Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in the E-Nose Technologies Addressed to the Wine Industry.

Electronic nose devices stand out as pioneering innovations in contemporary technological research, addressing the arduous challenge of replicating the complex sense of smell found in humans. Currently, sensor instruments find application in a variety of fields, including environmental, (bio)medical, food, pharmaceutical, and materials production. Particularly the latter, has seen a significant increase in the adoption of technological tools to assess food quality, gradually supplanting human panelists and thus reshaping the entire quality control paradigm in the sector. This process is happening even more rapidly in the world of wine, where olfactory sensory analysis has always played a central role in attributing certain qualities to a wine. In this review, conducted using sources such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science, we examined papers published between January 2015 and January 2024. The aim was to explore prevailing trends in the use of human panels and sensory tools (such as the E-nose) in the wine industry. The focus was on the evaluation of wine quality attributes by paying specific attention to geographical origin, sensory defects, and monitoring of production trends. Analyzed results show that the application of E-nose-type sensors performs satisfactorily in that trajectory. Nevertheless, the integration of this type of analysis with more classical methods, such as the trained sensory panel test and with the application of destructive instrument volatile compound (VOC) detection (e.g., gas chromatography), still seems necessary to better explore and investigate the aromatic characteristics of wines.

Feasibility assessment of a low-cost visible spectroscopy-based prototype for monitoring polyphenol extraction in fermenting musts.

BACKGROUND: Polyphenols have long been used to evaluate grape and wine quality and it is necessary to measure them throughout various winemaking stages. They are currently assessed predominantly through analytical methods, which are characterized by time-consuming procedures and environmentally harmful practices. Non-destructive spectroscopy-based devices offer an alternative but they tend to be costly and not readily accessible for smaller wineries. This study introduces the initial steps in employing a portable, user-friendly, and cost-effective visible (VIS) spectrophotometer prototype for direct polyphenol measurement during winemaking. RESULTS: Grapes (cv Syrah, Bobal, and Cabernet Sauvignon) at different maturation stages were fermented with or without stems. Throughout fermentation, parameters such as color intensity, total polyphenol index, total anthocyanins, and tannins were monitored. Concurrently, VIS spectra were acquired using both the prototype and a commercial instrument. Chemometric approaches were then applied to establish correlation models between spectra and destructive analyses. The prototype models demonstrated an acceptable level of confidence for only a few parameters, indicating their lack of complete reliability at this stage. CONCLUSIONS: Visible spectroscopy is already utilized for polyphenol analysis in winemaking but the aspiration to automate the process in wineries, particularly with low-cost devices, remains unrealized. This study investigates the feasibility of a low-cost and user-friendly spectrophotometer. The results indicate that, in the early stages of prototype utilization, the goal is attainable but requires further development and in-depth assessments. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Optimizing the winemaking process: NIR spectroscopy and e-nose analysis for the online monitoring of fermentation.

BACKGROUND: In the winemaking process, the rapid determination of specific quality parameters such as sugar content, pH, acidity, concentrations of phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and volatile organic compounds is crucial for high-quality wine production. Traditional analytical methods allow for precise quantification of these parameters but are time-consuming and expensive. This article explores the potential application of non-destructive analytical technique (NDAT) (near infra-red [NIR] and e-nose), as efficient alternatives for online monitoring of fermentation working on two different winemaking tanks and applying chemometrics to develop predictive models to correlate non-destructive and analytical data. RESULTS: NIR measurements have been used to build principal components regression models, showing good prediction capability for polyphenols, anthocyanins, glucose and fructose. Both offline and online e-nose applications demonstrate good capability of discriminating different fermentation phases, in agreement with aromatic profile changes observed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Moreover, correlation analysis reveals the potential of quartz microbalances, Taguchi Gas Sensors and H2 S sensors in predicting the concentration of compounds of great interest for winemaking (e.g. C6 alcohols, ketones, terpenes and ethyl esters) highlighting the robust connection between sensor data and specific chemical classes. CONCLUSION: This research aims to showcase the potential employment of NDAT for online monitoring the evolution of must composition during fermentation. The proposed methods could potentially fulfil a longstanding requirement of winemakers, enabling them to closely monitor fermentation allowing the timely making of important technical decisions aimed at achieving oenological objectives in wine production. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Destructive and non-destructive early detection of postharvest noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) in wine grapes aimed at producing high-quality wines.

