Effect of oenological tannins on wine aroma before and after oxidation

Polyphenols are important compounds involved in many chemical and sensory wine features. In winemaking, adding oenological tannins claims to have positive impacts on wine stability, protection from oxidation and aroma persistence. Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds by either scavenging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species or chelating Fe²⁺ ions.

However, as tannins oxidation leads to the formation of highly reactive species (i.e. ortho-quinones), it is still unclear if they have an effective role toward oxidation of wine aromas. In this work, we aim at studying the effect of two commercial tannins (proanthocyanidins, ellagitannins) on red wine flavour (mainly aroma) before and after air exposition.

We coupled a dynamic sensory evaluation technique with a dynamic instrumental nosespace analysis, in order to decipher the impact of oenological tannins on in-vivo aroma release and perception: a real-time study by coupling sensory (temporal dominance of sensations/TDS) and chemical (Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight- Mass Spectrometer/PTR-TOF-MS) analyses. Which commercial tannin has a positive impact on the aroma persistence of young red wine and on the preservation of its fruity aroma perception after oxidation?

Video of the seminar held during Macrowine virtual (June 23-30, 2021)

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