Abstract
The effects of (A) grape freezing, and (B) malolactic fermentation, have been evaluated on the chemical and colorimetric profiles of red wines from Schiava grossa cv. grapes, thus prone to colour instability. The aim was to observe if specific variables (e.g. grape freezing) could improve the extraction and stability of pigments. The samples were studied from musts up to twelve months in bottle. The study was conducted with independent parallel micro-vinifications (12 = 4 theses x 3 replicates) under strictly-controlled conditions. The measured parameters included: 1) sugars, organic acids and %ABV (measured by specific enzymatic methods or by OIV reference methods), 2) dissolved oxygen (measured according to OIV protocols), 3) semi-quantitative determination of pigments, profile of non-anthocyanidin phenols, and profile of condensed tannins (LC-QqQ/MS [1]), spectrophotometric indexes (Hue and Intensity), colorimetric indexes (CIELab parameters), and the volatile profiles (GCxGC-ToF/MS [2]). A striking relation among the abundances of four anthocyanidin monoglucosides (peonidin-3-glu, malvidin-3-glu, petunidin-3-glu, and cyanidin-3-glu) has been observed in the musts from frozen grapes, but not in wines from frozen or non-frozen grapes. Cyclic procyanidins showed neither significant differences in concentration in must and wine due to any specific applied factor, nor due to specific treatments (such as with bentonites), proving again their applicability as markers for the grape variety in wine [3]. A substantial drop in peonidin-3-glu over the vinification (the main anthocyanin in Schiava cv. grapes) was studied in relation to the applied study factors. Grape freezing increased the extraction of peonidin-3-glu in the must, though the rate of its subsequent loss was faster than in wines from non-frozen grapes. Nonetheless, peonidin-3-glucoside was still more concentrated in the wines from frozen grapes than in wines from non-frozen grapes up to wine bottling. The wines made from frozen grapes and without malolactic fermentation had the highest colorimetric parameters a* (green→red), ΔE* (difference in colour), C* (chromaticity), and ΔH* (difference in tone) colorimetric parameters. b* (blue→yellow) was highest in wines from frozen grapes, but regardless of the application or not of the malolactic fermentation.