BACKGROUND: Botrytis cinerea (Bc) is the causative agent of gray mold disease in wine grape bunches. Under particular climatic and edaphic conditions, typical of some wine regions, the grapes infected by this fungus can develop noble rot, the basic phenomenon for the production of sweet botrytized wines or some high-quality dry wines, such as Amarone. The possibility of early detection of noble rot on plants and at postharvest is an interesting option for managing botrytized wines. RESULTS: The present work aimed at early detection of noble rot and monitoring its development, at postharvest, on Trebbiano wine grapes by means of destructive and non-destructive analytical approaches (e.g., electronic nose and near-infrared spectroscopy). The development of Bc led to substantial modifications in grape composition, including dehydration, biosynthesis, and accumulation of different compounds due to Bc metabolism, grape stress responses, or both. However, these modifications are appreciable, notably at advanced stages of infection. Consequently, a specific focus was to monitor the infection in the first 72 h post inoculation for testing, potentially through non-destructive technologies, and to identify the real early stages of Bc development. CONCLUSION: The destructive chemical analyses performed over the 16 monitored days confirmed what is widely reported in the literature regarding the metabolic/compositional changes that occur following the development of Bc. Moreover, non-destructive technologies allowed us to identify the evolution of Bc, even at early stages of its presence. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Postharvest wine grape dehydration: ethanol dissipation from grape and biochemical changes.

BACKGROUND: During postharvest dehydration, grapes are subject to metabolic changes including ethanol anabolism and catabolism. These changes affect the quality of the final product and ethanol production is a key step. Ethanol dissipation has never been measured during postharvest wine grape dehydration. Thus, the present study aimed to: (i) monitor ethanol dissipation and (ii) investigate chemical-biochemical changes in berries during dehydration. RESULTS: Ethanol dissipation from Raboso grapes, under controlled postharvest dehydration, was found to comprise up to 36% of weight loss (w.l.). Moreover, the activity of enzymes involved in the anaerobic metabolism of grapes was investigated. Ethanol dissipation was highly correlated with grape weight loss (r2 = 0.989). Alcohol dehydrogenase activity, responsible for the reduction of ethanol to acetaldehyde, declined significantly with w.l. Similarly, pyruvate decarboxylase and lactate dehydrogenase reduced their activity. High lipoxygenase activity was measured at 27% w.l., whereas polyphenol oxidation was constant and declined in the last sampling. CONCLUSION: Ethanol dissipation during postharvest dehydration allows for reducing anaerobic metabolism and promotes oxidative metabolism. The sensor used can be a useful commercial tool for monitoring berry metabolism. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Differentiation through E-nose and GC-FID data modeling of rosé sparkling wines elaborated via traditional and Charmat methods.

BACKGROUND: The growing demand for rosé sparkling wine has led to an increase in its production. Traditional or Charmat wine-making influence the aromatic profiles in wine. An analysis such as gas chromatography makes an accurate assessment of wines based on volatile detection but is resource intensive. On the other hand, the electronic nose (E-nose) has emerged as a versatile tool, offering rapid, cost-effective discrimination of wines, and contributing insights into quality and production processes because of its aptitude to perform a global aromatic pattern evaluation. In the present study, rosé sparkling wines were produced using both methods and major volatile compounds and polyols were measured. Wines were tested by E-nose and predictive modelling was performed to distinguish them. RESULTS: Volatile profiles showed differences between Charmat and traditional methods, especially at 5 months of aging. A partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was carried out on E-nose detections, obtaining a model that describes 94% of the variability, separating samples in different clusters and correctly identifying different classes. The differences derived from PLS-DA clustering agree with the results obtained by gas-chromatography. Moreover, a principal components regression model was built to verify the ability of the E-nose to non-destructively predict the amount of different volatiles analyzed. CONCLUSION: Production methods of Rosé sparkling wine affect the final wine aroma profiles as a result of the differences in terms of volatiles. The PLS-DA of the data obtained with E-nose reveals that distinguishing between Charmat and traditional methods is possible. Moreover, predictive models using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection analysis and E-nose highlight the possibility of fast and efficient prediction of volatiles from the E-nose. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Novelty of Italian Grape Ale (IGA) beer: Influence of the addition of Gamay macerated grape must or dehydrated Aleatico grape pomace on the aromatic profile.

