Influence of Production Method on the Chemical Composition, Foaming Properties, and Quality of Australian Carbonated and Sparkling White Wines

Abstract

The chemical composition (protein, polysaccharide, amino acid, and fatty acid/ethyl ester content), foaming properties, and quality of 50 Australian sparkling white wines, representing the four key production methods, that is, Méthode Traditionelle (n = 20), transfer (n = 10), Charmat (n = 10), and carbonation (n = 10), were studied. Méthode Traditionelle wines were typically rated highest in quality and were higher in alcohol and protein contents, but lower in residual sugar and total phenolics, than other sparkling wines. They also exhibited higher foam volume and stability, which might be attributable to higher protein concentrations. Bottle-fermented Méthode Traditionelle and transfer wines contained greater proportions of yeast-derived mannoproteins, whereas Charmat and carbonated wines were higher in grape-derived rhamnogalacturonans; however, total polysaccharide concentrations were not significantly different between sparkling wine styles. Free amino acids were most abundant in carbonated wines, which likely reflects production via primary fermentation only and/or the inclusion of nontraditional grape varieties. Fatty acids and their esters were not correlated with foaming properties, but octanoic and decanoic acids and their ethyl esters were present in Charmat and carbonated wines at significantly higher concentrations than in bottle-fermented wines and were negatively correlated with quality ratings. Research findings provide industry with a better understanding of the compositional factors driving the style and quality of sparkling white wine.

The role of production process and information on quality expectations and perceptions of sparkling wines

“…This showed that the production method has a role in determining the peculiarities of the flavour profiles, and then consumers' hedonic liking. These differences are due to the different chemical compositions of the wines obtained by the two methods, mainly in terms of volatile compounds, phenolics, polysaccharides, and proteins . The hedonic ratings obtained from Round I – Blind and Round III – Info taste revealed that when experiencing the sensory quality the consumers preferred the Charmat wines, both from Aglianico and from Falanghina grapes.…”

“…These differences are due to the different chemical compositions of the wines obtained by the two methods, mainly in terms of volatile compounds, phenolics, polysaccharides, and proteins. 45,72 The hedonic ratings obtained from Round I -Blind and Round III -Info taste revealed that when experiencing the sensory quality the consumers preferred the Charmat wines, both from Aglianico and from Falanghina grapes. This could seem in contrast with the fact that sparkling wines obtained by the Champenoise method are usually considered higher quality wines, due to the strong reputation gained over time by Champagne.…”

Predicting protein haze formation in white wines

“…Wine pH, TA (g/L) and concentration of alcohol (% v/v), residual sugars (glucose and fructose, g/L) and volatile acidity (VA) as acetic acid (g/L) were measured with a FOSS WineScan (FT‐120) rapid‐scanning infrared Fourier‐transform spectrometer with FOSS WineScan software Version 2.2.1 (P/N 1010968) (FOSS, Hillerød, Denmark). The composition and concentration of haze‐forming proteins were assessed using HPLC with a standard curve of thaumatin (Sigma, Castle Hill, NSW, Australia) as previously described (Culbert et al ). Results are provided as mg/L thaumatin equivalents.…”

Impact of Botrytis cinerea Contamination on the Characteristics and Foamability of Yeast Macromolecules Released during the Alcoholic Fermentation of a Model Grape Juice

“…As for proteins, these wine PSs originate from the grape berry and from the yeast (glucans and mannans or mannoproteins {MPs}). Their composition is largely impacted by the sparkling wine production methods (traditional, transfer, Charmat, carbonation) with consequences for the foamability of the wine [19].…”