Optimisation of Retsina Wine Quality: Effects of Resin Concentration, Yeast Strain, and Oak Chip Type.

Retsina, Greece's most renowned traditional wine, has been produced for millennia, with archaeological and historical evidence supporting its legacy. It is legally defined as wine made exclusively in Greece using grape must infused with Aleppo pine resin (). This study examines the effects of varying resin concentrations (0.

Effect of Myclobutanil Pesticide on the Physiological Behavior of Two Newly Isolated Strains during Very-High-Gravity Alcoholic Fermentation.

Yeasts are able to act as biosorbents, as their cell wall includes several components capable of binding organic xenobiotic compounds that can potentially be removed during various fermentation processes. In the present investigation, two novel strains (LMBF-Y 16 and LMBF-Y-18), previously isolated from grapes, were studied regarding their physiological behavior (dry cell weight-DCW production, substrate uptake, and ethanol and glycerol biosynthesis) during fermentations of grape must, in some cases enriched with commercial glucose and fructose (initial total sugar concentration approximately 150 and 250 g/L, respectively). Myclobutanil (a chiral triazole fungicide broadly used as a protective agent of vine) was also added to the culture media at various concentrations in order to assess the ability of the yeasts to simultaneously perform alcoholic fermentations and detoxify the medium (i.

Proanthocyanidin content as an astringency estimation tool and maturation index in red and white winemaking technology.

Selecting the appropriate type of barrel for wine maturation but also deciding on the optimum maturation length, is a challenge for winemakers. As different types of barrel woods emerge, it is of great importance for a guideline to be established, which could facilitate winemaking decisions. Since the sensory perception of the finished wine, and particularly the intensity of astringency, is a decisive factor for the quality of a barrel-aged wine, in this experiment, the structural characteristics of wine proanthocyanidins were determined and their correlation with astringency was established.

Changes in Tannin Composition of Syrah Grape Skins and Seeds during Fruit Ripening under Contrasting Water Conditions.

Tannin accumulation and composition were determined in skins and seeds isolated from cv. Syrah grapes submitted to contrasting water regimes under semiarid climatic conditions. Three irrigation treatments were conducted, starting at berry set through harvest of two growing seasons, 2011 and 2012: irrigation at 100% of crop evapotranspiration ETc (FI), irrigation at 50% of ETc (DI) and non-irrigated (NI).

Effect of irrigation regime on perceived astringency and proanthocyanidin composition of skins and seeds of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Syrah grapes under semiarid conditions.

In this work, the effect of water availability on astringency of seed and skin extracts of Vitis vinifera cv. Syrah berries under the typical semiarid conditions of Greece was investigated. Moreover, astringency was assessed in relation to proanthocyanidin composition.

Differentiation of Wines Treated with Wood Chips Based on Their Phenolic Content, Volatile Composition, and Sensory Parameters.

The effects of both wood chips addition and contact time on phenolic content, volatile composition, color parameters, and organoleptic character of red wine made by a native Greek variety (Agiorgitiko) were evaluated. For this purpose, chips from American, French, Slavonia oak, and Acacia were added in the wine after fermentation. A mixture consisting of 50% French and 50% Americal oak chips was also evaluated.

Optimization of polyphenol extraction from red grape pomace using aqueous glycerol/tartaric acid mixtures and response surface methodology.

Grape pomace is a food industry waste containing a high burden of antioxidant polyphenols and several methodologies have been developed for their efficient extraction. However, a sustainable and environmentally friendly process should involve recovery means composed of benign, non-toxic solvents, such as tartaric acid and glycerol, which are natural food constituents. In this line, this study examined the extraction of polyphenols using aqueous tartaric acid/glycerol solutions.

Effect of irrigation regime on anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Syrah grapes under semiarid conditions.

Background: Irrigation management is a powerful technique to control grape and wine colour. However, water deficit effects on anthocyanins are often contrasting, depending on the severity of water restriction. In addition, the effect of irrigation on the antiradical capacity of grapes has not been extensively studied.

Direct and simultaneous quantification of tannin mean degree of polymerization and percentage of galloylation in grape seeds using diffuse reflectance fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy.

The direct and simultaneous quantitative determination of the mean degree of polymerization (mDP) and the degree of galloylation (%G) in grape seeds were quantified using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and partial least squares (PLS). The results were compared with those obtained using the conventional analysis employing phloroglucinolysis as pretreatment followed by high performance liquid chromatography-UV and mass spectrometry detection. Infrared spectra were recorded in solid state samples after freeze drying.