A new category of fruit style beer resulting from the addition of grape matrices is named Italian Grape Ale (IGA). In this paper, we report data on an experimental work to produce IGA beers, adding macerated (CO2 or N2) red Gamay grape must or Aleatico grape pomace resulting from a grape dehydration process. Our hypothesis, that these wine processes can produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to characterize these IGA beers which was confirmed by chemical, sensory and aromatic results. IGA beers especially the one with gas-macerated grape musts (IGA-C and IGA-N) showed higher alcohol content than ALE beer (Control) and a higher polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. As regards VOCS, IGA beers increased the concentration of some classes (i.e., alcohols, esters, norisoprenoids) and IGA-N was better characterized by specific compounds such as isobutyric acid, phenylacetate, tyrosol, ethyl hydrogen succinate. Finally, E-nose and sensory evaluation discriminated significantly all the IGA beers.

Effects of Leaf Removal on Free and Glycoconjugate Aromas of Skins and Pulps of Two Italian Red Grapevine Varieties.

Leaf removal is a cultural practice mainly aimed at improving cluster zone microclimates and impacting primary and secondary metabolites, such as volatiles. This research aimed to assess the impact of defoliation on free and glycosylated aromas of a neutral ('Nebbiolo') and a semi-aromatic ('Aleatico') red variety. Defoliation was performed at fruit set (BBCH 71) and, for 'Nebbiolo', also at berries touch (BBCH 81) phenological stages. Skins and pulps were separately analyzed by Solid Phase Extraction-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Results showed that the response to defoliation was variety-dependent. For 'Nebbiolo', especially when performed at the berries' touch stage, defoliation had a significant effect on the accumulation of free volatiles and glycosidic precursors. Differently, free and bound 'Aleatico' volatiles were less impacted by defoliation. Interestingly, in both grapevine varieties, defoliation significantly enhanced the accumulation of aroma precursors in grapes' skins, which is of particular relevance for red wine production and their aging potential. Moreover, results could be helpful for the management of grape quality, as defoliation is currently considered as a strategy to address climate change issues.

Air speed and plastic crate vent-holes for wine grape quality during postharvest dehydration: commercial and laboratory studies.

BACKGROUND: Airflow is an important issue to favor postharvest dehydration keeping wine grape quality. The aim of this experimental work was to analyze the grape quality during postharvest dehydration: (i) in a commercial facility ('fruttaia') by monitoring the efficiency of the ventilation system and (ii) at laboratory level, studying the influence of crate type and airflow direction. RESULTS: In the fruttaia, the airflow was provided by an air duct hanging from the ceiling, and by floor fans. A great gap in air speed from 0 up to 3.7 m s-1 was measured in different sectors of the fruttaia, leading to a different weight loss and grape quality in crates, depending on crate stack height and sector. At the laboratory level, two tunnels, with exhaust or supply fans, were used and four crate types with different percentages of vent-holes were adopted. A decrease of about 5% delayed the weight loss rate depending on the type of crate, and the exhaust fan guaranteed a faster dehydration. CONCLUSION: The results clarified the inefficiency of the commercial ventilation system in ensuring homogeneous grape weight loss in all crates. In addition, the exhaust fan guaranteed a more uniform air distribution around crates, and a slightly higher air speed. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ozone-Induced Biochemical and Molecular Changes in Vitis vinifera Leaves and Responses to Botrytis cinerea Infections.

