Preliminary Study of the Effects of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) Treatments in Wines Obtained from Early-Harvested Sangiovese Grapes

Abstract

In this experiment, the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) technology on the extractability of anthocyanins and polyphenols in early-harvested Sangiovese red grapes (16.9°Bx sugar, 3.26 pH, and 10.4 g/L titratable acidity) from Emilia Romagna (Italy) was investigated. Electric field strengths were in the range of 0.9–3 kV/cm, generated by the application of short, high-voltage pulses, and the grapes were subjected to specific energies from 10.4 to 32.5 kJ/kg immediately after crushing and destemming to produce a pre-fermentative pulsed electric field treatment on a pilot scale. Grape musts and wines were analyzed for color components and polyphenols content from pressing of juices up to 3 months from the end of the fermentation of wines. Furthermore, the freshly-fermented wines were subjected to accelerated aging conditions (i.e., warming under 40 °C for 32 days) to simulate the evolution of color parameters with time. The color intensity was generally higher in treated musts and wines compared to the control, further increased by raising the intensity of the electric field. Results suggested the potentialities of pulsed electric fields (PEFs) as a mild pre-fermentative process to assist maceration and to increase the polyphenolic content of musts obtained by early-harvested Sangiovese grapes.

Pre-Fermentation Water Addition to High-Sugar Shiraz Must: Effects on Wine Composition and Sensory Properties

“…Before the use of water addition becomes more widespread as a means to alleviate issues with high TSS musts, research could also continue to focus on the consequences of water addition across a wider range of varieties which are relevant to Australian production, for example white grape varieties such as Chardonnay. Furthermore, for red winemaking, alternative maceration strategies such as ultrasound, pulsed electric field or “accentuated cut edges” (ACE) [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ] could be explored, which might improve the phenolic concentration and sensory profile of wines made from less mature fruit. Hence, wine alcohol might be reduced by simply harvesting earlier.…”

Recent Technologies for the Extraction and Separation of Polyphenols in Different Plants: A Review

“…PEF is a green technology that can improve phenol extraction from branched starch of blueberry pomace [82] and can increase the concentration of phenolic compounds in olive pomace [83]. Ricci et al [84] found that a mild PEF can also be applied to reduce the accumulation of bioactive compounds in plants to obtain commodities with health-promoting properties. López-Gámez et al [85] found that the timing of PEF treatment of postharvest carrots affected their compound content, respiration rate, volatile organic compound production, and enzyme activity, with a significant 24 h posttreatment regime, accompanied by a significant increase in total phenolic content (80.2%).…”

Determination of home-made wine selected parameters and study of honey addition impact on pro-healthy components content

“…The colour intensity (CI) of wine samples during the winemaking process was measured as the sum of absorbances at 620, 520 and 420 nm and calculated as a relative percentage of yellow, red, and blue (%Yl, %Rd, %Bl), while colour hue (CH) defined as absorbance ratio at 420 and 520 nm [5,6]. Additionally, for selected samples (1C, 2C, 3-6) the brilliance of wine was calculated: (100•(1 − (A 420 + A 620 )/2• A 520 )).…”