover, OAVs provide important information on the effects of production methods on wine quality and aroma profile.

Polyphenolic Compounds in Extracts from Roasted Grapevine Canes: An Investigation for a Circular Approach to Increase Sustainability in the Viticulture Sectors

In this study, we compared the polyphenolic composition of the roasted grapevine wood chips of four Vitis vinifera cultivars-namely, Sorbara, Grasparossa, Malbo Gentile, and Spergola. These waste byproducts have the potential as infusion chips for the aging of alcoholic beverages and vinegars, contributing to an enriched sensory profile. Roasting amplifies aromatic nuances and triggers the depletion of crucial bioactive compounds, including polyphenols. We investigated the extent of polyphenolic loss in the ethanolic extract of roasted grapevine chips to repurpose this waste byproduct and assess its potential. We assessed the levels of trans-resveratrol, trans-ε-viniferin, trans-piceatannol, and the main resveratrol trimer. Our findings indicated a significant decrease in polyphenol content as the roasting temperature increased, from 16.85-21.12 mg GAE/g for grapevine chips roasted at 120 °C to 3.10-7.77 mg GAE/g for those roasted at 240 °C. This study also highlights notable genotypic differences in polyphenolic content. Among the red grape cultivars analyzed, Sorbara exhibited the highest levels (7.77-21.12 mg/GAEg), whereas the white grape cultivar Spergola showed the lowest polyphenolic content (3.10-16.85 mg/GAEg). These findings not only contribute to the scientific understanding of polyphenol stability but also hold practical implications for the enhancement of aged beverages, as well as advancing sustainable practices in the viticulture industries.

The Impact of Compounds Extracted from Wood on the Quality of Alcoholic Beverages

The production of some alcoholic beverages very often requires the use of wood from various tree species to improve the quality parameters (smell, taste, and color) of the drink. The review discusses the types of wood used in the production of wines, beers, and flavored vodkas. Changes occurring in wood during the process of toasting barrels or wood chips are described. The compounds derived from wood that shape the aroma, taste, and color of alcoholic beverages are presented. Depending on their origin, they were classified into compounds naturally occurring in wood and those formed as a result of the thermal treatment of wood. Next, the influence of the presence of wood on the quality of alcoholic beverages was described, with particular emphasis on wine, beer, whisky, and brandy. The final part of the article presents innovative techniques using wood to impart qualitative features to alcoholic beverages.

Barroso C, Guillén DA. Analytical Characterization and Sensory Analysis of Distillates of Different Varieties of Grapes Aged by an Accelerated Method

The wine spirits used for the elaboration of Brandy de Jerez are mainly obtained from wines produced from the Airén type of grape, which comes from the vineyards located in the region of La Mancha (Central Spain). This entails a limitation when achieving a product classified as “protected geographic designation”. For that purpose, it is necessary that the grape used for the wine spirit comes from the area and not from Castile la Mancha, as has happened until now. Due to this fact, it is necessary to search for a possible alternative grape variety which allows the produced brandy to be eligible for a “protected geographic designation”. For that purpose, an accelerated ageing process has been implemented with a method previously optimized to distillates obtained from wines from different varieties of grapes (Airén, Colombard, Corredera, Doradilla, Garrido Fino, Jaén blanco, Moscatel de Alejandría, Palomino Fino, Ugni Blanc, and Zalema) grown in the Jerez Area. They were evaluated, both from the analytical and sensory points of view. The distillates made from Jaén Blanco and Zalema have properties that make them interesting for future development and incorporation into oenological practice.