To investigate how plants cope with multi-stress conditions, we analyzed the biochemical and molecular changes of Vitis vinifera leaves subjected to single or sequential double stresses (infection by Botrytis cinerea (Bc) and ozone (O3, 100 ppb for 3 h) treatment). In Bc+/O3- leaves, the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induction (observed at 12 and 24 h from the end of treatment (FET)) triggered a production of ethylene (Et; +35% compared with Bc-/O3- leaves), which was preceded by an increase of salicylic acid (SA; +45%). This result confirms a crosstalk between SA- and Et-related signaling pathways in lesion spread. The ozone induced an early synthesis of Et followed by jasmonic acid (JA) and SA production (about 2-fold higher), where Et and SA signaling triggered reactive oxygen species production by establishing a feedback loop, and JA attenuated this cycle by reducing Et biosynthesis. In Bc+ + O3+ leaves, Et peaked at 6 and 12 h FET, before SA confirmed a crosstalk between Et- and SA-related signaling pathways in lesion propagation. In O3+ + Bc+ leaves, the H2O2 induction triggered an accumulation of JA and Et, demonstrating a synergistic action in the regulation of defence reactions. The divergence in these profiles suggests a rather complex network of events in the transcriptional regulation of genes involved in the systemic acquired resistance.

The beneficial effect of leaf removal during fruit set on physiological, biochemical, and qualitative indices and volatile organic compound profile of the Cypriot reference cultivar 'Xynisteri'.

BACKGROUND: 'Xynisteri' is the reference Cypriot white cultivar that, despite its significant societal and economic impact, is poorly characterized regarding its qualitative properties, while scarce information exists regarding its aroma profile. In the current study, the effect of leaf removal during fruit set (BBCH 71) on 6-year cordon-trained, spur-pruned grapevines was assessed and an array of physiological, biochemical, and qualitative indices were monitored during successive developmental stages (BBCH 75, BBCH 85, BBCH 87, and BBCH 89). Grapes were additionally monitored for the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profile during the advanced on-vine developmental stages (BBCH 85-BBCH 89) with the employment of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), Fourier-transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectra and electronic nose (E-nose) techniques. RESULTS: Grape berries from the vines subjected to leaf removal were characterized by higher solid soluble sugars (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), tartaric acid, and ammonium nitrogen contents, while this was not the case for assimilable amino nitrogen (primary amino nitrogen). A total of 75 compounds were identified and quantified, including aliphatic alcohols, benzenic compounds, phenols, vanillins, monoterpenes, and C13 -norisoprenoids. Leaf removal led to enhanced amounts of glycosylated aroma compounds, mainly monoterpenes, and C13 -norisoprenoids. Chemometric analysis, used through FT-NIR and E-nose, showed that the aromatic patterns detected were well associated to the grape ripening trend and differences between leaf removal-treated and control grapes were detectable during fully ripe stage. CONCLUSION: Leaf removal at fruit set resulted in an overall induction of secondary metabolism, with special reference to glycosylated aroma compounds, namely monoterpenes and C13 -norisoprenoids. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Nitrogen maceration of wine grape: An alternative and sustainable technique to carbonic maceration.

Carbonic maceration (CM) consists in placing intact grape bunches into a sealed tank to have a natural or artificially created carbon dioxide atmosphere. No articles have been published on the comparison between CM and nitrogen maceration (NM). Therefore, the present study aimed at testing the use of alternative maceration technique (NM) in alternative to CM, to create the conditions of anoxia on the Gamay variety. The results showed a higher concentration of polyphenols and anthocyanins in the macerated wines, especially in NM wine. Concerning VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), the CM wine showed the highest content in esters while the total alcohol content was slightly higher in the NM wines. The CM wine had the highest content in volatile medium chain fatty acids (MCFA). E-nose measurements revealed a clear separation among the samples, and the E-nose data, in PCA computation, were generally overlapped by the PCA of VOCs analysis. The NM showed a potential as environmentally sustainable technique useful to produce a new style of macerated and aromatic wines.

Ozone Gas for Low Cost and Environmentally Friendly Desulfurization of Mute Grape Must.

