Investigating the impact of bottle color, temperature and light exposure on rose wine characteristics

Rose is leading the fastest growth wine category which hit a 40% increase since 2002. France accounts for over a third (34%) of global consumption followed by the US at 16%. The majority of rose wines are bottled in clear bottles. There are a range of factors that impact the selection of bottle color for wine storage, but consumer’s acceptance seems to be one factor where market forces drive the use of lighter colored glass bottles over dark green, brown or blue glass. Post-bottling storage is also a critical phase for rose wine. Bottled wine can be exposed to UV-visible light and temperature fluctuations for relatively long periods of time in retail stores, restaurants, and domestic settings, resulting in degradation with color and aroma changes.

This research studied the impact of bottle color, light exposure and temperature on rosé wine quality. Four rosé wines with different organoleptic characteristics and chemical compositions (color, phenolic, sugar and alcohol content) were bottled in clear and green bottles and stored under three different light conditions (darkness, fluorescent bulb and cool white LED bulb) at cellar (15 °C) and room temperature (20 °C). Color, basic chemical analysis, aroma profile, phenolics and reductive compounds were determined after 0, 3 and 6 months of storage. The color and phenolic composition were determined by spectrophotometric analysis and RP-HPLC. Potential changes in aroma were determined through volatile screening of the wines using SPME-GC-MS. Reductive compounds were also determined by SPME-GC-MS.

What changes in the wines were detectable after 3 months and more noticeable after 6 months of storage? In which conditions the decrease in free and total SO₂ and the intensity of color had the largest impact? How did the aroma profiles change over time in the conditions described above? Find out which of the variables studied impacted rose wine aging the most.

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