Evaluation of Aroma Compounds in the Process of Wine Ageing with Oak Chips

Many modern alcoholic beverages are subjected to ageing processes during which compounds extracted from wood contribute decisively to the overall beverage character. Wines represent a perfect example of beverage in which ageing is a crucial technological manufacturing step. During winemaking, producers accelerate chemical changes in wine composition by traditional and alternative methods, such as the use of oak wood barrels and/or oak wood chips. Our research aimed to investigate the overall volatile composition and sensory quality of red wines aged for two timeframes, namely, 1.5 and 3 months, and with two technological variants, i.e., American and French oak wood chips. Red grapes from the Fetească neagră (Vitis vinifera) variety were harvested from a vineyard in the North-East region of Romania. Stir bar sorptive extraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS) was used to extract minor aromas present in wine samples. The results showed clear differences between wines treated with American and French oak chips. Furthermore, ageing for 3 months increased the concentration of cis-whiskey lactone and guaiacol in American oak-treated wine samples. For wines aged with French oak chips, we observed higher concentrations of furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 4-vinylguaiacol, and trans-whiskey lactone. The increased presence of chemical compounds in wine aged with French oak chips generated prominent smoky, licorice, and toasty aromas, whereas in wines aged with American oak chips, notes of vanilla, toasty, and cacao aromas were noticed. Moreover, red wines aged with American and French oak chips were discriminated by chemometric analysis, which confirmed the evolution of aroma compounds.

Effect of size, seasoning and toasting level of Quercus pyrenaica Willd. wood on wine phenolic composition during maturation process with micro-oxygenation

Seasoning and toasting treatments carried out in cooperage influence the chemical composition of the oak, and these treatments affect different oak species in different ways. For this reason, numerous studies have focused on the evaluation of both the oak wood materials and the resulting aged wines in order to optimize the different cooperage processes. Seasoning involves immobilizing the wood for long periods of time, leading to an increase in the price of the final product. When using alternative products instead of barrels, in addition to the seasoning and toasting of the wood, the size of the wood pieces is a determining factor in the characteristics of the final wine. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the polyphenolic composition of the same red wine aged with different alternative products and a small amount of oxygen for 120 days. Specifically, the effect of 2 types of seasoning and 3 types of toasting of chips and staves made from the wood of Q. pyrenaica Willd. was studied. The results showed that the size of the alternative product was the factor that determines the phenolic composition of the wines over the entire ageing process, independent of the seasoning or toasting method carried out on the wood.

Volatilome fingerprint of red wines aged with chips or staves: Influence of the aging time and toasting degree

The influence on aroma compounds chips or staves and toasting degree have been analyzed in red wines aged for two periods of time. Ethyl propanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2-phenylethanol, E-2-hexenol, octanal, nonanal, decanal, γ-nonalactone, furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol and cis-whiskey lactone were the compounds that contribute the most to the aroma series profile. By means of principal components analysis, esters were related to the aging time; cis-whiskey lactone with the type of wood pieces and octanal, 5-methyl furfural and cis-whiskey lactone with the toasting degree. Star plot show that woody aroma compounds are dominant in wines aged with low toasting degree oak pieces, whereas medium plus toasted pieces increased the concentration of aroma compounds with fruity aroma descriptors. Wines with prominent fruity or woody aromas can be obtained depending upon the degree of toasting of wood pieces used for aging.

Polyphenol Fingerprinting Approaches in Wine Traceability and Authenticity: Assessment and Implications of Red Wines

Like any other food/feed matrix, regardless of the employed analytical method, wine requires authentication strategies; a suitable qualitative and quantitative analysis represents the fingerprint which defines its identity. Until recently, fingerprinting approaches using liquid chromatography applications have been regarded as an effective tool for the assessment of wines employing polyphenol profiles. These profiles are of considerable importance for grapes and wines as they influence greatly the color, sensory, and nutritional quality of the final product. The authenticity and typicity characters are fundamental characteristics, which may be evaluated by the use of polyphenol fingerprinting techniques. Under these conditions, the evolution of polyphenols during the red wine elaboration and maturation processes shows a high importance at the level of the obtained fingerprints. Moreover, the environment factors (vintage, the area of origin, and variety) and the technological conditions significantly influence wine authenticity through the use of polyphenol profiles. Taking into account the complexity of the matter at hand, this review outlines the latest trends in the polyphenol fingerprinting of red wines in association with the transformations that occur during winemaking and storage.