Ozone is widely used for storage and processing facilities and food sanitization. In this research, ozone was tested as an alternative to high temperature vacuum must desulfurization in order to make a more sustainable process. Bubbling ozone in highly sulfited red must (mute must) at two treatment temperatures, a significant reduction in total and free sulfites from around 1000 mg/L to 200 and 120 mg/L at 20 and 10 °C, respectively, was observed in 24 h, but already after 4 h the concentration was halved. Air flushing of the mute must did not reduce the SO2 content. To evaluate the potential ozone effect on polyphenol oxidation, we carried out the ozone treatment on a water solution with tannins, ascorbic acid, or potassium metabisulfite (MBK) as single and as mixture. In 1 h, 2/3 of sulfite disappeared with the treatment, but the reduction was greater with ascorbate and tannins; the same was observed for ascorbate, whereas tannins decreased to a lesser extent when combined with ascorbate and MBK. Taken together, the results indicate that ozone could be an environmentally friendly, low cost, treatment for desulfurization, especially for white must, and is also easy to use by small wineries.

Ozone and Bioactive Compounds in Grapes and Wine.

Ozone is widely used in the agri-food and food processing industries mainly as a sanitizing agent. However, it has recently become clear that ozone exposition leads to another important benefit: in living tissues, the induced-oxidative stress triggers the antioxidant response, and, therefore, it enhances the production of antioxidant and stress-related secondary metabolites. As such, ozone can be considered an abiotic elicitor. The goal of the present review was to critically summarize knowledge about the possibility of improving bioactive compounds and, consequently, the health-related properties of grapes and wine, by using ozone. The greatest interest has been given not only to the pre- and post-harvest treatment of table and wine grapes, but also to the explanation of the mechanisms involved in the ozone-related response and the main secondary metabolites biosynthetic pathways. From the literature available, it is clear that the effect of ozone treatment on health-related properties and secondary metabolites accumulation depends on many factors, such as the cultivar, but also the form (water or gaseous), doses, and application method of ozone. Most of the published papers report an increase in antioxidant compounds (e.g., polyphenols) and stress-related volatiles, confirming the hypothesis that ozone could be used to improve berry and wine compositional and sensory quality.

Postharvest Water Loss of Wine Grape: When, What and Why.

In postharvest science, water loss is always considered a negative factor threatening fruit and vegetable quality, but in the wine field, this physical process is employed to provide high-quality wine, such as Amarone and Passito wines. The main reason for this is the significant metabolic changes occurring during wine grape water loss, changes that are highly dependent on the specific water loss rate and level, as well as the ambient conditions under which grapes are kept to achieve dehydration. In this review, hints on the main techniques used to induce postharvest wine grape water loss and information on the most important metabolic changes occurring in grape berries during water loss are reported. The quality of wines produced from dried/dehydrated/withered grapes is also discussed, together with an update on the application of innovative non-destructive techniques in the wine sector. A wide survey of the scientific papers published all over the world on the topic has been carried out.

Use of water and ethanol extracts from wine grape seed pomace to prepare an antioxidant toothpaste.

BACKGROUND: Extracts of fresh wine grape seeds/skin or of grape pomace seeds were used to prepare antioxidant natural toothpastes. RESULTS: Ethanol extracted twice more polyphenols than water; ultrasound did not provide any improvement in the extraction. The addition of freeze-dried ethanol extracts of seeds or skin, at 2% and 10%, to the commercial toothpaste significantly increased the polyphenol content, both from white grape seeds and skin and from red grape seed pomace. The evaluation of time stability (shelf life) revealed a decrease, after 4 months, of 3.9% and 9.4% in total polyphenol content, in 5% and 10% water extracts, but not for ethanol extracts. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazil1 antiradical activity was the highest in 10% of seed water extract toothpaste and, after 4 months, the activity was stable. CONCLUSION: Ethanol and water are efficient and safe solvents to create natural toothpaste with grape or pomace seed extract with antioxidant activity. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Time of Postharvest Ethylene Treatments Affects Phenols, Anthocyanins, and Volatile Compounds of Cesanese Red Wine Grape.

