Enzymatic Management of pH in White Wines.

This paper investigates the potential of the enzymatic management of high pH in white juice and wine using a combination of enzymes-glucose oxidase coupled with catalase. Catazyme® 25 L, a commercially available blend of the two enzymes, was added at different doses (0.2 g/L, 0.6 g/L, and 1g/L) to white grape juice and various parameters (glucose, gluconic acid, pH) were monitored over 24 h of treatment. Treated wines were fermented to dryness without any difficulty and the wines were chemically and sensorially evaluated. At the highest dose (1 g/L), pH was reduced from 3.9 to 3.2, with 20.5 g of gluconic acid produced, while at the lowest dose (0.2 g/L), pH decreased from 4.0 to 3.5 and 8.8 g of gluconic acid was produced. Flash profiling indicated that treated wines were lighter in color than the control and were described using terms such as floral, fruit, citrus, and sour while the control wine was described as being fermented, medicinal, pungent, and oxidized. In conclusion, glucose oxidase coupled with catalase was shown to be effective at significantly reducing juice and wine pH in a short amount of time and with a positive impact on the organoleptic profiles of the treated wines.

Malvidin-3- O-glucoside Chemical Behavior in the Wine pH Range.

Anthocyanins are natural pigments responsible for the typical color of red wines and are critically associated with the wine commercial value and longevity. Thus, understanding the molecular bases of the anthocyanin chemical behavior in the complex wine environment is a central issue to the enological sector. By setting up a nuclear-magnetic-resonance-based experimental protocol, new important insights into the chemistry of malvidin-3- O-glucoside, a major wine anthocyanin, in model solution have been provided. Two new equilibrating isomers of the anthocyanin have been identified and quantified at typical wine pH values. More importantly, the key role of pH in determining the solubility and co-pigmentation process of malvidin-3- O-glucoside has been clarified. Consequently, a value of pH of about 3.3 or lower favors co-pigmentation while inhibiting the precipitation of significant quantities of anthocyanins during the maceration-extraction phase of the winemaking.

The effects of pH and copper on the formation of volatile sulfur compounds in Chardonnay and Shiraz wines post-bottling.

The effects of pH and Cu(2+) treatment on the formation of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) were investigated in Chardonnay and Shiraz wine samples. Four VSCs were significantly affected by pH, with lower wine pH associated with decreased hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, and carbon disulfide concentrations. The effects of pH and Cu(2+) on H2S formation from known precursor compounds were subsequently studied in a model wine system. In samples treated with cysteine and glutathione lower pH produced less H2S. Nanoparticle tracking analysis was used to study the effects of variable pH concentrations in a model system containing Cu(2+), tartaric acid, and H2S. Differences in Cu(2)(+)-tartrate complexes particle size and concentration were measured as a function of pH and H2S addition, suggesting the type of complexes formed may affect the binding sites of Cu(2+) available to catalyse the formation of VSCs such as H2S.