Analytical phenolic composition and sensory assessment of selected rare Greek cultivars after extended bottle ageing.

Background: The Hellenic vineyard embraces a large number of native cultivars, which are mostly unexploited for their ageing potential. Therefore, it was thought that analyzing some quality parameters of 14 red wines produced by rare native varieties would be of great importance in obtaining a general picture of their potential for commercial use. Various analytical methods were applied to the selected wines, at bottling and after 8 years of ageing, in an attempt to provide reliable answers to this issue.

Grape brandy production, composition and sensory evaluation.

Grape brandy is a spirit drink produced by wine distillation and is matured in wooden casks. According to legislation, it can be characterised by the geographical area where the grapes were produced, the grape variety used and the selected distillation and ageing techniques. Distillation increases ethanol concentration and aromatic constituents which are already present in grapes or are developed during fermentation and distillation.

Effects of severity of post-flowering leaf removal on berry growth and composition of three red Vitis vinifera L. cultivars grown under semiarid conditions.

The effects of the severity of post-flowering leaf removal on the growth and phenolic composition of berry skin and seeds were studied in three Vitis vinifera L. genotypes over two consecutive seasons, 2007 and 2008. The study was conducted in a commercial vertical shoot positioned (VSP)-trained nonirrigated vineyard of northern Greece, planted with cultivars Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese.

Metabolism of anthocyanins by human gut microflora and their influence on gut bacterial growth.

Consumption of anthocyanins has been related with beneficial health effects. However, bioavailability studies have shown low concentration of anthocyanins in plasma and urine. In this study, we have investigated the bacterial-dependent metabolism of malvidin-3-glucoside, gallic acid and a mixture of anthocyanins using a pH-controlled, stirred, batch-culture fermentation system reflective of the distal human large intestine conditions.

Irrigation and rootstock effects on the phenolic concentration and aroma potential of Vitis vinifera L. cv. cabernet sauvignon grapes.

Compositional changes of skin and seed phenolic compounds and berry glycosylated aroma precursors were measured in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon onto 1103P and SO4 rootstocks, in three irrigation regimes (FI, 100% of evapotranspiration; DI, 50% of evapotranspiration; and NI, non-irrigated).

Differentiation of young red wines based on cultivar and geographical origin with application of chemometrics of principal polyphenolic constituents.

Nineteen major polyphenolic phytochemicals including hydroxycinnamate derivatives, flavanols, flavonols, and anthocyanins, were determined in 40 experimental red wines employing HPLC-DAD. All wines analysed were young (non-aged), produced, and stored under identical conditions, in an effort to minimize the effect of oak wood and vinification technology. The data obtained from this examination composed the matrix for the implementation of chemometrics, which aimed at differentiating the wine samples on the basis of cultivar and geographical region of origin.

Differentiation of young red wines based on chemometrics of minor polyphenolic constituents.

For reasons of examining any possible discrimination of young red wines based on selected, minor polyphenols, a survey was carried out including 35 samples originating from three Hellenic native and three international Vitis vinifera cultivars from various regions of Greece. All samples were experimental wines vinified and stored under identical conditions, in an effort to minimize the effect of different winemaking technologies as well as aging. The polyphenols analyzed belonged to two categories: benzoic acid derivatives, including gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and syringic acid, and stilbenes, including astringin, piceid, and resveratrol (all trans isomers).

An analytical survey of the polyphenols of seeds of varieties of grape (Vitis vinifera) cultivated in Greece: implications for exploitation as a source of value-added phytochemicals.

Seed samples from 12 white and 25 red international and Hellenic native grape varieties (Vitis vinifera) were screened for their polyphenolic composition. The polyphenols determined were mainly of low molecular weight, including gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate and the procyanidins B1 and B2. Average values of total content for white and red varieties (376 and 388 mg/100 g seeds, respectively) were very similar.

Flavour analysis of Greek white wine by solid-phase microextraction-capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was optimised for the qualitative determination of the volatile flavour compounds responsible for the aroma of Greek Boutari wine. Several factors influencing the equilibrium of the aroma compounds between the sample and the SPME fiber were taken into account, including the extraction time, the extraction temperature, the sampling mode (headspace and direct immersion or liquid SPME), and the presence of salt. Four different SPME fibers were used in this study.