Red Cesanese wine grapes, picked at around 22-23 °Brix, were treated with gas ethylene (500 mg L-1) for 15, 24, and 36 h, or air at 20 °C and 95-100% relative humidity (R.H.), then analysed for titratable acidity, sugar content, pH, total phenols, total and specific anthocyanins, and volatile compounds. Ethylene treatments increased the polyphenol content from 412 to 505 and 488 mg L-1 (about +23 and +19%) for 15 and 24 h samples, respectively. Anthocyanins were increased by ethylene, mainly for 15 h treatment (about +17%). The 36 h ethylene treatment induced a loss anthocyanins (-14%), while phenols practically returned to the initial content. A high content of ethanol, acetic acid, and ethyl acetate were detected in 36 h ethylene-treated grapes, together with higher isoamyl acetate content, compared to air and other ethylene treatments. C6 compounds, markers of lipids peroxidation, were slightly higher in 36 h ethylene-treated samples than in control. Shorter ethylene treatments did not significantly modify the aroma profile compared to air treatment.

Advances in cultivar choice, hazelnut orchard management, and nut storage to enhance product quality and safety: an overview.

European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is a major species of interest for nutritional use within the Betulaceae family and its nuts are widely used throughout the world in the chocolate, confectionery, and bakery industries. Recently its cultivation has been expanded in traditional producer countries and established in new places in the southern hemisphere, including Chile, South Africa, and Australia. Introducing hazelnut in new environments could reduce its productivity, lead the trees to experience eco-physiological disorders, and expose the crop to high pressure from common and new pests and diseases. Thus, new approaches in cultivar choice guidance, in the sustainable orchard management and even in nut storage and kernel quality evaluation are urgently required to improve the hazelnut production and processing chain. The main objective of this study was to systematize the published information regarding recent findings about the cultural operations that directly influence nut and kernel quality, support varietal choice for new plantations, and list the recent advances in nut storage and in quality and safety evaluation. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Using an electronic nose and volatilome analysis to differentiate sparkling wines obtained under different conditions of temperature, ageing time and yeast formats.

Effect of yeast inoculation format (F), temperature (T), and "on lees" ageing time (t) factors were evaluated on the composition of sparkling wines by a quantitative fingerprint obtained from volatile metabolites and the response of an electronic nose (E-nose). Wines elaborated according the traditional method at 10 and 14 °C, free cells and yeast biocapsules formats were monitored at 15 and 24 months of ageing time. Sixty-six volatiles identified and quantified in the eight sampling lots were subjected to a pattern recognition technique. A dual criterion based on univariate (ANOVA) and multivariate analysis (PLS-DA) through the variable importance projection (VIP) values, allowed to identify ten volatiles as potential markers for T factor, eleven for t and twelve for F factors. The discriminant models based on E-nose dataset enable a 100% correct classification of samples, in relation with t and F factors and the 83% for T factor.

Effect of flotation and vegetal fining agents on the aromatic characteristics of Malvasia del Lazio (Vitis vinifera L.) wine.

BACKGROUND: Flotation is a process to reduce the must turbidity after grape pressing. The use of fining agents to reduce the polyphenol content is essential for white wine, but their impact on volatile compounds must be considered. Malvasia del Lazio juice (Vitis vinifera L.) was treated before flotation with animal gelatin (GEL), legume protein plus chitin (LEGCHIT), and legume protein plus yeast extract (LEGYEAST). The clarification efficiency, total polyphenols, and total proteins were determined in the grape must before and after flotation, as well as the volatile composition and sensory characteristics of the resulting wines. RESULTS: The LEGCHIT trial was the most efficient, it being the fastest and achieving the lowest turbidity values. The GEL trial was the slowest, showing grape must turbidity values similar to LEGYEAST but also the highest total protein content. The vegetal protein treatments caused a decrease in the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with respect to gelatin, which resulted in a reduction of aroma intensity, particularly for fruity and floral notes, but also for green notes. Furthermore, LEGCHIT wines were appreciated by panelists for their greater body and reduced astringency perception. CONCLUSION: The use of legume protein combined with chitin as a fining agent for flotation is advantageous in terms of clarification efficiency for grape must. Furthermore, the wines obtained showed high perceived global quality, even though a higher loss (38% and 27% respectively for LEGYEAST and LEGCHIT) of VOCs occurred when compared with gelatin. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.