Effect on Merlot red wine of fining agents mixture: application of the simplex centroid design

Evaluation of Plant-Based Byproducts as Green Fining Agents for Precision Winemaking

Consumers are increasingly looking for foods, including wine, that are free of animal-derived proteins. This study seeks to evaluate patatin, a new, plant-based and allergen-free fining agent, by comparing it with the fining agents polyvinipolypyrrolidone, bovine serum albumin, and methylcellulose. Specifically, its effects on the phenolic profile of enological tannins were analyzed with four spectrophotometric assays: OD 280 nm, Folin−Ciocâlteu, Adams−Harbertson, and methylcellulose. In addition, changes in the polyphenol composition of Sangiovese red wine were determined by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC with adsorption trials, and the solid−liquid interaction in a wine solution was modeled by both Langmuir and Freundlich equations. Our findings highlight the occurrence of systematic proportional error between the selected spectrophotometric assays. As a result, direct comparisons of protein precipitation assays can be made only among results obtained with the same spectrophotometric method. However, it is clear that patatin has an impact on the phenolic profile of Sangiovese red wine: it removes simple phenolics (gallic acid, (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, syringic acid, fertaric acid, coutaric acid, and rutin) as well as both oligomeric and polymeric tannins to different extents. In concentrations of less than 1 g/L, the patatin isotherm showed a linear relation between the equilibrium concentration and the quantity absorbed, obeying the Freundlich model reasonably well (KF 1.46; 1/n 1.07; R2 0.996 with 1/n > 1). Thus, the adsorption process is strongly dependent on the fining dosage.

Impact of oenological processing aids and additives on the genetic traceability of 'Nebbiolo' wine produced with withered grapes

'Nebbiolo' is a well-known grapevine variety used to produce prestigious monovarietal Italian red wines. Genetic traceability is an important tool used to protect the authenticity of high-quality wines. SNP-based assays are an effective method to reach this aim in wines, but several issues have been reported for the authentication of commercial wines. In this study, the impact of the most common commercial additives and processing aids used in winemaking was analysed in 'Nebbiolo' wine using SNP-based traceability. Gelatine and bentonite had the strongest impact on the turbidity, colour and phenolic composition of wines and on residual grapevine DNA. The DNA reduction associated with the use of bentonite and gelatine (>99% compared to the untreated control) caused issues in the SNP-based assay, especially when the DNA concentration was below 0.5 pg/mL of wine. This study contributed to explaining the causes of the reduced varietal identification efficiency in commercial wines.

How to Deal with Uninvited Guests in Wine: Copper and Copper-containing Oxidases

Copper is one of the most frequently occurring heavy metals in must and wine. It is introduced by pesticides, brass fittings, and as copper sulphate for treatment of reductive off-flavors. At higher concentrations, copper has harmful effects on the wine. It contributes to the oxidation of wine ingredients, browning reactions, cloudiness, inhibition of microorganisms, and wine fermentation. Last but not least, there is also a danger to the consumer. At present, some physicochemical methods exist to reduce the copper content in must and wine, but they all have their shortcomings. A possible solution is the biosorption of metals by yeasts or lactobacilli. Copper can also reach must and wine in the form of copper-containing phenol oxidases (grape tyrosinase, Botrytis cinerea laccases). Similar to free copper, they oxidize phenolic wine compounds, and thus lead to considerable changes in color and nutritional value, making the product ultimately unsaleable. All measurements for enzyme inactivation such as heat treatment, and addition of sulphites or bentonite are either problematic or not effective enough. The application of oenological tannins could offer a way out but needs further research.