Influence of grape seeds on wine composition and astringency of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines

Abstract

Background The aim of this work was to study the influence of grape berry morphology, especially the seed weight percentage, on the tannin concentration and astringency of red wine. Clusters of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon were characterized and their seeds were extracted and macerated in a model wine solution. In parallel, we elaborated three types of wines of each cultivar. One wine was made with only grape juice, one wine was made adding the appropriate proportion of seeds to the grape juice, and the last wine was elaborated with the complete destemmed and crushed berries. Results Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which have higher percentage of seed weight with respect to the berry weight than Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes originated wines with higher tannin concentration and astringency than Tempranillo and Garnacha wines. Conclusion The main conclusion of this study is that the seed weight percentage with respect to the berry weight is one of the main determinants of the final tannin concentration and astringency of red wines.

Exploration and Comparison of the Behavior of Some Indigenous and International Varieties (Vitis vinifera L.) Grown in Climatic Conditions of Herzegovina: The Influence of Variety and Vintage on Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Grapes

“…Higher pH values (Mostar, 3.65 and 3.70) are relatively in line with the statements of other authors [ 57 , 71 ]. The high values of TSS in the grape juice of the Merlot variety at both analyzed localities in the years of the research are relatively in line with the results of some other authors [ 63 , 72 , 73 ], while the level of determined titratable acids (TA) was mostly insignificantly higher compared to the results of the same authors. Higher values of TSS (24.0 °Brix and 24.4 °Brix) in Trebinje were observed during research on the grape quality of this variety in the earlier period (2016–2017) [ 38 ].…”

“…Cultivation of the Merlot variety in different agroclimatic conditions significantly affects the specific characteristics of the bunch, which are characterized by a slightly smaller number of berries in the bunch [ 62 , 63 ] or their size [ 64 ].…”

Enriched Red Wine: Phenolic Profile, Sensory Evaluation and In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Compounds

“…It has been proposed that berry size and seed content is determinant of flavan-3-ols content in red wines. In this sense, Merlot grapes are characterized by a small berry size and high seed content that may lead to the high concentration of flavan-3-ols into the wine [ 39 ]. Table 2 describes the content of flavan-3-ols in WC.…”

Natural and Artificial Oxidation of Grape Seed Phenolics are Influenced by Extractability and Galloylation Pattern

“…Canals et al (2008) revealed the positive relationship between seed presence and wine anthocyanin content, and also showed a correlation with wine astringency and bitterness. The total concentration of seed phenolics in wine was related to increased wine bitterness, but not astringency (Arnold & Noble, 1978), however, more recent work showed that cultivars having a greater proportion of seed weight to berry weight produce more astringent wines (Gombau et al, 2020). Additionally, high concentrations of seed phenolics mask desirable wine aromas (Bautista-Ortín, Busse-Valverde, López-Roca, Gil-Muñoz, & Gómez-Plaza, 2014; Cliff, Stanich, Edwards, & Saucier, 2012; Parker et al, 2007).…”

“…Ćurko et al, 2014;Gombau et al, 2020;Narukawa et al, 2010). Flavan-3-ol monomers are also well known to impact bitterness in wine(Sáenz-Navajas et al, 2015)…”