Comparative Study of the Effects of Different Wood Chip Extract Species (Oak, Acacia and Cherry) on Color Properties and Anthocyanin Content by the Use of Model Wine Solutions

Abstract

There is a restricted knowledge about the potential impact of the use of different wood species on color and anthocyanin changes during the red wine aging process. This lack of knowledge is even greater when no oak wood species are used. Thus, the aim of this study was to carry out a comparative analysis of the impact of wood chip extracts from oak, acacia and cherry species on the chromatic characteristics and anthocyanins changes by the use of model wine solutions. In this context, several methodologies were used to quantified, color and anthocyanins changes during the aging time studied. The results indicated that the contact between wood chip extracts and grape skin isolated anthocyanin extracts induced a decrease of color intensity, particularly red color, and also the anthocyanin content in the different experimental model wine solutions studied. All chromatic modifications are potentially detected by human eyes because ΔE values were much higher than 3 CIELab units. These tendencies seems to be independent of the wood species used, but more pronounced for higher contact time between wood chip extracts and anthocyanins. The obtained results may contribute to a better understanding of the chromatic changes of red wines when aged in contact with different wood chips species.

Chemical exchange in the vine shoots–wine system when used as an innovative enological procedure

“…Some studies carried out with other woods (oak, acacia, and cherry) pointed out that each type of wood has a particular extraction kinetics. 18 In this case, although both are vine-shoot woods, two different varieties have been considered, and therefore their chemical composition 9,19 and physical properties could be sufficiently different to justify the variability of total and individual extractable phenolic compounds between the two SEGs varieties. Coumaric acid was the only phenolic acid detected in SEGs after contact, with amounts of 241.22 mg in Cabernet Sauvignon and 493.84 mg in Tempranillo.…”